We are excited to announce 
Blackstone Heritage Corridor’s GO! program 
featuring 44 tours, walks, paddles and events 
designed to offer a special visitor experience 
in the Blackstone Valley this September.
Click HERE for entire GO! program calendar.

Updates and Opportunities!

Coffee with Charlene

Held monthly, generally on the 3rd Tuesday of the month.  Location varies.  Check out our Events Calendar located on our web www.BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.

Want to hear about activities and opportunities right away?
We can add you to our monthly news and events listing.  To be added to this email distribution list, drop us a line at Mail@BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.  And don't worry - we do not share our mailing lists.  

New Contact Info!

The Blackstone Heritage Corridor has a new phone number, and our staff have new email addresses.  Click here for full information.

Coffee with Charlene!

You are invited to meet with Charlene Perkins Cutler, Executive Director for the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc.  Bring your questions or enjoy the conversation while sipping a warm cup of coffee.

Charlene is looking forward to meeting you at this monthly coffee hour.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015
 4:00-5:00 pm

Topic – WATER POWERED!


The January coffee hour is sponsored by BirchTree Bread Company.
For directions or more information about this artisinal bread company, visit their web site www.birchtreebreadcompany.com.

News Release December 12, 2014
Congressional Action Expands Blackstone Heritage Corridor

The U.S. Congress has passed legislation to expand the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.  The region of national significance will now include the town of Auburn, MA, and a larger portion of the city of Providence, RI.  The legislation also reauthorizes the Blackstone Heritage Corridor for six additional years of federal funding, a boost to its continuing work to tell the story of the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and restore the environment of the Blackstone River.

First designated as a National Heritage Corridor in 1986, the region was the first place to experience widespread use of water power in the United States and the first religiously and ethnically diverse area of New England.  The Blackstone Heritage Corridor will now link 25 communities within the Blackstone River watershed from Providence, RI, to Worcester, MA, an area exceeding 720 square miles.

“The Blackstone Valley is an interconnected system of waterways and wetlands that are being reclaimed for their natural beauty, wildlife and recreational opportunities,” commented Charlene Perkins Cutler, executive director of Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc.  “It is also a remarkably intact landscape of industrial history, immigration and diversity.  Our organization is committed to the long term vitality of this special place.”

Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. is the nonprofit management entity for the National Heritage Corridor.  Its staff, volunteers and partners work together on regionally important projects, some of which include river restoration, the bi-state Blackstone River Valley Bikeway, historic preservation, way-finding and economic development. 

Donna Williams, the chairperson of Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc. and a resident of Grafton, MA, noted that “the expansion of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor to include Auburn and more of Providence rightfully fills in the missing links in our boundary.  Both communities are vital parts of the watershed and of our history and they complete the story we have to tell.  We are truly grateful for Congress's vote of confidence in our work to reauthorize us to 2021. Now the sky's the limit as to what more we can accomplish with our valued partners throughout the Corridor.”

For more information or to volunteer and work on projects for the National Heritage Corridor, please call 401-762-0250, ext. 5101

Winners of the Greenway Challenge Announced

Nearly 500 individuals and 91 teams competed in glorious fall weather last Saturday, September 27, for the 14th annual Greenway Challenge. The premier bi-state, 60-mile adventure race offered seven divisions of competition. The event was presented by Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. The Greenway Challenge course consisted of alternating segments of street biking, river paddling, mountain biking and running.

Photo caption: The winning team for the Championship Division. Pictured left to right are members of Team AD HOC: Ernie Lozeau (Douglas, MA), Roland LaValle (Woonsocket, RI), Fabio Fuchian (Brookline, MA), and captain Ben Chokshi-Fox (Whitinsville, MA). Photo credit: Deb Uscilka.

Read more in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal: Winners of the Greenway Challenge Announced

The Greenway Challenge - It IS a Challenge!

Our volunteers are hard at work preparing for this year's adventure race on Saturday, September 27 (with a rain date of October 4).

The Steering and Logistics Committee plans, designs, administers and, promotes this premiere adventure race. They also tend to required maintenance of the river and trails, access points and transition sites. Some areas may be newly designed for the course, while others have not been used in years.

Clean up includes poison ivy removal, brush clearing, clearing the river of fallen trees, strainers and other debris. Such was the case on August 16 when six members of the committee entered the water in South Grafton and cleared the river for safe passage to Riverdale Mill. A land crew cleared the trail of overgrowth at the portage. The crew then headed down river to Plummer's Landing in Northbridge, MA where they continued their work removing trees, tires and other debris from the river.

Volunteers work to make our river safe for Greenway Challenge participants and other paddlers using the Blackstone River.

Interested in volunteering? Contact Barbara Dixon at 401-762-0250, ext 5503 or barbara_dixon@partner.nps.gov.

Read more about the Greenway Challenge

Join Us for the Final Ranger Walkabout on Thursday, August 28: Rain Garden at Slatersville Public Library

A rain garden is a specialized garden that collects rainwater runoff from paved areas and other hard surfaces. Rain gardens soak up the stormwater, helping to reduce runoff into storm drains or nearby bodies of water, which can cause erosion and water pollution.

Join our partners from the Blackstone River Coalition to learn about some rain gardens they have built, some plans for a new garden in Slatersville, and pick up some tips on how you can make your own rain garden to help protect the Blackstone Watershed.

Parking: Parking is available at the North Smithfield Public Library parking lot at 20 Main Street, Slatersville, (North Smithfield), RI.