UNH Cooperative Extension's 2008 NH Outside Calendar has taken first place in the "one-to-three-color popular publications" category of the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) 2008 Critique and Awards program.

ACE is an international association of communicators and information technologists who work in universities, government agencies and research organizations in the public sector, as well as companies and firms in the private sector.

The judges awarded 97 of 100 points to the NH Outside calendar, calling it, "An excellent example of making the most of a one-to-three-color publication. The essays are especially good....A very attractive publication with an effective use of illustrations throughout."

Subtitled connecting you with the wisdom and wonder of the natural world, the calendar itself reflects the purpose of the 4-year old collaborative writing project. We started the project in 2004 to give our natural resources volunteers (master gardeners, wildlife coverts, community tree stewards, lakes lay monitors, and marine docents) who love to write another way to share the humor, insight, and wonder they've found in the world outside their doorways.

We recruit people with a passion for the natural world who also love to write and offer training, professional editing and ongoing support in exchange for their written work. Most of their essays reflect on a private experience or encounter with the natural world. Their only aim: to connect readers to nature in some concrete, meaningful way.

Every week we distribute a new essay to print media statewide and publish it to our NH Outside Web page. The award-winning calendar contains excerpts from published NH Outside columns, illustrated with original artwork by volunteer artists and spiced with daily tips and tidbits to help increase awareness of the outside world.

The Extension design and production team of Peg Boyles, Pam Doherty (designer par excellence), Alice Mullen, and Holly Young has already begun planning the 2009 edition. Stay tuned!

To learn more about becoming a NH Outside writer, or to receive our weekly essays for use in your publication or newsletter, contact Peg Boyles at 225-5505 or peg.boyles@unh.edu.