Several years ago Friends of the Moshassuck stumbled upon a feral wetland that catches the rainwater runoff from several acres of Providence’s North Burial Ground, and began a long-term, video-oriented study of life in the Rainwater Pool. All of the rest of the stormwater in the 109-acre cemetery flows into the sewer system and directly into the Moshassuck River. It turns out that this 6000 square-foot wetland (1/7th of an acre) contains the only known breeding population of Fowler’s Toads in Providence, but is rapidly silting in and will lose its ability to host breeding toads in a very few years if the silting in is not addressed.  Here is a link to a recent video on the condition of the rainwater pool.

The City of Providence Parks Department and Friends of the Moshassuck agreed that a little routine maintenance of the site could preserve the toad habitat, and that it would be also a good thing to use it as a demonstration site to encourage the use of other places that capture stormwater with current or potential amphibian habitat to incorporate amphibian-friendly practices into the maintenance of the sites.

After months of delay, Friends of the Moshassuck was able to obtain a permit, though the delays in the process meant that we lost an opportunity to do the work this past fall when the wetland went dry.  

We will continue to document the restoration process and hope our story inspires others to explore opportunities for using green infrastructure to enhance amphibian habitat in urban areas.