Sure, it looks delicious, but stay away. The Department of Parks and Recreation has issued this advisory.

The Rhode Island Department of Health has issued a health advisory for Roger Williams Park Ponds based on evidence of a bloom of cyanobacteria, better known as blue-green algae. This algae can be harmful to people and animals if touched or ingested.

The Providence Parks Department urges residents to take caution around the Roger Williams Park Ponds.

According to the Department of Health website this advisory is based on sampling conducted on August 16 and 17 by a DEM contractor. Health effects include stomach ache, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.

People are advised to avoid contact with waters that exhibit the following conditions: bright green coloration in the water or at the water surface and/or dense floating algal mats that form on the water’s surface. The water may look like green paint, thick pea soup, or green cottage cheese.

Might have figured that out.

(5.4) “Curating the City” is a 3-part series in which guest salonnier James Hall, Executive Director of the Providence Preservation Society, invites speakers to address strategies for evaluating, sustaining, and enhancing cities in the 21st century. Friday’s topic is the High Line, an elevated rail line in NYC that has become an innovative public space at the crossroads of environmentalism, preservation, and community activism.

Cities are made up of more than just monuments. Fragments of our industrial past also bear witness to the complicated, rich stories of urban life. Join Hall and Patrick Cullina — the horticultural designer and photographer who served as Vice President of Horticulture and Park Operations for ‘Friends of the High Line’ — for a discussion of the reimagining of the High Line.

The High Line often gets mentioned during discussions of our own “where Route 195 used to be” project, currently in limbo. Check out the High Line image gallery.

Free and open to the public, 5pm to 7pm, Friday, May 4, Providence Athenaeum, 251 Benefit Street

Providence Community Library, the Friends of Knight Memorial Library and Trees 2020 are excited to present two free environmentally-themed films tonight at the Knight Memorial Library, starting at 6pm.

The Man Who Planted Trees (30 minutes animated)
This film tells the story of a shepherd who repairs the ruined ecosystem of a secluded valley by singlehandedly cultivating a forest over a thirty year period.

Return to the Forest Where We Live (60 min)
Return to the Forest Where We Live includes a look at the devastation of the urban forests in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. Other featured cities include Los Angeles, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, North Carolina. This film was produced and directed by Louisiana Public Broadcastings Liz Barnes and written by Charles E. Richard (Louisiana: A History).

Ray Perreault, from Trees 2020 will be showing and discussing the films along with talking about tree planting opportunities in Providence.

6pm, Monday, Knight Library, info at 401.467.2700 x1603

There are no known contemporary likenesses of Roger Williams so we can not know for sure. But since there are also no accounts of a run-in with a deli slicer perhaps we can assume. Joking aside, the scaffolding recently erected on Pratt Street up the front of Prospect Terrace supported the father-daughter team (he’s a mason/she’s a sculptor) of Jim and Ally Lawrence. They have skillfully repaired Roger’s hands and it’s a nice story with some personal resonance for Mr. Lawrence (ProJo). Now, may I suggest it is time for some really, really painful landscaping around the Prospect Terrace side of the statue? I know they have installed a security camera and that’s good, but it still might not deter a determined, drunken ass-clown with frontal lobe issues. May I suggest rosa rugosa or barberry? Neither would be my first choice from an ornamental point of view, but a mature planting of these is certainly difficult to wade through. If all else fails, plant a hedge of Osage orange, God’s barbed wire.

Urban Agriculture Spring Kickoff Party at the Highlander Charter School, 42 Lexington Avenue (Broad & Lexington in South Providence).

Southside Community Land Trust and the Providence Community Gardens Network will be celebrating the start of Spring at the Urban Agriculture Spring Kickoff. Community gardeners from every neighborhood of Providence will be on hand for food, music, and food growing demonstrations. Some workshop highlights include: Rain Barrels — to save rainwater for your garden; Soil Testing — to test urban soil’s safety for growing food; Garden Planning — to map out your garden plot to grow the highest yield of fruits and vegetables; Seed Starting — to ensure that your seeds sprout healthy in the early Spring; and Compost — to make the most of organic fertilizer in your garden.

Saturday, 1pm to 4pm, Highlander Charter School, 42 Lexington Avenue

The city’s Parks Department will be hosting a “volunteer appreciation” event tomorrow. RSVP to rmcmahon@providenceri.com, ASAP.

5:30pm to 7pm, Tuesday, Roger Williams Park Casino