KINGSTON, R.I. – Sept. 30, 2026 – The University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute concludes its 2026 Annual Public Lecture Series on Wednesday, Oct. 14 with their Fall Lecture, straying from the lectern this year to bring participants on a walk through the North Woods, followed by a conversation and hands-on zine-making activity with DWELL Lab.
URI’s North Woods serves as a teaching forest and site for field research on the Kingston Campus as well as an important communal space. Ellie Lin, an illustration student at RISD who worked with DWELL Lab this summer through the Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF) program, will lead participants through the Narragansett Story Walk, exploring the rich ecology and human history of the North Woods.
Lin sees the event as an opportunity to “bring people together through storytelling, community, and local ecology.” Sketching, journaling, and reflecting is encouraged during the immersive walk and materials will be provided.
The event will continue at Toray Commons with a conversation, reception, and zine-making workshop.
In a conversation moderated by Metcalf Institute Executive Director Fara Warner, Lin will be joined by URI’s Madison Jones and Stephanie West-Puckett, with Bonnie Phillips ’88 of ecoRI News, to discuss the creation of the first edition of the “North Woods Field Guide.” The guide, which is part of the bigger North Woods Project, is funded by a Rita Allen Civic Science Media Grant. Expected to be released in print and digital forms this fall, it will contain a collection of scientific, creative, and journalistic writing and imagery that covers animals, vegetation, flowers, minerals, and other elements of the woods.
“I’m excited to walk with folx in the North Woods and discuss how queer genres, specifically zines and community-authored field guides, can make civic science communication more accessible and inclusive,” said West-Puckett, associate professor of professional and public writing, who’s leading the creation of the first North Woods Field Guide. Jones, associate professor of science communication and director of the DWELL Lab, shared that he looks forward to talking about outdoor education. “Field notes are an exciting way to connect as writers with our local environments and communities,” he said.
The Rita Allen Civic Science Media Grant funds the project’s public-facing science communication work, which includes ecoRI News’ Phillips serving as the designated journalism collaborator. She has written about the North Woods and its many uses as an outdoor classroom for ecoRI. “The University of Rhode Island’s North Woods is an incredible asset, both to the school and the general public,” said Phillips. “The more people who get to experience this wonderful place, the better. I am looking forward to sharing ecoRI News’ coverage of the North Woods.”
After the discussion and audience question and answer session, attendees are invited to create zines documenting their experiences, an activity led by Lin. Materials from the Creative Reuse Center of Rhode Island will be provided. The small, handmade format of a zine can be personalized and changed over time, reflecting the multiplicity of stories told by the North Woods.
This event, as part of the URI Metcalf Institute’s 2026 Annual Public Lecture Series, is free and open to the public. The Fall Lecture takes place Wednesday, Oct. 14, and participants are welcome to sign up for either or both parts of the event. Meet in front of the Coastal Institute Building (1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, R.I. 02881) at 4:30 p.m. for the hour-long interactive walk in the North Woods. The conversation, reception, and zine-making workshop takes place 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Toray Commons in URI’s Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering (2 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, R.I. 02881). Register here.
This story was written by Abbie Lahmers in URI’s Metcalf Institute.