September 2008 Archives

Malin Clyde wrote:

2008-09-24

Upcoming Workshops & Events

**THIS WEEKEND!**

Tree Farm Field Day:  Andorra Forest, Stoddard - Sept. 27, 8 am – 3 pm
Always great field day, hosted by the winners of the annual NH Tree Farm of the Year award.  Presentations and tours will take place on wildlife habitat, cattle farm, Marlow fire history, Pitcher Mt. fire tower, a GPS scavenger hunt, a talk by Bear expert Ben Kilham (CC98), Audubon's forest bird initiative, and others.  Registration and additional information available in the brochure (click here) . 

 

Caring For Your Forest Workshops - ** Starts this Friday!**

These workshops will be offered in two locations – Bethlehem & Alton - at the same time.  Choose the one nearest you!  Bring a friend.  All workshops run from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.  Click here for brochure and registration information. 

              Sept. 26       Chainsaw Safety for Weekend Woodcutters

              Oct. 3          Firewood from your Woodlot

              Oct. 10        Tree and Shrub ID

              Oct. 17        Selling Timber? Do it right!

 

***SIGN UP NOW!*** 

Coverts Alumni Gathering - Saturday, October 4, 9:30 - 3:00, Sandwich
After the fun we had at the June gathering at the Mitchell's Tree Farm in Gilmanton, we have another fun day planned at the property of Coverts Cooperator David (CC04) and C.C. White.  We'll have hikes, a picnic lunch, and a chance to tour the property of fellow Coverts volunteers.  There will be lots to see!  The Whites are in the middle of conducting of a wide variety of stewardship projects on their 118-acre property in the Atwood Brook watershed.  They are also homesteaders, featured in the Spring 2007 edition of Northern Woodlands Magazine, and in the April 2005 issue of our Making Tracks newsletter.  Registration information is available online at:  http://extension.unh.edu/forestry/Docs/WhitesTour.htm or call Debbie Anderson at 862-1028 to add your name to the list (cost is free). 

                                                          

Floodplain Forests:  Their Ecology & Conservation, Oct. 8, Concord (8 a.m. 4 p.m.)
This indoor and outdoor workshop, expanding on the concepts from the recent Floodplain Forests Habitat Stewardship Brochure, will include an optional afternoon canoe trip (bring your own) to visit several floodplain forest communities along the Merrimack River in Concord.  Registration information is available online at: http://extension.unh.edu/Forestry/Docs/Fldpln_Frsts.pdf   

 

Backyard Woods Workshop - Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m. - noon;  Northwood, NH
Many property owners in New Hampshire own 1 to 9 acres of woodland associated with their homes. While these lots may be too small to manage as commercial forestland, they still provide many amenities and benefits to the homeowner, their neighbors and wildlife. Fred Borman, Extension Educator, Forest Resources for Rockingham County, will be conducting this workshop for the owners of small woodlots at Northwood Meadows State Park on Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 9:30 AM to Noon. The cost of the workshop is $10 per family to cover the expense of a tree ID booklet and a Backyard Woods Guide.  For registration information, click for online brochure .  Topics to be covered include:

• Managment Planning
• Tree identification
• Identification and control of invasive plant species
• Risk tree management
• Backyard wildlife habitat
• Cutting your own firewood
• Recreational opportunities on your own property
• Boundary line identification and marking

 

 

Other Resources & News

 

Heating With Wood

UNH Cooperative Extension has added a new section to our website called “Heating with Wood.” These webpages have collected information on a range of topics that are pertinent to this important energy issue that is on many people’s minds these days. Things covered on these webpages include:

• Assessing your home for wood heat
• Your wood supply
• Buying, installing and maintaining a woodstove
• Outdoor wood boilers
• Safe, efficient wood-burning
• Ash management

To visit the pages, go to: http://extension.unh.edu/Energy/WoodHeat.html

Hope you find this information useful! 

