Stillhouse Cove remains one of the city’s most beautiful environmental gems, and the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association is putting out a call for volunteers to help with its annual Earth Day cleanup at the cove this Saturday, April 29. 

The 5.5-acre cove and waterfront park runs along the southern end of Narragansett Boulevard in the city’s Edgewood section. It is Cranston’s only salt marsh and one of the last remaining ones in upper Narragansett Bay. 

“We’re asking for people to help with the annual cleanup,” says Barbara Rubine, president of the waterfront association, which has worked for decades to preserve and protect the cove. “People can come for 20 minutes or two hours – whatever they want to do to help.” 

This is the waterfront association's 31^st annual spring cleanup at the cove. 

Because the work is tide-dependent, the cleanup is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon, Rubine said. There will be the usual picking up of litter, but more importantly, she said, much of the work will focus on the mud flats that are accessible at low tide. 

Rubine said the irrigation ditches that help with the cove’s crucial exchange of salt water and fresh water need clearing, and some need to be deepened or widened. “This is something we have to do every year, and it is important for marsh maintenance,” she said. 

Another challenge, Rubine said, is keeping the area clear of plastic debris, which creates a persistent problem because it breaks down into microplastics – small particles that remain in the environment, and within plant and animal life. 

Volunteers can expect to collect an odd assortment of litter – from old flip-flops to small ‘nip’ liquor bottles. Solidly committed to reusing and recycling, the waterfront association tries to reduce the plastic bags it uses for the cleanup by picking up a lot of trash in pickle buckets donated by the Gregg’s Restaurants chain. 

Keeping the Cove clean and healthy also means removing invasive plants, Rubine said; the association continues to do battle with the feathery phragmites that once almost choked the shoreline. 

The marshy cove is a fragile ecosystem and a critical habitat that helps filter pollutants and supports a wide variety of wildlife, including shellfish, fish and birds. The cove and the surrounding grassy park are also a recreational refuge for nature lovers, photographers and people who just want a peaceful, panoramic view of Narragansett Bay. 

In addition, the cove has historical significance, having served as the landing spot for American colonists after they set fire to the British customs schooner HMS Gaspee in 1772 – one of the earliest militant acts of the Revolutionary War. 

Once a state park, the site was deeded to the City of Cranston in 1984 with the stipulation that it be a conservation area for passive recreation. Earlier in its history it was anything but pastoral: In the 1940s and 50s it was used as a turnaround for electric trolleys, according to the association’s website, and by the 1970s it was so overrun by invasive weeds and trash that the public lost access to the shoreline. 

Founded in 1996, the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association has dedicated itself to restoring and protecting the cove. It has earned grants and consistently worked collaboratively with other organizations for the benefit of Stillhouse Cove. These include initiatives with the state Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, Save The Bay and the Narragansett Bay Commission. 

The association states that more than $1 million in projects has been invested in the area since 2004. The work includes restoration of the salt marsh, protecting the shoreline embankment from erosion, enhancing the parkland and installing a new boat ramp. 

The association is a nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status for donations, and its members work year round on taking care of the cove. That is why volunteer work is so appreciated, Rubine said, and the group is hoping for a good turnout on Saturday. The association has gloves, shovels and other gear, she said, and volunteers are asked only to dress comfortably and be “prepared to get dirty.” 

“We have an asset to the city,” she said. “It takes the community to help take care of it.” 

People wishing to participate in the cleanup are asked to register ahead of time at https://stillhousecove.org/the-2025-earth-day-cleanup/