Photo: AllAboutBirds.org
Not being ashamed to admit that I’m one of the birdwatchers in the family — and being attached to all things Rhode Island — I was concerned to read about the disappearance of the herons that used to frequent Rose Island.
According to the Associated Press, “No one is quite sure why the herons have disappeared from Rhode Island’s Rose Island, but one group wants them back. The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation has started a $100,000 campaign to restore the habitat for herons and other shoreline birds on the 17-acre island in Narragansett Bay. The executive director of the foundation, David McCurdy, told the Newport Daily News that there were about 300 pairs of herons laying eggs on the island a decade ago, but now there are none. Some experts believe the disappearance has to do with the impact of humans, but others say it could be changes in the food supply or an overgrowth of brush on the island. The foundation plans to clear out specific areas and plant cedar trees to attract the birds.”
Read more at the website for the Rose Island Lighthouse, which, by the way, is an operating lighthouse where you can spend a night or a week if you want to investigate the heron situation yourself. Here’s what the lighthouse website says about overnights:
“not an inn — not a b&b — but an operating lighthouse where you can become the keeper. you have two options.
“1. stay over night in the museum on the 1st floor or
“2. become keeper for a week or a night and stay on the 2nd floor”
On second thought, you may not have time to investigate the heron situation.
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