Preserving our land, protecting our waters and engaging with the community and local partners

Our Mission

The Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation is a non-profit land trust located in Westerly and Charlestown, Rhode Island, dedicated to preserve and protect open space and clean water in the watersheds of the Winnapaug and Quonochontaug salt ponds.

The mission of the Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation is to preserve open space in the watersheds of the Quonochontaug and Winnapaug salt ponds, protect the barrier beaches, and ensure the integrity and water quality of the Ponds themselves through the support of the WFC members and the local pond communities. Please join us in our mission to keep this unique corner of the world green and wild.

Our Work

The Foundation protects over a thousand acres of green space, including marsh, fields, woodlands and barrier beaches which are habitat for migratory and endangered birds, small mammals, reptiles and dozens of different plant species. We work with area farmers to preserve their land and their way of life, and with other local organizations to promote clean water and green spaces. Our focus includes the following programs and initiatives:

• Protecting open space through donations, outright land purchases, or purchases of development rights.
• Identifying suitable open space for conservation purposes, followed by appraisals, title searches, engineering studies, and assessments of strategic value to the Foundation.
• Working with other conservation and environmental organizations to promote clean water and green spaces; working with area farmers to preserve their land and their way of life.
• Carrying out stewardship responsibilities by clearing rocks and brush, mowing, soil renewal, mending stone walls, fencing, planting, and beautifying with regular maintenance and roadside trash removal.
• Supporting research, studies and maintenance projects to restore and enhance the marine habitat quality and recreational value of our ponds, wetlands and waterways.
• Encouraging and supporting opportunities for education and research that heighten interest in land preservation and lead to greater appreciation of the area’s ecology.
• Maintaining property surveys and documentation, inventories of plant and animal species, and supporting environmental studies and other scientific projects to protect land, waters and endangered species.