Welcome to the Rhode Island Natural History Survey
The Rhode Island Natural History Survey is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1994 to gather and disseminate information on Rhode Island’s animals and plants, geology, and ecosystems, to facilitate communication among the diverse people, agencies, and organizations interested in the ecology of Rhode Island, and to support naturalists and the study of Rhode Island’s natural history.
RINHS hosts public events and publishes to highlight biodiversity and the work of researchers and naturalists. It manages BORIIS, the most authoritative database of Rhode Island’s biodiversity. RINHS undertakes ecological research and inventory projects and educational programs with partners including The Nature Conservancy and local land trusts. Membership in RINHS is open to anyone with an interest in Rhode Island’s plants, animals, geology, or ecosystems.
The 2010 Conference will be held Friday, April 9. The title of the conference is Emerging Threats to Amphibian Conservation in New England with Attention to Chytrid & Ranavirus. Chytrid fungus is a deadly disease of amphibians that has been in the news recently for devastating the beautiful frog species of Central America. It was detected in Rhode Island in 2009, exhibiting a patchy but wide-spread distribution. Experts in chytrid fungus and rana virus, another pathogen detected in Rhode Island frogs, have been invited to help us understand the situation in Rhode Island, what more we need to find out, and what steps we can take to conserve our local amphibians. The day will end with a panel discussion on management responses. The conference will be held at the Quonset O Club in North Kingstown. Registration is OPEN. Please visit the RINHS CONFERENCE PAGE for more details. You can download the REGISTRATION FORM here.
The RINHS office is on the University of Rhode Island campus in Kingston. We also often host events on campus. A map showing the office, our usual event venues, and parking, is available on Google. Click HERE.
