May 2011 Archives
New Caring for Your Forest Series in Orford
June 3 - GPS on Your Woodlot
June 10 - Roads and Trails
June 17 - Wildlife
June 24 - Chainsaw Safety
Click here to download brochure, including registration information and directions.
2011 Wednesday Evening Programs
All programs take place at the Nature Center: 131 Quincy Bog Road, Rumney, NH (map)
Questions? Contact Betty Jo Taffe 786-2553 or Email Betty Jo here)
June 8 - Crosscut - A Spoken Documentary - Rebecca Rule
June 22 - Wild Orchids of the White Mountains - Chris Mattrick
July 13 - Native American History of the Pemigewasset Valley - Donna & John Moody
July 27 - Maintaining Wildlife Diversity in Forested Habitats - Matt Tarr
Aug 10 - The State of the Loon in NH- Harry Vogel
Aug 24 - The Social Black Bear - Ben Kilham
2011 Nature Walks & Workshops (see information, above)
May 22 - Bird Walk at Quincy Bog (7-9:30 a.m.) - Iain MacLeod
June 11 - June Wildflower Walk - Sarah Schwaegler
July 9 - Nature Photography - Alan Briere
July 23 - Ferns and Fern Allies of Quincy Pasture Forest - Scott Bailey
Aug. 20 - Botanical Drawing Workshop - Patricia Giebutowski
Sept. 3 - Origin and History of Kettle Pond Bogs - P. Thompson Davis
Sept. 11 - Fabulous Fungi Workshop - Rick Van de Poll
For more details about all events, visit the Quincy Bog Website
June 9, 2011, Durham
Workshop Flyer
6:30 – dusk, for Neighbors and Landowners (Natural Resource Professionals will meet 3:00 – 5:00 pm)
Location:
University of New Hampshire MacDonald Lot:
Orchard Drive cul de sac, Durham, NH (Map)
Visit the UNH MacDonald Lot to see different methods used to control the non‐native plant, glossy buckthorn.
Discussions will range from how to deal with individual plants up to strategies addressing entire woodland
stands.
After two seasons of invasive plant treatments, the MacDonald Lot property was harvested in the winter of
2009‐2010. Control treatments included cutting large stems, allowing them to sprout, then either using a
weed whacker or a weed flamer. The harvest was designed to showcase different control treatments and
effects from various harvest approaches. Trees were cut based upon silvicultural standards and to benefit
wildlife.
Visit NH Audubon's Volunteer Opportunities website for more details on all of these opportunites
Summer Field Surveys with the Conservation Department
Swallow Colony Reporter
Project Swallow CORE is looking for field volunteers to check the status of historic nesting colonies and monitor active colonies for four species: Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Bank Swallow, and Purple Martin. You will need to be able to identify swallows and have a pair of binoculars. You can also monitor your own Barn Swallow colony or other local swallow colonies. Reporting will be done primarily through NH eBird but we are revising procedures based on the 2010 pilot year. If you are interested, contact Becky Suomala, bsuomala@nhaudubon.org, 603-224-9909 x309. For more on Swallow CORE, see the web page:http://www.nhaudubon.org/swallow-core.
Nighthawk Watches
Project Nighthawk volunteers help locate and monitor Common Nighthawks in the Concord area. In addition to three coordinated watches each summer, we are also recording behavior at sites where a male is displaying, and hopefully monitoring nesting (if we have a pair). Volunteers typically watch at one site from 8-9:30 pm (unless you’d like to get up early and watch from 4-5:30 am!). Inexperienced volunteers can be paired with experienced watchers. Time commitment is variable, but we do request a minimum commitment of two evenings from new volunteers. If you are interested, contact Becky Suomala, bsuomala@nhaudubon.org, 603-224-9909 x309. For more on Project Nighthawk, see the web page:http://www.nhaudubon.org/project-nighthawk
Concord in-office Volunteer Opportunities
Office Assistant
This position involves a wide variety of office tasks primarily for New Hampshire Bird Records and other publications. Tasks depend on the needs and the person’s experience but will include writing letters, checking email, printing and compiling documents, assisting with publication preparation, and helping with mailings (including labeling, copying, stuffing envelopes, and preparing bulk mail). Some experience with computers (including e-mail) and good attention to detail is required. The position requires a half day, once a week, in the Concord office. If you are interested, contact Becky Suomala, bsuomala@nhaudubon.org, 603-224-9909 x309.
