During the month of November, four new computer mapping classes will be offered through UNH Cooperative Extension on Nov. 1, 2, and 7th.  Learn more about the classes here.

Lisa Linowes (CC03) sent in exciting news about several long-awaited conservation projects in the town of Lyman, where she lives.  Says Lisa, "It took us a few tries and a lot of patience, but today we celebrate placing 1,081 acres of Lyman, NH -- including 2 miles of the Gardner Mountain range -- into conservation. I am simply delighted and grateful to a lot of people for believing in this project." 

Read a nice article about the project, including a description of the bat hibernacula found on one of the parcels. 

Also, thanks to Linda Lauer (CC09) and Karen Fesler (CC08) who will be at a celebration for these projects in Lyman on Oct 29th, presenting the Speaking for Wildlife talk on NH Bats and white-nose syndrome. 

Check out the new Fall 2011 issue of Taking Action for Wildlife, the newsletter in collaboration by NH Fish and Game and UNH Cooperative Extension. In this issue, read about:

- Attending a Wildlife Workshop This Fall 
- Walking the Walk, Talking the Talk 
- Making Habitat Happen 
- Land Trusts Taking Action for Wildlife

Enjoy complimentary refreshments at the Governors Inn while learning about the importance of protecting the Salmon Falls Watershed.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

"Your Land, CLEAN WATER, Your Legacy"

6:00 - 8:30 pm at the Governor's Inn, Rochester

Enhance and protect your drinking water, recreational areas, property values, and fish and wildlife habitats through proven practices to reduce watershed pollution. Find out about financial or technical assistance available forforest management plans, conservation easements and more. Join us for a social hour with complimentary appetizers& refreshments and a panel presentation by local landowners, foresters, and conservation experts. For program details or to register see www.prep.unh.edu/sfwc.htm.

Please RSVP by November 2: On-line at www.prep.unh.edu/sfwc.htm
by email to Sharon.hughes@unh.edu or call (603) 862-1029.
(Registration required for handouts and refreshments.)

Loved this submission from new Coverts Cooperator Pierre Forest (CC11) who lives in Colebrook, NH.  After hearing all about American woodcock at the Coverts Workshop this fall, Pierre still wasn't sure what the cool bird was that he took video of a week later. He called Coos County Forester Brendan Prusik to make sure that yes, it was a woodcock!

Click here to watch YouTube video of PIerre's woodcock...

Lamprey River Watershed Association Annual Spaghetti Supper

Thursday, October 27, 6-9 pm  at Nottingham Town Hall, 139 Stage Road (Rt. 152). Please come to an all you can eat spaghetti meatballs or vegetarian sauces, homemade desserts.  $8 per person  Call 659-9363 to reserve a seat!

• Program at 7  Premier showing of “Connecting Lives on the Lamprey” by Breakaway Media in Lee, and
• Speaker – Bill Nichols “Natural Communities of New Hampshire”
 
• Photo Contest Winners Selected and Announced  Cash Prizes Awarded!   First place $30, second place $15   Contest Rules:

  • Photo must be from Lamprey River area can be of river, wildlife, recreation, historic sites, etc.

  • Submit in digital format via email to volunteer@lrwa-nh.org

  • Include title of picture and location of where photo was taken

  • Maximum two entries/person,

  • Images must be received by midnight Monday, October 24.

   

From:  Dawn Genes, Exec. Director, Lamprey River Watershed Association, 43 North River Road, Lee, NH 03861 www.lrwa-nh.org

 

Just had to include these nice photos sent by Judi Lindsey (CC01) who led a walk at the Candia Town Forest as part of the Speaking for Wildlife program.  Reported Judi:

"We had a nice turnout for today's hike (on Oct. 9). Fourteen people showed up plus a golden retriever named Carmen. We had an Eagle Scout there as well - who had designed, constructed and installed the wooden footbridges on the wet areas as his Eagle Project . Old and young alike. Two young students from Moore school as well as older townsfolk. I gave maps and a pamphlet describing the acreage and story behind this piece of property. I talked about the conservation easement on the land held by Bear Paw and what that means.  A bit warm but oh so much fun!"

Tree huggers Ed Fowler (CC02) and Jim Lindsey, wrap their arms around the biggest tree on the property.

Group shot at the beginning of the hike.

People walking the land.

Eagle Scout and Jim in front of the kiosk with maps and info.

