Goodbye to Peter Dear and a Warm Welcome to Our New Ranger Team

Spring is in full swing along the Woonasquatucket River Greenway, and with it comes some changes for our River Ranger team.

First, we want to say a big thank you and good luck to Peter Dear, our Greenway Manager, who left us in May to take a new job as a Natural Resources and Parks Specialist with the City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Peter’s been a key part of our team, and while we’ll miss him, we’re excited for him as he starts this next chapter. Congratulations, Peter!

With Peter’s departure, we took the revamp our leadership structure. We’re happy to introduce a new team of leaders and Rangers who are already hard at work keeping the Greenway and river areas in great shape.

Our 2025 Rangers

  • Renee Stoops, Greenway Operations Manager – leading the team, Renee will provide big-picture oversight and guidance to increase the efficiency of maintenance, supporting the continued expansion of the Greenway and collaborations with volunteers and other WRWC departments. She will also handle many of the office and administrative work, allowing the Field Supervisors to stay focused on day-to-day work without disruption.

  • Andrew DeLisle, Special Projects Field Supervisor – stepping into his new role
  • Tyler Sylvester, Greenway Field Supervisor – new to the leadership team
  • Jarrod Holgate, Stormwater Field Supervisor – new to the leadership team
  • Kuno Haimbodi, Land Stewardship Coordinator – from TerraCorps
  • Layla Farahbakhsh, River Ranger & Recreation Coordinator – new to the team
  • Ricardo Hernandez, River Ranger – new to the team
  • Trevor Hanson, River Ranger – new to the team
  • Angus Adams, River Ranger – new to the team
  • James Richardson, River Ranger Intern – new to the team

What We’ve Been Up To This Spring

Our Greenway Rangers have been busy with spring clean-ups, especially around the Greenway’s main entrance areas. Meanwhile, the Stormwater Rangers are focusing on cleaning and improving stormwater sites both on and off the Greenway. Our Special Projects Team is handling new sign installations, planting native plants at key spots, working with volunteer groups, and other important jobs around the Greenway.

The team is also learning a lot through plant and stormwater trainings — some taught by our own crew and others through partnerships like the URI Cooperative Extension with the Campeones program.

Who Are the WRWC River Rangers?

Our River Rangers are the folks who keep the Woonasquatucket River Greenway running smoothly all year long. They maintain and improve the Greenway’s 8 miles of trails and 5 parks, working closely with volunteers during Clean Days.