Project Assistant for Swallow CORE
We are looking for a person interested in becoming an important part of this new project. Tasks include communicating with field volunteers, entering sightings into eBird, and managing the swallow colony registry. Conducting swallow colony monitoring in the field is also included (to better understand the process and volunteer activities) but the extent can vary. Tasks may change as the project evolves. Training will be provided but volunteer must be able to operate independently. Familiarity with computers is required, and preferably experience with Word, Excel, and eBird. Most suitable for a volunteer interested in becoming more involved with a single project and taking a significant role in the project’s operation over the longer term. The position requires a half day, once a week, in the Concord office. If you are interested, contact Becky Suomala,bsuomala@nhaudubon.org, 603-224-9909 x309.
Just heard about this training with The Nature Conservancy coming up in two days! For those in the Seacoast and interested in native plants, this looks like a great opportunity! Read more here:
Weed Watchers Training, Friday, May 14, Lubberland Creek Preserve, Newmarket
Volunteer Training Opportunity
Thursday, July 21, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Concord Conservation Center (Map)
This fun, interactive workshop for natural resource volunteers will cover the basics of planning and delivering a field trip. Emphasis will be on leading walks on local conservation parcels, but landowners interested in leading walks on their own land are also encouraged to attend.
Participants in this (free) training should be willing to commit to leading at least one outdoor event in the subsequent 6 months. You can do it! It's easy, it's fun, and we promise you'll feel prepared after this workshop!
Who should attend? Any new or existing natural resource volunteers, including Coverts Cooperators, Forest Society Land Stewards, Audubon Society Sanctuaries volunteers, trails groups, Natural Resource Stewards, Conservation Commissioners, Local land trust volunteers, and other community volunteers.
Sponsors and Instructors: UNH Cooperative Extension NH Coverts Project: Malin Clyde & Emma Carcagno, and Society for the Protection of NH Forests: Carrie Deegan & Dave Anderson
Register Today! To register, e-mail Forest Society registrar Tina Ripley at: signup@forestsociety.org or call 224-9945 ext. 313. Workshop is free, but space is limited, so sign up today!
A screening for the inspiring new film:
Mother Nature's Child: Growing
Outdoors in the Media Age
directed by Vermont filmmaker Camilla Rockwell
May 13th-16th, 2011
Red River
Theatres in Concord, NH
The film is sponsored by the NH Children in Nature Coalition
and Healthy Eating Active Living NH,
as part
of the Green Concord Green Living
Film Series.
May 13: 6:00pm social hour and community activity; 7:00pm film screening; 8:00 panel discussion and audience conversation with John Kanter, NH Fish & Game Department; Terry Johnson, Healthy Eating Active Living NH; Amy Yeakel, Squam Lakes Science Center; Mindy Beltramo, Peter Woodbury School
May 14 and 15:
2:00pm and 7:00 pm film screening
May 16: 6:00 pm conversation with Richard Louv (author: "Last Child in the Woods"), live via Skype; 7:00pm film screening
Groups working to combat invasive plants on
the seacoast can now borrow some tough "WeedWrenching" tools to make
their efforts more effective. The Great Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve, a part of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, has announced a
new invasive plant removal tool loan program funded by the Lamprey River
Advisory Committee.
The program establishes a storehouse of
specialized tools to be used as a community resource. Called "WeedWrenches,"
these tools are useful for manual removal of woody stemmed invasive plants such
as glossy buckthorn, autumn olive, multiflora rose and honeysuckles. Currently,
a total of 26 WeedWrenches are available in four different sizes -- enough
tools to equip large work groups.
NH Coverts Project staff member Malin Clyde
reports on the program: "We
borrowed 12 of these for a recent Invasive Plant Workday in Durham. We
spent two days pulling common buckthorn, using over 55 volunteers. We got through more than 2 acres of a
substantial infestation, which was twice as much ground as we thought we would
cover. Although having a large
number of energetic volunteers is probably the most important factor, having
the WeedWrenches is essential. They
make pulling shrubs possible - without them, we would have had no other choice
than using herbicide, which was an option our town wanted to avoid, if
possible." You can check out photos from the Durham Workday online at Flickr here.
Learn more about the Seacoast Weed Wrench Loan Program from NH Fish & Game here
Build
a Bond with Birds
Whether
in a shrub, a tree, or a nest box, bird nests are all around us. By monitoring
a nearby nest you can help scientists study the biology of North America's
birds and how it might be changing over time. Every spring and summer,
volunteers from across the country visit nests and report their findings to the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch program. As a NestWatcher, you keep tabs
on bird family life, following the progression from incubated eggs, to fuzzy
chicks, to gawky youngsters ready to take their first fluttering flight. All
the information you gather is submitted online to the NestWatch database.