 

New Publication:   “The Importance of Hydroperiod in Wetland Assessment: a guide for community officials, planners, and natural resource professionals” - New Hampshire has many different types of wetlands that serve important functions in our landscapes, including flood control, groundwater protection, and sediment trapping. Their role in providing habitat for amphibians, however, is often a main reason natural resource professionals and communities are interested in protecting them.  This new publication describes a biologically-based method for determining what species of amphibians will use any given wetland by assessing wetlands based on their hydroperiod, the length of time and portion of the year that a wetland holds water. Understanding hydroperiod is an important initial step in guiding management decisions aimed at minimizing or avoiding loss or degradation of wetlands that provide significant amphibian breeding habitat within an area. The publication is aimed at community officials, planners, and natural resource professionals interested in protecting and conserving amphibians and making better management decisions. Click here to download a PDF version of the publication.  High resolution CDs of the publication are available for $10. Download the order form.

Contact Matt Tarr for more information: (603) 862-3594 or mtarr@ceunh.unh.edu

 

 

Malin Clyde wrote:

2008-09-11

Dear Coverts Cooperators & Friends,

As always, this and previous Coverts updates are available anytime online on the Coverts Website blog, Volunteers Working for Wildlife. 

Cheers!

Malin

Coverts News & Updates

First off, a warm welcome to the 26 new Coverts volunteers who completed their training last week!  Everyone agreed to share one item from their Coverts Action Plan, so I'll include a short bio. of each person so you can get to know them a bit.  I encourage veteran Coverts Cooperators to reach out to new Cooperators in their town or region - as always, it was a great group of wildlife and forest enthusiasts!

Meet the Coverts Cooperators of 2008!

Irene Abels (Strafford) looks forward to working on a natural resource inventory of lands along the Mohawk River in Strafford.

John Adams (Orford) wants to develop a forestry plan for his property, and bring the Coverts message of forest stewardship (and land use change) to the historical society in his town.

Judy Bailey (Chatham) plans to revisit her property’s forest management plan in order to expand, refine, and focus its goals towards wildlife and habitat management.

Leslie Bergum (Carroll) would like to talk with her subdivision of neighbors to discuss commonly-owned land, which includes habitats unique to the Bretton Woods area.

Laurie Bryan (Hancock) looks forward to collaborating with her neighbors on management of their adjoining large parcels, including walking trails and habitat identification, and to put her neighbors in contact with the County Forester.

Ed Craxton (Dalton) will explore the possibility of an interpretive or educational mailing to town residents, highlighting wildlife and forestry resources for landowners.

Martha Cruciani (Francestown) hopes to guide tree regeneration on a 2-acre patch cut that was completed last winter behind her family’s summer camp.

Sarah Denoncourt (Canterbury) plans to begin stewardship and forestry planning on her land, and hopes to schedule a property walk for the Five Rivers Conservation Trust in 2009. 

Kristina Ferrare (Durham) looks forward to bringing information and connections made at the Coverts workshop to her job as the UNHCE’s Forestry & Wildlife Outreach Assistant.

Karen Fesler (Bath) is a lecturer with her local Grange, and hopes to present a Coverts-related program for Booster Night in the coming months. 

Matthew Gordon (Whitefield) is concerned about the fact of a parcel of land for sale near his property. He plans to gather neighbors together to plan positive action.

Ryan & Sarah Harvey (Wentworth) will work on developing management goals for their property, and to talk with their families about land conservation.

H. Clay Hawkins (Claremont) wants to rally 4-5 neighbors to conserve their land, hoping to create a 500-acre connection to the Cornish Town Forest.

Jim Kennedy (Hanover) plans to organize tours and workshops on his property and the neighboring Huntington Hill Management Area.

Lou LaCourse (Alton) is interested in learning more about invasive plant species, and helping to spread the word about their conservation and stewardship issues.

Alfred Levesque (Effingham) looks forward to joining the Green Mountain Conservation Group’s newly-formed Land Trust Committee, so that he can be involved in the stewardship of the easements under GMCG’s protection.

