Frosty Drew: A History

The Frosty Drew Memorial Fund, Inc., was organized in 1981 and incorporated in 1982. Our Bylaws state that we are constituted exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. We develop and implement programs designed to educate the general public on a number of environmental, scientific, and cosmological subjects including an understanding of the natural world, introduction to a cosmic perspective, and humanity's place in the Universe.

The Frosty Drew Memorial Fund operates the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center located at 61-62 Park Lane, Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI. Run by a volunteer Board of Directors, its operations are financed by memberships, private donations, grants, and fundraising.

In accordance with our priority to keep program fees as low as possible, our observatory is open to the public free of charge every Friday night and on special occasions.

Mission
Frosty Drew Memorial Fund, Inc: Enlighten, discover, inspire- through education and research- knowledge about science, the night sky, and the universe.
History

Shortly after the U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station closed in 1973 the land was deeded to the town of Charlestown for use as a park & wildlife refuge. Visionaries saw this as an opportunity to establish a nature center as a memorial to Edwin F. “Frosty” Drew that would help people to develop an appreciation of, a respect for, and a connectedness with the natural world and to serve as a gateway to the new Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge.

The site that was chosen for the new nature center overlooked a freshwater pond on the southern boundary of the new park. The building chosen had been the Chief Petty Officer's residence and had not been used since the U.S. Navy left Charlestown in the early 1970s. It was in need of extensive improvements and modification.

The building was moved to its present site by the town of Charlestown and sealed from the weather. The Frosty Drew Memorial Fund directed the development of the project and solicited funds. Businesses donated materials, and many volunteers and town personnel helped with the work. The Frosty Drew Nature Center was the first building to open in the new park, on July 3, 1983.

Since 1983, we have made many improvements to the Nature Center and its grounds. Then, in 1988, we added the Observatory, where many have developed a lifelong interest in astronomy. In 2010, we added the John G. Drew Sky Theatre to give more people the opportunity to enjoy astronomy.

In 2018 the Frosty Drew Nature Center reorganized as the Frosty Drew Science Center, changing its focus from the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, and building on the organizations successes with astronomy, the night sky, the cosmos, and the natural universe.

Over 30 years ago we began from a vision, and we thank many for the realization of that vision. The town of Charlestown has been consistent in its support of the Frosty Drew Mission since our beginning. Organizations such as The Rhode Island Foundation, The Champlin Foundations, The South County Tourism Council, Prince Charitable Trusts of Chicago, Concerned Citizens of Rhode Island, and others, have supplied grants to enable us to build facilities, purchase equipment, and enrich our programs. Individuals and businesses donated materials, labor, and other support. The dedication and hard work of countless volunteers has also helped to carry out the work of Frosty Drew.

Frosty Drew Science Center
The Science Center has an exhibit/meeting/class room, a kitchen, two gender neutral restrooms, and a library. Trees shading the lawn were donated by a local garden club, and there are flowering cherry trees and several memorial gardens. Placed in the walk leading to the front door are stones engraved with names of the original founders and of those who love and have loved nature, dark skies, Ninigret Park, and Charlestown. The Science Center is surrounded on two sides by a large deck with benches. Stairs from the deck lead to a memorial patio, gardens, and several bench overlooking Little Nini Pond. Attached to the Science Center is the John G. Drew Sky Theatre. The Science Center, Sky Theatre, and deck are handicap accessible.
Frosty Drew Observatory
The Observatory was constructed primarily for observational astronomy, with research capabilities. The observatory is fitted with an Ash Dome utilizing an azimuth motor and a declination shutter motor. It houses a fully automated 24" PlaneWave CDK600 Corrected Dall-Kirkham telescope accessible by a viewing platform. The telescope is connected via WiFi to the campus network and can be controlled by any connected device on campus. Interfacing computers utilize Stellarium to drive the telescope, allowing precise positioning and tracking of over 80,000 deep-space objects, and over 200,000,000 stars, all of which can be viewed with the touch of a button. A critical element of the Observatory site is the extraordinarily dark sky above, one of the darkest in Southern New England. The combination of the dark sky and the capabilities of the observatory allow both astronomers and visitors alike to observe the rings of Saturn, the Galilean moons of Jupiter, Lunar geography, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, and thousands of astronomical objects.
John G. Drew Sky Theatre
The Sky Theatre is a large presentation space with a wide theatre projection wall. Connected via our campus network to our telescopes, astronomers are able to project images that are being observed through observatory telescopes onto the theatre wall. In a way that cannot be achieved in a planetarium, observing celestial objects and witnessing astronomical events are made available to more people. The Sky Theatre is also used as a teaching resource where visitors can visually learn about astronomical science, the universe, and so forth. The Sky Theatre is handicap accessible.
Edwin F. "Frosty" Drew

The Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center stands as a memorial to the dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work of Edwin F. "Frosty" Drew.

Frosty contracted polio as a child, a year before a vaccine was developed. After graduating from Brown University, he began his career as a writer. However, he soon became actively involved in efforts to preserve and protect the natural heritage of southern Rhode Island.

His gifts of leadership, public speaking, and private persuasion, as well as his tenacious adherence to his principles, earned him a place as spokesman for environmental concerns statewide. It is largely a result of his efforts in organizing and raising public awareness that Ninigret Pond and its surrounding areas remain as a priceless natural asset to the town of Charlestown and the state of Rhode Island.

He was active in many groups, including the Rhode Island Audubon Society and Concerned Citizens of Rhode Island. He also served as president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Littoral Society and chairman of Rhode Island's Commission on Energy.

In 1990 Frosty was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame for his contributions to the state's natural environmental heritage and the fame and distinction he brought to his state and nation.

Sadly, Frosty did not live to see the result of his hard work and achievements. He died in September 1976 at the age of 28.

Tax Status
The Frosty Drew Memorial Fund, Inc., is organized as exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is also classified as a public charity under sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to the Frosty Drew Memorial Fund, Inc., are deductible under section 170 of the Code, and it is qualified to receive tax-deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 and 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our Federal Identification Number is 05-0395533. Please contact us if confirmation of our tax status is required and for further information.