On Thursday, April 17, 2025, the Woonasquatucket River Greenway in Johnston transformed into a buzzing, blooming celebration of environmental action and community spirit. With sunshine on our side and more than 150 committed volunteers showing up strong, our Earth Day Celebration and Volunteer Clean Day was nothing short of freaking awesome.

Together, we planted, painted, mulched, cleared invasive species, picked up litter, and brought joy and color to the Greenway—from Hillside Avenue to Manton Pond. The collective impact was massive, and we’re still riding high on the energy, laughter, and music that filled the day.

Major props to volunteer extraordinaire, Dot Campbell—greatest photographer on the Greenway 🙂

Johnston’s Greenway

We’re sending a heartfelt thank you to the Town of Johnston and Mayor Joseph M. Polisena Jr. for supporting this event and helping make it possible. A special shout-out to Representative Deborah A. Fellela, who joined us as a guest speaker and reminded us that earth day is every day and the importance of recycling!

The Moonbellies

And oh, what a party it was! 🎶 A BIG, big, BIG thank you to The Moonbellies—our incredible live musical guests who kept the energy up with a delightful mix of originals, Americana, Old Time, Québecois, Irish, and Cajun music. Even cooler? Their set was powered by our very own electric truck. Talk about climate-smart jams!

Frogs, Food, and Friends 🐸🍕🍦

Speaking of spectacle… did you spot THE BIG GREEN FROG from Big Nazo hopping around and bringing whimsy to the day? We’ll never forget it.

Our deepest thanks go out to our amazing community partners:

  • 15 Minute Field Trips

  • Groundwork RI

  • Gather Ice Cream, who kept everyone cool with their signature sweet treats all day long!

And a huge shout-out to RIDOT for not only sending in volunteer muscle (yes, they even climbed into the fish ladder to remove debris!) but also supplying pizzas from This Guy’s Pizza—which, let’s be real, fueled our volunteers through the home stretch.

SPIN brought the fun and function, offering electric bikes and free helmets so folks could Bike the Greenway to and from the event—a perfect way to reduce emissions and soak up the sunshine.

Hands-On Action = Real Change

Volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got to work on projects that will leave a lasting mark on the Greenway:

  • Tree & shrub planting

  • Mulching and beautifying community spaces

  • Removing invasive species

  • Painting rain barrels and bollards

  • Litter clean-up along the river and beyond

We also raffled off a hand-painted rain barrel—because stormwater solutions can be functional and fabulous.

Powered by People 💪🌱

This event would not have been possible without the incredible generosity and commitment of our sponsors, many of whom didn’t just write a check—they showed up to volunteer beside us. Massive thanks to:

Bozzuto, Brewster Thornton Architect Group, Cox Communications, Epivax, Fuss & O’Neill, Gather Wealth, Harkins Wealth Management, Insperity, Jacavone Garden Center, Narragansett Bay Commission, Onward We Learn, RIDOT, SPIN, VHB, and Washington Trust.

Special props to the teams from Cox, VHB, Bozzuto, Brewster Thornton, Onward We Learn, and RIDOT for organizing volunteer crews. Your energy made all the difference.

We also want to recognize additional groups who rolled deep and got their hands dirty:
RI Energy, AAA, UNFI, Apple, MO from DPW, and of course, our dear friend Betty Bourret from RI Bike. You all rock.

WRWC Dream Team in Full Effect

This was an all-hands-on-deck event for the WRWC team. Every one of our programs showed up strong—from Bike Camp and Community Action to Environmental Education and our amazing River Rangers. It means the world to have such a dedicated, mission-driven team that’s always ready to go all in for the Woonasquatucket River.

And lastly, for those who noticed: yes, those were wasted* portajohns. Yes, they were immaculate, and yes—they used bamboo toilet paper and composted the waste. Five-star experience. Highly recommended.