 

Come Outdoors with the Hanover Conservancy The crisp days and clear skies of autumn are a bright invitation to venture into the woods with the Hanover Conservancy. We have a full roster of fall trips, celebrating the special features of each of our conserved lands in this, our 50th anniversary year.Bookmark our web page with details. Saturday 10/29 - Balch Hill Natural Area with forester Ben Hudson Saturday 11/5 - Mink Brook Nature Preserve with historian Jay Barrett

Join NH Method authors Amanda Stone, Frank Mitchell, Nancy Rendall and Rick van de Poll at 2011 NH Method workshops being held this fall:

• Friday October 28, 2011  1:00pm – 4:00pm. Field Workshop at Coldrain Pond Wetland, New Durham  At this field-based workshop, we’ll visit a the Coldrain Pond wetland complex in New Durham. We’ll conduct a wetland field evaluation using the updated 2011 NH Method functions. You’ll learn what’s new with the NH Method and much about wetland functions and values and wetland ecology. Instructors: Amanda Stone, Frank Mitchell and Nancy Rendall  To register for this workshop, click here

• Saturday November 5, 2011   NH Association of Conservation Commissions Annual Meeting, Concord NH  Instructors: Amanda Stone, Frank Mitchell, Rick van de Poll

  11:15am – 12:15pm    The 2011 NH Method and the NEW! NH Wetlands Mapper (Indoor classroom session)  Come learn about the updated 2011 NH Method and the on-line NH Wetlands Mapper we are developing accompany the NH Method. This tool will make it much easier to collect office-based information for evaluating wetlands with the NH Method.

  1:15pm - 3:30pm      Putting the NH Method to work - Wetland Evaluation in the Field At this field-based session, we will evaluate selected functions from the 2011 NH Method at a wetland just a few minutes from Rundlett Junior High School. You’ll learn what’s new with the NH Method and much about wetland functions and values and wetland ecology.What to bring: Clothing appropriate for any predicted weather, waterproof boots/old sneakers, clipboard, pencil with eraser, sunscreen, bug spray, personal drinking water. Be prepared for damp, muddy conditions.

  To sign up for either or both of these two workshops, you must register for the NHACC Annual Meeting. Register by October 27, 2011 to take advantage of the lower registration fee.  Click here to register.
  

Carl Wallman (CC05) sent in some delightful photos from the Aldo Leopold bench-building event sponsored by by the Northwood Area Land Management Collaborative on October 1st at Northwood Meadows State Park.  Reports Carl, after the event:

"We had a very productive, magical experience building benches in the rain on Saturday. We had 18 volunteers and in 3 hours, we sawed 3 hemlock trees into 2x8’s and 2x10’s and built 23 benches."

Also there was a nice article in the Suncook Valley Sun!

After the 2011 Coverts Workshop, participant Mason Donovan, of Webster, took the initiative to create a LinkedIn group for other Coverts volunteers statewide.  He invites all Coverts Workshop participants - from 1995 to 2011 - to join the group if you are interested (you'll need to ask to join through the site - it's called "NH Coverts Project").  So far, discussions have begun about what's going on with bobcat research and whether or not bats eat mosquitos. 

[Since someone asked this question, Mason is doing this out of his own interest as a volunteer - though Malin Clyde is a member of the group, the group isn't sponsored or created by UNH Cooperative Extension]

Monadnock Conservancy has a bunch of upcoming events.  For more details, visit their events webpage at:  Monadnock Conservancy Events

Nov 6 - Wildlife Action Plan Implementation Workshop (Sunday), 1:00-3:00 p.m.
This hike at the Bingham Hill Forest in Gilsum will provide an overview of wildlife habitats designated in New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan. Co-sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension and the Harris Center.

Nov. 17 - Conservation Strategies Workshop (Thursday), 7:00-9:00 p.m.
This forum held at the Harris Center in Hancock will help landowners, town officials, and others interested in estate planning and tools for permanently protecting open space. Co-sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension and the Harris Center.

Dec. 4 - Beech Hill High on the Now-Enhanced Trail System,(Sunday), 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Beech Hill ridgeline is a great place to enjoy conserved land and views. This moderately strenuous hike-but no bushwhacking-will introduce you to the network of trails now open to the public on the Beech Hill conservation easement in Dublin. Co-sponsored by the Harris Center.

