Over 100 county advisory council members, public officials and representatives from partnering organizations learned more about how the NH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program’s educational efforts are dedicated to preservation and sound management of New Hampshire’s lakes, streams and estuaries through citizen-based monitoring and research during the Belknap/Carroll County Conversation Friday, Oct. 26.

The event began Friday morning onboard the M/V Mount Washington where Extension Specialist/Professor Jeff Schloss talked about the water monitoring program. When the ship docked in Wolfeboro, Schloss, Bob Craycraft, educational program coordinator, and UNH students Amanda Murby and Ben Ho did some hands-on water sampling demonstrations for the group, shown in the photo below.

Following lunch at the Wolfeboro Inn, UNH President Mark Huddleston, a host for the event, talked about the importance of County Conversations. He also talked about the UNH students from Carroll and Belknap counties, students who are eager to learn as much as they can, students who are engaged in public service and helping others.

Other hosts for the event included Paul Rushlow, chair, Belknap County Advisory Council, Stephen Nedeau, chair, Belknap County Delegation, Philip "Bud" Daigneault, chair, Belknap County Commissioners, Steve Knox, chair, Carroll County Advisory Council, Betsey Patten, chair, Carroll County Delegation, and David Sorensen, chair, Carroll County Commissioners.

After lunch, the group reboarded the M/V Mount Washington to discover how UNH Cooperative Extension’s Landscaping at the Water’s Edge program works with landowners and landscapers to explain how our landscaping choices impact surface and ground waters and demonstrates how, with simple observations, ecologically-based design and low impact maintenance practices, you can protect, and even improve, the quality of our water resources. This presentation was conducted by Cathy Neal, Extension Specialist/Professor, Ornamentals, and Extension Educator, Agricultural Resources, Amy Ouellette.

The next County Conversation will take place in Sullivan County.