Nature Lab Block Island Experience (BIX) DEADLINE: February 12, 2020

Thousands of years ago, retreating glaciers left behind a pile of rock and rubble off the southern coast of Rhode Island that today is a popular vacation destination, combining inland rolling hummocks and hollows with dramatic cliffs, dunes and sandy beaches. Native American habitation dates back to 500 B.C.: they referred to both the island, and themselves as “Manisses”, translated as “Little God’s Island”. Today it is about 50% conservation land, mostly held by the Nature Conservancy, which lists the island as one of the “last great places” in the U.S. It shelters several rare species and one rare ecosystem found virtually nowhere else on earth, and also serves as an important stopover in the Atlantic Flyway for migratory songbirds.

The Block Island Experience (BIX) is the ideal introduction for students to gain a deeper understanding of the local ecology and become inspired by the diversity of life in this unique island setting. It’s also a chance to consider more deeply people’s relationship with nature, the cultural and philosophical underpinnings of today’s environmental issues, and how they relate to issues of social justice both historically and today. Partnering with Rhode Island Natural History Survey scientists (http://rinhs.org/) and artist Amy Bartlett Wright, students will spend a week with the Nature Lab’s marine scientist and ecologist Jen Bissonnette and entomologist Ben Gagliardi exploring Block Island’s inland, coastal, and marine environments while keeping a visual journal of their experience. Students will be guided through a deeper understanding of the ecosystem around us and explore ways to apply a deep biomimicry approach to their work at RISD.