Five Questions With: Robert Fitzpatrick

Robert Fitzpatrick has been president of the all-volunteer nonprofit Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy in Providence since January 2014. A lifelong resident of Providence, he also is a 25-year veteran of the Providence Police Department.
Robert Fitzpatrick has been president of the all-volunteer nonprofit Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy in Providence since January 2014. A lifelong resident of Providence, he also is a 25-year veteran of the Providence Police Department.

Robert Fitzpatrick has been president of the all-volunteer nonprofit Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy in Providence since January 2014. For eight years prior to that, he was vice president and has been a nonprofit member for a total of more than 15 years. A lifelong resident of Providence, he also is a 25-year veteran of the Providence Police Department. Here he discusses the conservancy’s challenges and assets.

PBN: What is your vision for the future of the conservancy?
FITZPATRICK:
Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy has reached its first goal, that of bringing Neutaconkanut Hill back to its original state as a well-used, safe, natural forest, for all to utilize and enjoy. It is time to solidify this land in perpetuity by having it designated on the National Register of Historic Places. After many years of hard work, we are at our final stages of bringing this to fruition.
I am very passionate about keeping this land for our youth to utilize and learn from, as I did when I was growing up. This can be done by expanding our current education programs and preparing this land for future generations.
One of our major goals is to be a fully self-sustaining conservancy with a full-time trail crew to manage the 88 acres of woodlands and more than five miles of walking and hiking trails. We are striving to bring on an executive director and a staff to manage our programs and events, future development as well as fundraising and corporate sponsorships.

PBN: Which projects is the nonprofit embarking on in the next year and which ones for long term?
FITZPATRICK:
Our main goal this year is to build a very strong foundation. We are currently moving to a formal, active and diverse membership base with strong committee leadership, i.e., education, history, trail maintenance, etc.
We are studying the possibility of acquiring adjacent lands that our research tells us were part of the original 200 acres of parkland. We are working to expand the hill’s usage through our guided walks, sponsored events and healthful fitness activities. We will continue to work with the Providence Parks Department on our long-term management plan that we hope would cover the next 20 years. We will continue to work on improving the trails and our partnerships with our neighbors.
The hill is like a multilevel classroom in Native American history, offering its natural environment of animals, plants and its unique geology, with many other aspects of the Native American utilization of this land that can be studied. I would like to continue our identification and documentation to assist in the hills protection.
The main challenge we have to overcome is finding the funds necessary to continually maintain and protect this beautiful place. We hope to attract some corporate sponsorship that shares in our vision for the land. To complement our goals, our website, www.nhill.org, is being revamped and our conservancy is being rebranded.

PBN: How many people attended your annual fall event, and how did they participate?
FITZPATRICK:
We had approximately 80 people attend this year’s event. They took part in pumpkin painting, roasting marshmallows, storytelling and music; the Providence Mounted Command and their horses provided fun for the children, and with the guidance from Providence firemen, visitors explored one of the department’s fire trucks.
The focus of the day was to bring people up to the hill to experience why we believe it is a city and state treasure. We conducted five separated guided walks through the trails and forest lands. The walks exposed people to the hidden beauty of the hill. I still remember the comments, “This is such a hidden treasure;” “I just went to New Hampshire last week and this is just as beautiful foliage.” “I cannot believe the views from the Mount Hope Bridge to the Newport Bridge.”
This is why we sponsor these walks and events; we want people to come to experience this land and come back and enjoy it for years to come. This land is unique from the massive granite stairs to the oak and hickory forest, its meadows, valley, ravines, geological outcroppings, natural habitat, boardwalks, etc.

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PBN: How are you improving public education?
FITZPATRICK:
Our education committee is working with the Roger Williams University School of Education to write curriculum for schools to utilize the hill as an outdoor classroom. We expect our first packets to be ready in the spring of 2016. We are in our fourth year working with the Paul Cuffee, a Providence charter school, which has written the hill into their science curriculum. Two weeks ago, 30 Moses Brown school students, along with leaders and faculty, spent time on the hill. The goal was to have the students benefit the community, while also getting to know our community on a deeper level.
Many other schools have provided service to the hill. Educating youth is very important to us as we introduce the next generation to this unique natural forest.
We have many events throughout the year to include four season seasonal walks. This past summer we had volunteers and city-paid youth providing information and maps to visitors. This year, with great success via social media and website visits, more are beginning to notice this hidden gem.

PBN: How are you growing your volunteer base?
FITZPATRICK:
By reaching out to as many people as possible who visit the hill, as well as through social media and our website. Our interaction in education has been very successful in bringing in new volunteers.
Our long-term partnership with Providence College’s Urban Action program continues. It is in its seventh year of providing full-day volunteerism from 150 to 200 students working on trails each September, as well as help to prepare the trails and meadow areas for upcoming fall events. This, and other school participation, is beginning to spark new interest by our next generation of volunteers.
We have also seen interest by local corporate volunteers such as AISPO, Dassault Systemes and FM Global, all in Johnston. We are actively seeking corporate volunteers and sponsorship. We have much work that needs to be done and it is truly heartbreaking when you have to scale it back due to lack of workforce or finances. We are eager and have plenty of room on our committees and board. Most people do not realize how much they have to offer a group like ours and I urge anyone with interest to sign up on our website at www.nhill.org. We urge all to “Come Climb our Hill.”

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