"NestWatch helps people of all ages and backgrounds connect with nature," says project leader Jason Martin. "The information that our dedicated citizen scientists collect allows us to understand the impact that various threats, such as environmental change and habitat destruction, have on breeding birds. Armed with this knowledge, we can take the necessary steps to help birds survive in this changing world."
Instructions
and all the materials you need to participate are available on the NestWatch
website at www.nestwatch.org. You'll also get
directions on how to find and monitor nests without disturbing the birds.
It's fun, it's easy, and it's free.
The
Cornell Lab's immensely popular NestCams are back too. Cameras broadcast live
video over the web from the nests of Barn Owls, bluebirds, wrens, Wood Ducks,
and many other species. Our newest camera is focused on a Great Horned Owl
family in Houston, Minnesota. Check it out at www.nestcams.org.
And
please join us for NestWatch this season--you'll build a bond with birds and
with nature in your own backyard.
By Jason Martin, NestWatch
(Eastern Bluebird nest. Photo by J. Brindo)
_______________________________________________________________________
The
Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to
interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research,
education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab's
website at http://www.birds.cornell.edu.
There are some nice articles in the latest issue of Forest Matters - about the "Fuels for Schools" program, low-density white pine thinning research, and woodland owner values in Maine. Forest Matters: the stewardship newsletter is published semiannually by the U.S. Forest Service Northeastern Area Forest Stewardship Program. Its goal is to bring the stewardship message to natural resource professionals, consultant foresters, and private forest landowners in the Northeast and Midwest.
re you a landowner interested in being a good steward of your property? Do you own less than 10 acres? I ran across a nice online reference from the Arbor Day Foundation called "Backyard Woods: Bringing Your Vision to Life." You can also check out some of these other references aimed at smaller woodland landowners:- National Wildlife Federation: "Garden for Wildlife: Making Wildlife Habitat at Home"
- Natural Resources Conservation Service: "Backyard Conservation Tip Sheet"
- Book to order: "The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas Around Your Home"
New Hampshire and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will partner with landowners to restore New England cottontail habitat. An agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of New Hampshire will help restore habitat on private and state-owned lands for the New England cottontail during the next 50 years. What does this mean for landowners in New Hampshire interested in getting involved?
Identifying larval amphibians & invertebrates
May 19, 2011, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
New England College, Henniker, NH
Workshop Brochure & Registration
If you are a natural resource professional, or simply an outdoor enthusiast, the ability to identify vernal pools is an important skill to have. Vernal pool surveys have become an important component of environmental assessments; in fact, towns and regulatory agencies frequently request such information. Although some physical characteristics can be used to identify potential vernal pools, only certain amphibians and aquatic invertebrates are considered indicator species and can be used to definitely identify vernal pool habitat in New Hampshire.
This workshop will focus on methods to identify amphibian larvae and major aquatic invertebrate groups associated with vernal pools. The majority of time will be spent on using microscopes and appropriate keys to identify preserved amphibian larvae and invertebrates. A portion of this workshop will take place in the field and will focus on field methods for identification of amphibian and aquatic invertebrates. Participants should wear field clothes and bring a hand lens, as well as waders or other appropriate foot gear.
Workshop Brochure & Registration Information
Instructors:
Tracy Tarr, Wildlife Biologist and Wetland Ecologist, Stoney Ridge Environmental
Matt Tarr, UNH Cooperative Extension, Wildlife Specialist
WEEKS ACT CENTENNIAL 1911 - 2011
Weeks State Park Association
Summer Programs - 2011
May 12 - Songbird Walk (Thursday, 7 to 11 AM), meet Park Main Gate, Dave Govatski & Sam Stoddard
June 5 - Wildflower Walk (Sunday 1 to 4 PM), meet at Park Main Gate, Brett Engstrom
June 23 - Logging Railroads of the North Country, Bill Gove
June 30 - Nature Photography, Roger Irwin
July 7 - Music Concert, Bow Junction Band
July 14 - Moose and Bear of the North Woods, Nigel Manley
July 16 - Geocaching and GPS Learn-how Clinic (Saturday, 9 AM to noon, rain or shine), meet at Summit Lodge front porch, Sam Stoddard
July 21 - Yankee Lumberjack, Dick Fortin
July 28 - Weeks Act & Creation of the White Mountain National Forest, Dave Govatski
August 4 - The Great Sheep Boom and Its Legacy on the New Hampshire Landscape,
August 11 - Family-Community Dance, Hole in the Hedge Band - & Perseid Meteor Showers, Clare Long
August 18 - The Weeks Act Legacy Trail, Dave Govatski
August 20 - Weeks Act Legacy Trail Field Trip (Saturday, 9 to 3; meet at Artists Bluff parking lot, Route 18, Franconia), Dave Govatski
August 25 - The Impact of North Country Community & Collaboration on The Weeks Act of 1911, Rebecca Weeks and Sherrill More, & brief Annual Meeting, 6 PM
Sept 11 - Wildflower Walk (Sunday, 1 to 4 PM), meet at Park Main Gate, Sarah Schwaegler
All programs at the Summit Lodge on Thursdays at 7 PM, unless otherwise noted. Call the Park (788-4004) for confirmation of dates and topics. Weeks State Park is located about 2 miles south of Lancaster, NH on Route 3. Come early and enjoy the scenic park drive and views.
