The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society led by Anne Wagner, made a visit to our campus Wednesday. They were interested in REWHC's web site, visiting the butterfly gardens and walking the trails. Beth Ripa, REWHC chairperson, gave them an overview of the Raytheon Employee Wildlife Enhancement Council, our objectives and accomplishments; they were really impressed that so much had already been done. A tour was made of the pathways and the Woodland Wander interpretive trail. On this walk they performed an inventory of the plants that were encountered and collaborated with Diana Ukleja our plant chairperson. This inventory is a great help to us as it adds to our efforts to catalog the campus plants. An unexpected highlight of the walk was a beautifully marked and colored Eastern Milk Snake that very slowly slithered into a tree crevice. Bill Saslow closed the tour at the site of the Portsmouth Poor Farm with the story of these residents that preceded Raytheon.
As they left the society visitors expressed the same sentiment that so many others have, "You're so lucky, you have a beautiful campus and you get to enjoy it."