them things they may not have known oth-
erwise through our variety of programs.”
Admission costs $6 per adult, $4 for children
and members plus kiddos under the age of
three are free, though if you happen to stop
by on the first Saturday of the month for fam-
ily fun day, admission is free for everyone.
Within the Nature Center and Aquarium
— which also happens to be the largest
aquarium in Rhode Island — you will find
six major habitat exhibits. Each exhibit was
built to reflect the property, and the idea is
that visitors can walk through the center
and learn about the state’s habitats and then
take that knowledge with them outside on
the trail. The first exhibit highlights the
fields and the animals found in them,
including skunks, racoons, deer and owls.
And there is a pretty good chance you will
run into one of these creatures there, too.
Due to the condo development around the
property, many animals have concentrated
on the refuge, and a lot of them use the East
Bay Bike Path just off the backside of the
property to travel from other areas.
Beyond the field exhibit is the nature nook
and children’s play area and just outside the
window are Lucy and Zach, two of the
center’s ravens. Then, you flow into the sea
life and tank exhibits, where you will find sea
creatures that are native to Rhode Island (and
sometimes New England) waters. In 2010, the
Nature Center and Aquarium created a formal
partnership with nearby Roger Williams
University so students could gain hands-on
experience through internships; they also
became the center’s aquarium team. The
students from the marine science department
maintain and care for the fish, replenish tanks
with species when needed and provide
exhibitory drawings.
In the freshwater and salt marsh exhibits,
you’ll find a variety of fish and maybe even a
starfish suctioned to the tank wall. To the
right is the new aquaponics exhibit that
showcases a living plant wall, and just
around the corner from that is the tide pool
exhibit. Most notably, this spot and the
saltmarsh are home to the center’s two
orange lobsters — a one in four million
chance — both of which dodged the fate of a
grocery store tank. Both of the lobsters
came from nearby Stop and Shop locations,
originally as stock to be sold, but now live
comfortably (and safely away from a lobster
pot!) in the Audubon’s tanks.
The last part of the center informs visitors
of the migration pattern of seals that winter
in our waters, plus a life-sized replica of a
North Atlantic Right Whale. The most
endangered whale in the world with only
400 left, these magnificent creatures pass
through the Block Island Sound in the spring
making them local to Rhode Island and other
parts of New England. And as with any other
whale, the North Atlantic Right Whale is
quite large — in fact, the thirty-three-foot-
long juvenile model in the center had to be
brought in on an eighteen-wheeler and
moved around by a boat dolly until it was
placed in the perfect spot.
Once you pass through the exhibits, zip-
per up your jacket and take what you have
learned outside. From the rolling upland
meadow to the Narragansett Bay shore,
there’s so much to explore on the refuge
and in your own backyard. 1401 Hope St.,
Bristol, 949-5454, asri.org. >>
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY
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