Jenny Flanagan of the Warren Land Conservation Trust and Deirdre Robinson of the Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative will lead a public walk into Jacob’s Point in Warren from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 (rain date on Sunday, May 15). Their focus will be on the impact of future sea level rise on this saltwater marsh and some of its inhabitants.

This free, public event is part of a series of community events being held as part of an exhibition called “Rising Seas: Envisioning the Future Ocean State” taking place April 21 – May 29 at Imago Gallery as well as saltwater marshes in Warren expected to be impacted by future sea level rise.

Flanagan and Robinson will meet the group at the entrance to the trail located on the East Bay Bike Path between Locust Terrace, off Route 114 in Warren and the Audubon Society of Rhode Island Nature Center and Aquarium (1401 Hope St., in Bristol, RI). Parking is available on the north side of Locust Terrace or at the Audubon site. Water resistant walking or hiking shoes are highly recommended.

Flanagan will talk about the history and geology of the fragile marsh and barrier beach site, Warren Land and Conservation Trust involvement, recent marsh restoration efforts and why they are so important.

Robinson’s focus will be on Jacob Point’s endangered Saltmarsh Sparrow population that are predicted to become extinct by 2040, due to sea level rise caused by global warming, habitat loss, and depredation. She will share maps created by the research team that document nests found at Jacob’s Point and talk about the bird's lifecycle and the threats to its survival. Robinson hopes to introduce one or two of the sparrows to attendees first-hand if conditions allow.

As the walk continues to the beach and along the shoreline, IFA exhibiting artist Linda Megathlin will talk about the artistic considerations that went into creating her images of Jacob’s Point that are included in the exhibit on view at Imago Gallery.

After crossing two tidal streams that flow through the marsh, the group will exit the marsh further north on the East Bay Bike Path closer to Locust Avenue.Other public events offered as part of “Rising Seas: Envisioning the Future Ocean State” after this event include:

• A talk at Imago Gallery in Warren at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18 by Elizabeth Rush, author of RISING – Dispatches from the New American Shore and an English professor at Brown University. Rush will address whose voices have been traditionally left out of environmental discourse and how we might make this conversation more whole moving forward in order to craft a more creative and collective response to the climate crisis.
• An open community meeting on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at Imago Gallery with Warren’s Director of Planning & Community Development Bob Rulli on resiliency projects currently underway in Warren and work the Town is doing to anticipate the impact of projected sea level rise in Warren residential neighborhoods in order to develop mitigation plans.
• IFA-sponsored Conversations with Exhibiting Artists, Planners and URI experts on sea level rise from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 26 at Imago Gallery in Warren.

This program is being supported in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional funding from BankNewport.