Attendance is free and the public is invited to all programs.
THANKS to our local business supporters! THANKS also to sponsors: NH Humanities Council, UNH Cooperative Extension, and NH Division of Parks
Coverts Gathering:
Forest Openings & Early Successional Habitat
June 4, 2011, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Town of Sullivan, NH
- View Workshop Details Online
- View Map - Sullivan Town Hall, 452 Centre Street, Sullivan NH 03445
If you are interested in seeing recently-completed wildlife habitat improvement projects, come to a workshop (and "Coverts Gathering") in the town of Sullivan, NH on Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. – noon.
Join UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist Matt Tarr, Cheshire County Extension Forester Steve Roberge and landowner Eric White (Coverts Cooperator, 2008) for a presentation and field tour of recent management to create early successional habitat benefiting declining wildlife. The morning will begin with a quick presentation on the basics of habitat requirements for wildlife and then travel to Eric White's property to explore different habitats and discuss the impacts his management will have on specific wildlife species.
Eric and his family own 76 acres of land in Sullivan, which lies in the midst of Cheshire County (Sullivan is in Cheshire County, not Sullivan County, in case you weren’t paying attention!). “Our place was logged pretty heavily sixty years ago, we’re guessing,” says Eric. “Since it was all growing back to be the same age, we’ve been working to create different types of habitats for birds and other wildlife.” You’ll see how Eric and his family have created new fields, as well as areas that will be maintained as shrubland (or “early-succesional) habitats, and areas where they are using timber stand improvement practices to maintain and encourage mature forests of sugar maple and poplar.
Eric is doing much of the work himself, but is also using outside contractors and 
professionals for some projects. He’s also a
NH Coverts Project volunteer, and has put into practice many of the things he learned when he attended the Coverts Project Workshop in 2008.
Eric and the other presenters will explain several different financial assistance programs which are available to help landowners implement habitat management projects. On the White’s property, they’ve received funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and from the NH Fish & Game Small Grants Program. Participants will also hear about a new program from NRCS called the Conservation Stewardship Program.
The June 4th workshop is free, but participants much pre-register by calling the Cheshire County UNH Cooperative Extension office in Keene at 352-4550. This event will also require light hiking on uneven terrain, so when you come, wear appropriate footwear and come dressed for the weather.
Floodplain Pool Ecology
led by Mark West
Saturday, May 21, 2011
10am to 12:30pm
At the Clark Farm on Camp Lee Road in Epping
Join us for a walk through the Lamprey River floodplain pools. This property is in a conservation easement held by the Southeast Land Trust and has a unique formation of old oxbow pools in the river floodplain. We will conduct a bio-inventory and learn about the amphibians, aquatic insects and plant communities that call this habitat their home. Children accompanied by parents are welcome. Please bring boots for wandering in the pools.
To register call 659-9363 or email dawn.genes@lrwa-nh.org Group size is limited.
Mark West has been working in the field of Wetland Science for over 25 years and has mapped and evaluated thousands of wetlands in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. He has a broad range of ecological experience with plant community and wildlife habitat assessment. He enjoys sharing his love of wetlands with others.
Hosted by the Lamprey River Watershed Association
43 North River Road, Lee, NH 03861 www.lrwa-nh.org 603-659-9363
Not everyone uses Facebook, but I know some Coverts Cooperators do. The UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry & Wildlife staff are now collaborating to create a Facebook page. If you "Like" the page, you'll receive information on your own page's newsfeed about:
- Workshops
- Publications
- Wildlife Sightings
- Volunteer Opportunities, and more!
