Experience Nature Up Close and Personal with Audubon and Rhode Island PBS

Rhode Island PBS and Audubon Society of Rhode Island present three interconnected ways for you and your family to experience nature up close and personal:

(1) Explore those wild places around Rhode Island you can only access on foot. From April 14 - 22, Audubon Society of Rhode Island is offering a week-long schedule of free guided "Earth Day" hikes at wildlife refuges across the state and in nearby Massachusetts. There are programs to suit all ages, interests, and capabilities. Although free, the hikes do require registration (you can do that through the Audubon Web site).

(2) The Passport to the Trails is back! Travel across the state and explore Audubon wildlife refuges. Passports will be available at all "Earth Day" hikes and programs, or visit the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol or Powder Mill Ledges Nature Shop in Smithfield to receive your free passport.

Head out with your passport, visit Audubon wildlife refuges, and discover the varied habitats and creatures that call Rhode Island home. Along the way, you will be directed to a “hidden” stencil template at each refuge. Make a crayon or pencil rubbing at each destination and return the completed passport to Audubon by September 30, 2013 for a reward and the opportunity to be entered into grand prize raffle. For more info, visit www.asri.org.

(3) Do you enjoy nature photography? Snap images of landscapes, birds, creatures or people interacting with nature at any of Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s wildlife refuges that are open to the public. Submit your favorite photographs (maximum of three) by September 30, 2013 for entry into the Audubon 2013 "Earth Day" Photo Contest. A panel of qualified judges will choose the winning photographs. For details, visit www.asri.org.