Louis Lieto (Rumney) wants to define the plans for habitat improvement on his own land, including expanding plans for improvement of wetlands, wet forest, meadows, softwoods, and others.

Carol Lunan (Francestown) looks forward to being a steward of her own property, including work on invasive plants, field habitats, species identification, and sharing her efforts with others.

Robert Mannino (South Hampton) hopes to offer workshops and presentations on his land, in collaboration with Extension and the Coverts Project.

Carol Meise (Bradford) will be doing outreach at town events, including the library and 4th of July, and will reach out to her family and neighbors on behalf of wildlife and forest stewardship. 

David Peeler (Campton) looks forward to bringing a presentation to his town’s historical society about changes in wildlife populations and land use.

John Scarinza (Randolph) plans to build and install and informational kiosk at several access points at the Randolph Town Forest, where the public can learn about forest management and wildlife habitat.

Mark Traeger (Sandown) will be incorporating wildlife considerations into his work with the Conservation Commission, educating commissioners, planning habitat improvement projects, and finding demonstration areas for landowners to visit.

Eric White (Sullivan) hopes to host a field tour at his property, to discuss past and future habitat improvement projects and to include ideas for possible cost-share projects.

Scott Young (Strafford) would like to lead nature walks on his town’s newly conserved properties, sharing his enthusiasm for and knowledge of birds, dragonflies, and other wildlife and plants.

 

Upcoming Workshops

 

Tree Pruning Workshop – Sept. 20, Mont Vernon

Learn how to care for and prune small landscape trees.  Demonstration by Jon Nute, Extension Forester and Arborist.  9-11 AM, Saturday, Sept. 20 in Mont Vernon at McCollom Field (next to the school on Harwood Road).  Please phone 641-6060 to register and for directions.   This class will be held rain or shine.

 

Coverts Alumni Gathering - Saturday, October 4, 9:30 - 3:00, Sandwich
After the fun we had at the June gathering at the Mitchell's Tree Farm in Gilmanton, we have another fun day planned at the property of Coverts Cooperator David (CC04) and C.C. White.  We'll have hikes, a picnic lunch, and a chance to tour the property of fellow Coverts volunteers.  There will be lots to see!  The Whites are in the middle of conducting of a wide variety of stewardship projects on their 118-acre property in the Atwood Brook watershed.  They are also homesteaders, featured in the Spring 2007 edition of Northern Woodlands Magazine, and in the April 2005 issue of our Making Tracks newsletter.  Registration information is available online at:  http://extension.unh.edu/forestry/Docs/WhitesTour.htm

                                                          

Floodplain Forests:  Their Ecology & Conservation, Oct. 8, Concord (8 a.m. 4 p.m.)
This indoor and outdoor workshop, expanding on the concepts from the recent Floodplain Forests Habitat Stewardship Brochure, will include an optional afternoon canoe trip (bring your own) to visit several floodplain forest communities along the Merrimack River in Concord.  Registration information is available online at: http://extension.unh.edu/Forestry/Docs/Fldpln_Frsts.pdf   

Backyard Woods Workshop - Oct. 11, 9:30 a.m. - noon;  Northwood, NH
Many property owners in New Hampshire own 1 to 9 acres of woodland associated with their homes. While these lots may be too small to manage as commercial forestland, they still provide many amenities and benefits to the homeowner, their neighbors and wildlife. Fred Borman, Extension Educator, Forest Resources for Rockingham County, will be conducting this workshop for the owners of small woodlots at Northwood Meadows State Park on Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 9:30 AM to Noon. The cost of the workshop is $10 per family to cover the expense of a tree ID booklet and a Backyard Woods Guide.  For registration information, click for online brochure.  Topics to be covered include:

Managment Planning

Tree identification

Identification and control of invasive plant species

Risk tree management

Backyard wildlife habitat

Cutting your own firewood

Recreational opportunities on your own property

Boundary line identification and marking