Each exhibit at Audubon represents
the Center’s habitats; turkeys and
other wild animals can be spotted
roaming the refuge.
Y
ou don’t have to travel to exotic locations around the world to see amazing wildlife; just
look in your own backyard. Or, grab a lunch to-go, pack your binoculars and head to the Audubon
Society of Rhode Island’s Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol. While there, you might see deer,
turkey, owls, fox, osprey and more.
Back in 1897, long before the center was
constructed, the Audubon Society of Rhode
Island was formed by a group of Rhode Island
citizens who were concerned about the
destruction of wild birds and the commercial
use of their plumage. While the society
focused on environmental education in such
topics for many years, they were officially
deeded the Kimball Bird Sanctuary in
Charlestown in 1924 as a home base for their
operation. Here visitors could take this
education and apply it to nature, in real time.
Throughout the years, the Au,dubon Wildlife
Refuge network expanded to include spots all
over the state like Fisherville Brook, Touisset
Marsh, Powder Mill Ledges, Caratunk and
more. To date, there are thirteen refuges
around Rhode Island and one on the state line
in Seekonk, Massachusetts. However, it
wasn’t until 2000 that the $3.5 million Nature
Center and Aquarium in Bristol opened,
allowing visitors to experience state-of-the-art
exhibitions and dioramas of the surrounding
72 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l
MARCH 2020
refuge habitats and wildlife. “The Audubon
Society of Rhode Island is one of the oldest
original Audubons in the country,” says Anne
DiMonti, director of the Nature Center and
Aquarium. “However, we are independent and
not associated with the national Audubon
Society. When someone is a member with the
Audubon Society of Rhode Island, their
membership dollars and support go back
directly into Rhode Island.”
Everything about the Audubon Society of
Rhode Island is Rhody-focused, and even 123
years later, one thing remains the same:
their passion for educating the local commu-
nity about the environment around them.
While the Audubon Society of Rhode
Island is one of the largest private landowners
in the state that protects a 9,500-acre refuge
system plus nearly thirty-five miles of trails,
the Nature Center and Aquarium is one of the
society’s most sought out locations. It is a
place where people can learn about the local
environment at any age.
But why Bristol? According to Jeffrey
Hall, senior director of advancement, rumor
has it that Claire D. McIntosh, who once
owned the property, was offered a boatload
of money for her prime real estate — an
area that would turn into a condominium
development. McIntosh declined the offer
and donated the property to the Audubon
Society of Rhode Island in 1992 in hopes
that her land and the bountiful nature on it
would stay protected.
The Nature Center and Aquarium attracts
thousands of visitors each year with its pro-
gramming for adults and children. Many
students are brought to the center for cur-
ricular field trips, and even home schoolers
have the option to partake in a junior natu-
ralist program. “There’s summer camp,
raptor weekend, bird walks, indoor sea life
exhibits, a children’s play area, an outdoor
pollinator garden and so much more,” says
Lauren Parmelee, senior director of educa-
tion. “We try to serve everyone and teach