The NH Coverts Project is accepting applications from new volunteers interested in taking part in the 2023 NH Coverts Project training program. Started in 1995, the NH Coverts Project has trained over 500 volunteers in promoting wildlife conservation and forest stewardship throughout the state. Each year, 25 conservation-minded residents gather with a team of natural resource professionals for a training, where they learn about wildlife and forest ecology, habitat management, land conservation and effective outreach. There is a $50 registration fee; however, program sponsors cover all other program costs.
In exchange for the training, participants commit to volunteer for at least 40 hours during the coming year and motivate others to become stewards of the state's wildlife and forest resources. Coverts volunteers give their time in a variety of ways. Some lead field walks or organize volunteer workdays, while others serve on town boards or manage their own property for wildlife habitat. Volunteers come from many backgrounds and professions but are unified by their desire to help New Hampshire’s wildlife and forests.
A covert (pronounced “cover” with a “t”) is a thicket that provides shelter for wildlife. The term symbolizes the project’s goal of enhancing, restoring and conserving habitat for native wildlife in New Hampshire. Once trained through the Coverts Program, participants become members of a knowledgeable statewide network connected through newsletters, field trips, and workshops.
The N.H. Coverts Project is sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension and New Hampshire Fish & Game. The program also receives support from the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands.
Acceptance will be based on applicants' interest and ability to use and share lessons from the training, on their property or in their community.
NH Coverts Project Training Schedule
The 2023 NH Coverts Project training will take place over the course of four weeks and will include one online session and three field trips in various locations around New Hampshire. Each week will also include 1-2 hours of preparatory work (e.g. recorded presentations) in advance of the field trip. Participants must be able to commit to attending all sessions. Click here for a full training schedule.
Location: Online Session (Zoom)
Location: McCabe Forest & Ellingwood Property, Antrim, NH
Location: Branch Hill Farm, Milton Mills, NH
Location: Distant Hill Gardens, Walpole, NH
Click below to download an application.
COVID-19 Protocols: The field trips will be held entirely outdoors and socially distancing will be encouraged. Participants will be asked to stay home if they have tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, or have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for or who has symptoms of COVID-19 in advance of a field trip. The COVID-19 situation and UNH protocols may change and evolve prior to May 2023; participants will be updated closer to the training.
