US-RI-Frosty+Drew+Nature+Center


 * =Birding in Rhode Island=

Washington County
=Frosty Drew Nature Center= Charlestown, Rhode Island 02813 Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory web site

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Frosty Drew Nature Center
Coordinates: 41.3673926, -71.6629493 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory
The Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory are dedicated to environmental stewardship and delivering environmental education to people of all ages, with primary focus on marine and aquatic habitats and the night sky. History

Shortly after the U.S. Naval Auxiliary Landing Field closed in 1973 the land was deeded to the town of Charlestown for use as a park & wildlife refuge. Visionaries saw this as an opportunity to establish a nature center as a memorial to Edwin F. “Frosty” Drew that would help people to develop an appreciation of, a respect for, and a connectedness with the natural world and to serve as a gateway to the new Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.

The site that was chosen for the new nature center overlooked a freshwater pond on the southern boundary of the new park. The building chosen had been the Chief Petty Officer's residence and had not been used since the U.S. Navy left Charlestown in the early 1970s. It was in need of extensive improvements and modification.

The building was moved to its present site by the town of Charlestown and sealed from the weather. The Frosty Drew Memorial Fund directed the development of the project and solicited funds. Businesses donated materials, and many volunteers and town personnel helped with the work. The Frosty Drew Nature Center was the first building to open in the new park, on July 3, 1983.

Since 1983, we have made many improvements to the Nature Center and its grounds. Then, in 1988, we added the Observatory, where many have developed a lifelong interest in astronomy. In 2010, we added the John G. Drew Sky Theatre to give more people the opportunity to enjoy astronomy. From Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory web site



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media type="custom" key="28154293" || L1323326 US US-RI US-RI-009 41.3673926 -71.6629493 Frosty Drew Nature Center