Members of the Laurel Park Improvement Association gathered Saturday, Nov. 16, in the marshes off Laurel Lane for a "Wrack Attack and Park Pick-up" event along the Kickemuit River shoreline.

The gathering served multiple purposes, including the debut of the LPIA's new Climate Action Team and also for the introduction organization's Environmental Education website.

LPIA endeavors

One of the LPIA’s organizational objectives has, and will continue to be, preservation of the salt marsh along the river. Local marshes are teeming with phragmites, the “common reed”, an invasive plant that is generally considered detrimental to a healthy marsh and waterfront. 

After a series of intense storms in late 2022, an enormous amount of wrack piled up across 1.4 acres of marsh up to 4 feet high in some places. Wrack is naturally stranded, dead plant material. Wrack was also pushed by the storm surge over 400’ down the road where it compacted to 5 inches deep for over a year. 

In 2024, during the Earth Day cleanup, Connie McGreavy, the current LPIA vice president, led a cadre of organization volunteers to start removing the wrack in order to prevent smothering the growth of beneficial grasses underneath. She estimates that 8-10 cubic yards of wrack were removed.

Wenley Ferguson, Director of Restoration for Save The Bay, shared information about the marshes along the western side of the Kickemuit River, bordered by a steep slope with residential development. 

Runoff from paved and impervious surfaces flows down the slope into the marsh, bringing with it sediment and excess freshwater, allowing the invasive plant, Phragmites australis also known as common reed to get established.  Managing stormwater runoff is a way to reduce the height and vigor of Phragmites since it is less tolerant to saltwater and can outcompete native salt marsh grasses in brackish areas. 

The town installed underground stormwater filters called Vortechnic units at multiple locations along the Kickemuit River in the 2000s to capture sediment found in road runoff. These structures can successfully remove sediment if they are regularly maintained yet don’t reduce the volume of water that is discharged into the marsh. Infiltrating stormwater into the ground is a technique to reduce the volume of water yet this area is challenging due to its steep slopes.

Twenty years ago, when the LPIA first applied for grant funds to rescue the marsh from invasive species including Japanese Knotweed and Phragmites, monitoring showed that the Phragmites was advancing some 6’-10’ per year. Phragmites is an opportunistic species which crowds out native grasses. The resulting habitat is not suitable for wildlife. 

The marsh’s purpose as a biodiverse nursery for marine life is diminished. A thicket of Phragmites does not provide cover, food or nesting habitat for birds native to marshes such as Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets. 

LPIA may investigate engineered solutions in the future with support from local partners and landowners including the Warren Land Conservation Trust, Save the Bay and the Town of Warren.

Taking 'Action'

Amity Burock, who spends significant time in town and who is a Barrington High School student, volunteered this spring to start a Climate Action Team for the LPIA, and not just for young people. Her aim is to inform all Laurel Park residents to about the "what and why” of climate change. 

She wants people to understand how activities on land as well as factors such as sea level rise and weather can impact the marine ecosystem, seafood supply, water quality and more. She is designing a flier to educate residents of Laurel Park and others about climate change. 

Burock recently assisted McGreavy to monitor the shoreline using the "MyCoast" software application rolled out by the University of Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island SeaGrant. Photos are taken during storms and king tides to capture the impact of flooding. 

Burock takes inspiration from Greta Thunberg, the noted young climate activist from Sweden. She learned of Thunberg's achievements while working on a project about prominent activists in elementary and middle school. Since then, she has continued to admire Thunberg's successes, especially her New York Times bestseller, "The Climate Book." 

Burock added, "I believe that Thunberg is an important role model for many young people interested in climate change. I feel that Thunberg's presence serves as a reminder for younger individuals to advocate for themselves and take action on climate change.”

Burock is a volunteer for Save The Bay and a member of CARI (Climate Action Rhode Island). She recently participated in an International Coastal Cleanup event at Jamiel’s Park in Warren organized by Save The Bay. The ICC is a global volunteer effort organized by The Ocean Conservancy to document marine debris.

More LPIA notes

There are some 200 households in the coastal community known as Laurel Park. Laurel Park is bounded by the Kickemuit River on the east, the east side of Metacom Avenue on the west, Clark Road and Overhill Road on the south, and Lincoln Avenue and Homestead Avenue on the north (including side streets off Homestead Avenue). 

Members of LPIA have year-round access to the river, as well as a park and playground for recreational use. Annual Member Meet Ups include 4th of July festivities featuring a cookout, children’s activities and fireworks, firepit and kayak nights, games in the park, Earth Day cleanups, saltmarsh restoration and more.

The Laurel Park Improvement Association is an all-volunteer, member-led organization governed by a diverse set of officers who are committed to membership enjoyment, engagement and satisfaction.  LPIA welcomes and encourages member involvement in fulfilling its mission.

For more information on any and all LPIA events and offerings visit www.laurelparkwarren.com.

— East Bay Media Group and eastbayri.com contributing photographer Julie Furtado shot the accompanying gallery of photos.