Pawtuxet River

Saturday, June 27, 2009

There was a "Tree Walk" the RI Tree Council either sponsored or was somehow involved in. With my 13 year old, we met at the Farmers Market in Pawtuxet Village. The talk was a little dry but it was what I expected. It wasn't what my son expected. He was painfully bored. After a half hour, we ditched the talk and walked around the village.

I live only a couple miles from Pawtuxet and I seldom visit. It's gorgeous. The river is gorgeous. Too bad it's polluted.

After a short walk and a drink (ice cream shop didn't open until noon - what gives?) we headed for the river walk.

I did this walk maybe in '07 with all three boys. It is quite nice and a great respite from the city. Unfortunately too many teens find it a great place to burn trash and drink beer. In spots the teens like to linger there is significant damage. The trail was widened by the chopping down of bow timber trees for use in the fire. Some trees were spray painted. Trash was everywhere.

I wish I could speak directly to those kids and have them listen. First off, beer cans don't burn. You can stop trying. Secondly, a fire, even a small one, over shallow roots and under low overhanging branches is dangerous. If the season is dry, a root fire could spread and burn the area down. Good thing the area is as wet as it is.

Natural places are special because they don't stink of civilization. Bringing our stuff and making our mark there makes it a lot less special. The trash and damage doesn't ruin the area, but it does diminish it.

There are quite a few side trails and we followed a bunch of them. The entire walk couldn't have taken more than a half hour, but it certainly recharged my son's mood. Maybe not as much as ice cream would have, but we do what we can.