We're just getting started, so don't have many "fans" yet...please help us spread the word by "Liking" us!
Check out these photos of lynx tracks in Pittsburg, NH. And while you are there, if you like Facebook, you can "Like" the Coos County Forestry & Wildlife Page!
A just released (April 12, 2011) and must have tree guide is “Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast” by Michael Wojtech and published by University Press of New England. Available at your local book store or online. The key is easy to follow and the color pictures and range maps are outstanding. Well written and worth checking out.
David Govatski, Jefferson, NH
Be A Natural Leader!
Teens ages 14-17: Apply NOW to be a NH Natural Leader
This program is an education and leadership development program designed to inspire emerging environmental and community leaders through active engagement in fun outdoor recreational and educational experiences.
Natural Leaders Summer Camp: June 26 - July 1, 2011
Cost: Fee for six-day summer camp, plus follow-up activities, is $575
Bear Paw Regional Greenways has several upcoming events that will be of interest to Coverts volunteers:
Check out their events listing for more info.
- May 14 - Spring Migration Bird Walk, Nottingham
- June 11 - Biothon, Raymond
- June 11 - Wildlife Photography Walk, Raymond
- Aug. 20 - What's that Dragonfly? Strafford
Volunteers Lead Field Trips to Vernal Pools
On April 16, six intrepid volunteers worked with Extension educators to learn how to lead a Vernal Pool walk. First, we all attended a public workshop on vernal pools taught by Matt Tarr and Emma Carcagno (got to see how it's done, live!).
Then, we gathered over lunch to talk about the morning workshop: what worked (we found some neat things) and what didn't (28 people was probably too many - it was hard to hear). We heard tips on leading walks, traded ideas, and looked at some other pools around Durham. Then, volunteers went back to their communities, where they had already scheduled walks during preceding weeks.
The results have been awesome! Here are some anecdotes by volunteers who have led walks in their towns - they've had fun and reached new audiences -- great stuff!
Pam Merrill and Mark Traeger, Sandown:
Found a Blanding's turtle walking over a trail towards the vernal pool they used for their workshop on May 1st: "It is great to know Blanding's turtles are within our town forest, which will be protected in perpetuity. Hopefully, we'll be able to purchase some of the neighboring properties in the future and develop a large contiguous corridor to ensure the Blanding's turtle, as well as other wildlife will continue to thrive in Sandown! I've already submitted my sighting to the NH DF&G Wildlife Sightings and will be submitting a report to the NH Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program (RAARP)."
Kristen Murphy, Exeter: led a group of Exeter High School students out to explore a vernal pool on school property on April 21st.
Kristina Burgard, Grantham: On April 30th, Kristina led a group of townspeople to explore a vernal pool at the Reney Memorial Forest, a Forest Society parcel in Grantham. Kristina tells about the walk: "Wildlife really helped us out...when we were looking at the salamander and frog eggs in the trailhead pool, a huge bullfrog tadpole swam up out of the leaves right in front of us. It surprised us & I just barely caught both myself before we went for a dip because we were leaning down close to the water so we could see -- we jumped when the tadpole came bursting out of the leaves!! We all had a good laugh at that!"
Judi Matthews, Portsmouth: Collaborated with several other local volunteers to lead a walk at a vernal pool in Portsmouth on April 30th. Preparing for the walk, Judi reported, "We went to the site yesterday and found fairy shrimp and tadpoles, but no frog egg masses. We will do some dips with nets and laddles to show the participants other creatures and discuss the biodiversity of the ponds if no egg masses are seen. I am thankful to complete this before the leaves come out, because it will be easier for participants to look in the pool with binoculars and see --- if not egg masses then perhaps they can spot other creatures.....like predacious diving beatles! I have been to the site twice this week and also saw wood ducks, and a woodpecker building a nest in an upright dead log that is still standing in the pond."
Nice job, volunteers! If others are interested in leading walks in your town, plan to come to the July 21st "Field Walks 101" workshop, in Concord.
Check out the Forestry & Wildlife Workshops Page for details and registration information:
May 9 - Land Conservation Options, Lancaster
May 13 - Upland Habitat Management Seminar, Gilmanton I.W.
May 20 - Lowland Spruce-Fir Ecology and Management, Whitefield
June 4 - Farm Tractors for Forestry, Whitefield
Caring for Your Forest Series, in Orford
June 3 - GPS on Your Woodlot
June 10 - Roads and Trails
June 17 - Wildlife
June 24 - Chainsaw Safety
