Coverts Cooperator Profile: David Peeler

Phoebe’s Patience, Campton, NH

Coverts Cooperator David Peeler (CC08) and his wife Paula Woodward have been working on wildlife habitat improvements on their property for the last five years, and the results are incredible!  They hosted a workshop on May 29. 2010 to share what they've done and what they've learned with fellow Coverts volunteers, their neighbors, and with local conservation advocates in Campton.

The "Coverts Gathering" was a great success, with clear skies and cleared trails after a windy spring that had left many of the new woods roads on the property littered with downed trees. The Peeler/Woodwards invited their consulting forester, Tracy Burns or Pioneer Forestry Services who shared his work to improve timber quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational access on the property.

Coverts Cooperators spotted at the May event included:

Melissa Greenewalt-Yelle (CC05)
Lou Lieto (CC08)
Frank Stevens (CC09)
Marilyn Johnson (CC05)
Nancy & Charlie Mitchell (CC02, '09)
Betty Jo Taffe (CC02)
Dick Mallion (CC99)
Linda Lauer (CC09)
Karen Fesler (CC08)
Jacob Friis (CC97)
Martha Twombly (CC09)

A combination of professionals, neighbors, spouses, and children made for a great gathering of almost 30 folks. Pretty amazing for a Memorial Day weekend!

The Peeler/Woodward property is 97 acres of fields and forests, surrounded by more than 1,000 acres of privately owned, undeveloped forest. They have built over 7 miles of hiking trails, some of which we will explore (there will be two choices – a short and a longer hike).  We will encounter older hemlock forest, several patch clearings, examples of timber stand improvement cuts, vernal pools, old apple orchards, and field habitats. The photo at right is on the Velvet Rocks trail near the largest vernal pool. The Peeler/Woodwards are actively managing their property to support diverse wildlife.

Currently, David and Paula rent their cottage as a vacation spot, since they presently live in Maryland.  They hope to retire in Campton, but until then, they have built a website promoting the property and the cottage for renters.  There are lots of great descriptions about the land and the wildlife that use it – if you visit the “Phoebe’s Patience” website here, you can get a good sense of the property from the many pictures posted on the site.