Lots of great events planned for fall and winter with Bear-Paw Regional Greenways. For more details about each event, including speakers and directions, visit Bear-Paw Regional Greenways Events

• Nov. 9 - Land Conservation Options and Estate Planning Workshop, 7-9pm, Bear-Paw Office, Deerfield
• Nov. 15 - Natural Communities of New Hampshire, 7-8pm, Town Office, Candia
• Dec. 7 - Conservation Roundtable:  Good Forestry in the Granite State and Shoreland Protection Update, 7-9pm, Blaisdell Memorial Library, Nottingham
• Jan. 28 - Bear Paw Annual Meeting, 9am-3:30pm, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, Northwood
• Feb. 25 Snowshoe Fieldtrip, 1-3:30pm, Cahill Easement, Strafford
  

Several upcoming workshops may be of interest to landowners, volunteers, professionals, and community decision-makers:

• A Dinosaur in the Woods October 29 - Kingston
• Managing for Red Oak November 5 - Northfield
• Wildlife Action Plan Implementation Workshop November 6 - Gilsum
• Conservation Strategies WorkshopNovember 17 - Hancock
• Intermediate Maple Sugaring Workshops November 19 - Lyndeborough, December 3 - Berlin
• Current Use Tax Rules March 5, 2012 - Goffstown
• GIS/GPS Workshop Schedule

UNH Cooperative Extension's Forestry & Wildlife Workshops Page

Have you submitted any wildlife records or sightings on NH Fish and Game's Wildlife Sightings Database?  If so, Mike Marchand, the biologist at NH Fish and Game who oversees the database, would like to hear from you. The website is due for a revision, and specific suggestions for improvement will be very helpful (by Nov.1, please). 

Email Mike Marchand here

NEW Publication:  Harvesting Biomass from Your Woods

Cooperative Extension in Massachusetts has published a new guide for landowners who want to learn more about biomass harvesting.  Have you wondered how it might differ from other kinds of land management you might use?  Though some of the material is specific to Massachusetts (particularly the regulatory considerations), much of the information is general and will be helpful to landowners in New Hampshire too. 

Read & download: Harvesting Biomass from Your Woods

Volunteers who attended Speaking for Wildlife and "Field Trip 101" workshops this summer and fall are doing an incredible job leading nature walks and hikes in their communities! 

Judi Lindsay from Candia sent this newspaper clipping (see picture) about her walk at the Candia Town Forest on Oct. 9.  More online here.

And the list of guided walks goes on:

• Sept. 24 - Carol Doering led a walk at the Lee Little River Festival
• Sept. 25 - Anne Melvin led a walk at Stonehouse Pond in Barrington
• Sept. 29 - Betty Jo Taffe led a hike to a group of school children at Quincy Bog Natural Area in Rumney
• Oct 8 - Marika Wilde led a hike on conservation land on France Road in Barrington
• Oct. 10 - Jean Eno gave the NH Bats presentation at the Lane Memorial Library in Hampton
• Oct 15 - Ben Haubrich led a hike in Deering on behalf of the Harris Center for Conservation Education

Upcoming Speaking for Wildlife talks include:

• Oct. 19 - Dave Govatski will give the Nature of New Hampshire/Natural Communities presentation at the Rocks Estate in Bethlehem
• Oct. 28 - Betty Jo will lead another walk at Quincy Bog in Rumney
• Oct. 29 - Linda Lauer and Karen Fesler will do a presentation to a group celebrating conservation projects by the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust, in Lyman
• Nov. 12 - Ben Haubrich will lead a hike on the ADA trail at the Crotched Mt. Rehab. Facility in Greenfield
• Dec. 10 - Ben Haubrich will lead (yet another!) hike in Lempster in collaboration with the Forest Society
• April 2 - Carol Doering has been asked to give the NH Bats talk to the Sandown Garden Club

Want to keep on eye on who is walking or talking where, for Speaking for Wildlife?  Check out our online presenter's calendar.

The dust is still settling from the 2011 Coverts Project Workshop, which was fun, exciting, inspiring, busy...and exhausting! I still have lots of things to organize for the new volunteers (name badges, etc.), but I wanted to introduce the new volunteers to the Coverts network as soon as possible!  If a new Cooperator is from a town near you, I hope you'll try and get in touch with them (send Malin an email and I'll put you together).  These are just a FEW of the many plans this great group of volunteers has in the works for the coming year!

Celia Abrams of Nottingham looks forward to working with scouts and the recreation department to connect trails through town ands and recently acquired conservation easement properties along the North River.

