It’s hard to talk about journalism in Rhode Island without bringing up the name Rudi Hempe. The former editor of Southern Rhode Island newspapers was hired for his first journalism job at the Providence Journal even before he graduated from URI. “After I retired,” he says, “I took a week off, and then I started working as a science writer for URI.” He still works part time for the College of Environmental and Life Sciences, but Rudi spends the majority of his time volunteering, especially with the URI Master Gardeners, an education program that maintains the school’s teaching gardens and educates the public about how to grow and maintain plants.
“These things strike my fancy,” he says. “There’s an awful lot to be done as a volunteer. I have a crew – they call them Rudi’s Rangers (though I didn’t coin the term). They’re a whole group of Master Gardeners at URI’s East Farm, and they’re all volunteers. They bring all kinds of expertise. They were farmers beforehand, who know how to ride tractors, who have tons of plant knowledge. We have some doctors.” Rudi’s Rangers meet every Wednesday and Saturday morning to tend the gardens at East Farm, but also to maintain the entire 79 acre property in Kingston. “URI gives us the space,” he says, “and we contribute labor in return. We patch roofs, we build stairways, replace windows.” While Rudi’s dedication to the group makes him a de facto leader, he’s quick to point out that the volunteers are dedicated and passionate in their own right. “You never have to twist their arm to come to work. No one volunteers unless they like to. These are community spirited people, and there are a lot of them around.”
He would know from community spirit. Rudi started volunteering when he was in junior high. Growing up, he lived close to Roger Williams Park in Providence, and he volunteered his time at the park’s museum and planetarium, giving lectures and helping to build displays. “When I moved down to Narragansett,” he says, “I got involved in all kinds of things, like the South County Museum, because of my previous museum experience. When I was with the Journal I covered the Navy. When they pulled out, North Kingstown lost its hospital, so I got involved with South County Hospital as a media consultant. They asked me to be a trustee, and that lasted for about 18 years. Most of the not-for-profit hospitals have trustees who run the show. It was pretty fascinating.”
For his volunteer work, Rudi was inducted into the Knights of Rockingham Arch, which is an honor the town of Narragansett bestows on people who are particularly dedicated to their communities. (The name comes from an old hotel in town.) “I think the idea is great to recognize the efforts of people who donate their time to the community, many of them very quietly,” he says. “I wish other towns would do likewise – just recognize people who give something back to the com- munity. People do it because they want to. You don’t make any money, but you make a lot of friends. That’s a reward unto itself. A lot of these efforts have a small budget, or none at all, and people just rise to the occasion. It’s not just here in South County. It’s all over.”
Because of his interest in science writing, Rudi also serves with URI’s Metcalf Institute for Green and Environmental reporting. “We have an advisory committee – it’s half scientists and half journalists. The whole idea is to improve the coverage of science in newspapers, internet, television,” he says. “I feel strongly that we should have more communication between science and the media.” The insitiute is clearly doing good work – it was announced in April that one of their reporters won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on an oil spill. “She’s internet only, and this is the first time anyone from that medium has won a Pulitzer.”
Though he’s retired, Rudi is as busy as he’s ever been, and doesn’t see himself slowing down any time soon. “I just enjoy doing it,” he says. “You’re feeding your own interests, but you’re also doing something good. One of the things I’ve learned from the Master Gardeners is that people are more interested in growing their own food than ever before. The main purpose of Master Gardeners is education: we maintain some gardens for our own educational purposes, but we offer all kinds of workshops. We go into schools to teach kids, we have a children’s gardening program based at Roger Williams Park. You identify a cause you’re interested in, and it’s pretty easy to devote your labor.” The Master Gardeners huge spring plant sale at East Farm is happening on May 11. The event regularly draws 2,000-3,000 people, and funds the gardening programming.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here