The Ocean View Foundation (OVF) is based on Block Island, Rhode Island, and is a non-profit organization founded in 1999. It is dedicated to environmental education year-round for both the Island community as well as for its visitors.
 The
Foundation has preserved two properties on the Island:
the first is a little over an acre, on a beautiful site,
overlooking the Old Harbor village. It was once the grounds
of a grand late 19th century Victorian Hotel. Originally
created as a swell destination for long summer holidays,
all that is left now are the low stone ruins of its foundation.
The OVF has begun to turn the idea of its present day
destination to one for views, rest, peace, quiet by removing
the commercial land from development. On the meadow now
stands a small open air pavilion, completed in 2000, which
is open to the public from dawn to dusk. ( See Home
Page photo.)
The Foundation has, by example, introduced the concepts of green building and sustainability into the landscape, and has also restored a meadow, created "walkers only" paths, and promoted self-monitored stewardship at the Ocean View.
Annual community events take place on the grounds: an
Earth Mother's Day in May and a Community Pot Luck (Cider
Pressing, see photo below) is held in the fall. During
the summer, the Pavilion site is the venue for a weekly
schedule of programs that includes a garden work day in
the Fourth Grade Garden (an OVF project in the ruins of
the old hotel) and a Bird Banding program. (See Summer
Programs).
 The
OVF sponsors a one day trip during the February school
vacation for Block Island students. These excursions have
included outings to: the Pequot Museum in CT, the Audubon
Society of RI's Environmental Education Center in Bristol,
RI, and the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT.
On December 26, we have reintroduced an old island tradition
-The Community Bird Census.
Ocean View Foundation has produced three films: "A Block
Island Conversation" (2002), introducing visitors to the
Block Island community, "Block Island Rescue" (2003),
telling of the long history of rescue as well as bird
study on the Island, and "Block Island Blankie"(2004)
which illustrates the path of BI trash & treasures as
they move from a BI recycle bin to the off-island Central
Landfill & recycling center. These films can be seen on
the passenger boats of Interstate Navigation sailing from
Point Judith to Block Island during the "visitor season".
(See Media and Links
for more information).
In 2004, the OVF introduced the Footprint Film Festival,
a biannual program of film presentations focused on issues
addressing the human footprint on earth. "Block Island
Blankie" introduced the 2004 Footprint Film Festival:
theme Garbage. (see Footprint
Film Festival and Media).
The second property preserved by the OVF is on the West side of the Island overlooking 10 wild acres of protected land with 2 ponds and a rocky coast. An 1840's simple cottage was built by a fishing and farming family. It was reconstructed and restored by the fall of 2001. The house serves several functions: to act as a model for building in scale with the Island's cultural heritage, and in preserving the inherent spirit of that culture: making due with what is available. Much of the house was originally constructed from what came their way, washed up on shore, nothing wasted. In its new life its electric and hot water energy come from the sun as much as possible, through both photovoltaic and solar hot water panels.
A third 2 acre property with a single story 1960s home has been acquired by the OVF, again with the intention of modeling a program of renovation that will respect the island tradition of matching architecture, scale, site conditions, and use. This anticipated 2005/2006 renovation will utilize green and sustainable building principles, and will provide year 'round and summer employee housing opportunities.
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Connecting People and Nature