Rocci Aguirre of Harrisville will work with his landlord to inventory her property and encourage her to make at least one wildlife habitat improvement on the land. 

Mary Boulanger of Littleton is looking forward to delivering Speaking for Wildlife talks and walks to such groups as the Littleton Garden Club, Historical Society, and the Ammonoosuc chapter of NH Audubon.

Kristina Burgard of Grantham is excited to work with neighbors and local groups to develope "real time" information source (perhaps a blog) to let people know what's happening related to habitats, wildlife, and plants in the town of Grantham.

Nancy Collier of Hanover hopes to develop a GIS-based management plan for the properties owned by the Hanover Conservancy (where she's chair of the board), and to include wildlife habitat improvement, trails, features, and stewardship projects.

Carol Doering of Lee looks forward to continuing to do Speaking for Wildlife talks, and to try and moonlight snowshoe hike with the Lee Recreation Department.

Mason Donovan of Webster plans to inventory the farmland he owns for flora and fauna.

Dori Drachman of Peterborough will be working with the Nubanuset Neighborhood Farm (where she lives) to begin the process of identifying their landowner objectives.  She'll start off by asking Extension Educator Jon Nute to come walk the land!

Pierre Forest of Colebrook beat me to this notice, since he already sent me pictures of an event he already held! He gave a short presentation to 35 people at his School-to-Farm Community meeting about the Coverts Project, what he learned at the workshop, and some of the resources available to landowners. See photo at right.  Nice work, Pierre! 

Paula Frank of Derry will start with working with her Conservation Commission to do a boundary walk at Broadview Farm, a local conservation area.  She also hopes to bring a Project Learning Tree workshop to Derry in the spring.

David Gill of Greenland wants to tie management on his land with management of the conservation land next door to improve habitat across boundaries. David promises to "preach the gospel according to St. Coverts and to wear my Coverts badge proudly!" :-)

Kathi Govatski of Jefferson also looks forward to giving walks and talks through the Speaking for Widlife Program -- and in fact, she and Mary Boulanger already attended a training on Sept. 28th at the Rocks Estate in Bethlehem!

Robert Gustafson of Kensington is a member of the Conservation Commission, and looks forward to working on a natural resources inventory as part of their Master Plan update. 

Steve Kaneb of South Hampton, after talking with the Division of Forest and Land's Ken Desmarais, is excited to collaborate on land management with the Division on the 50 acre state-owned parcel in South Hampton.

Ernest Landry of Kingston will use the knowledge he gained at the Coverts workshop to support land use discussion and decision-making in his role on the Planning Board. 

Wayne LeClair of Francestown owns a beef cattle farm next the Crotched Mountain Town Forest, and hopes to have a Coverts Project event on his property.

Rachelle Lyons of Plymouth wants to, as she says, "get folks out into the woods!"  She hopes to lead walks, get involved in the Speaking for Wildlife program, and get her local hiking group to visit forestry operations or unique places in the nearby White Mt. National Forest.

Kelley Monahan of Orford is excited to complete a management plan for her property and to gather together some "before" and "after" slides to show how habitats have changed on her land to use in her outreach work. 

Susan Mooney of Nottingham wants to use Wildlife Action Plan information to devise a "High Value Conservation District" in her town, to help focus land protection work with the Conservation Commission. 

Robin Najar of Portsmouth looks forward to leading some walks on conservation land for the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire, where she's on the board. 

Colleen O'Neill of Cornish hopes to invite a community group to her Langwood Tree Farm to see the wildlife habitat improvement projects that have been implemented in recent years, including apple tree plantings, soft edges, wildlife openings, and delayed mowing. 

Gage Perry of Merrimack will continue to volunteer for projects on our local town forest, including organizing field trips and working with the neighboring middle school.  To that end, Gage already attended a Speaking for Wildlife training in Brentwood last week! 

Alicia Robinson of Kingston plans to write articles for the Carriage Town News about trail work at the town forest and about how wildlife habitat work can help attract wildlife on town lands.

Stephen Snow of Tuftonboro wants to work with Cooperative Extension to conduct a safety training course for landowners interested in doing their own work on their land.

Ann Welsh of Durham also attended the Brentwood Speaking for Wildlife training.  She looks forward to focusing on stewardship of town lands in Durham, and to incorporating Wildlife Action Plan information into this work.