Forest Notes, Summer 2023

THE 122ND ANNUAL MEETING | THE ART OF MAPMAKING

N E W H A M P S H I R E ’ S C O N S E R VAT I O N M A G A Z I N E

Forest Prescription

The transformative effects of a daily dose of nature

SUMMER 2023

forestsociety.org

August 31–October 31

Challenge yourself to complete five hikes this fall on Forest Society properties!

FREE for Forest Society members.

Register at forestsociety.org/5hikes.

Get ready to hike by downloading our mobile app!

The Forest Society Mobile App, powered by OuterSpatial, makes getting outside easy by putting information about amazing destinations—including photos and maps— at your fingertips. forestsociety.org/app

Aim your smartphone’s camera at the QR code to download the OuterSpatial app and join our NH community.

Download the Forest Society’s mobile app and get trail maps today!

FROM LEFT THOMAS ALGOZZINE, DEVON RIVERA, TRAILCHASEROFFICIAL, CHANDRASHEKAR BALAKRISHNA, NATURE.NURTURES.US

Presented in Partnership with

Mo 4,00 re than 0 in N users H!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: SUMMER 2023, No. 314

16

22 DEPARTMENTS 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

8 FEATURES Forest Prescription 8 10 12 14

Nature is a Remedy for Stress Nurture Your Senses Summer Over Autumn Made Well Through Painting

Healthy Forests, Healthy Lives

4 THE WOODPILE + Cornish Tree Farmer Wins 2023 Award + Forest Society Invites Public Comment for LTA Accreditation Renewal + Moving Rocks on Monadnock

16 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT On “Top” of Her Stewarding Game

18 FOREST CLASSROOM The Lost Art of Mapmaking

20 NATURE’S VIEW The Old Growth Hunter

22 PUBLIC POLICY A Small Victory for Conservation

24 PROJECT IN PROGRESS

THE 122ND ANNUAL MEETING | THE ART OF MAPMAKING

The Rocks is on a Roll

N E W H A M P S H I R E ’ S C O N S E R VAT I O N M A G A Z I N E

Forest Prescription

The transformative effects of a daily dose of nature

SUMMER 2023

forestsociety.org

On our cover: Becky Fullerton’s painting “A Bend in the River” encapsulates the beauty of the Ammonoosuc River as it flows downstream of the Forest Society’s Ammonoosuc River Forest in Bethlehem.

Turn to page 14 to learn more about the North Country artist.

26 THE 122ND ANNUAL MEETING An Autumnal Event Opens Forest Society North

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

CHAIR Drew Kellner, Brookline

VICE CHAIR Bill Crangle, Plymouth

SECRETARY Allyson Hicks, Concord

TREASURER Andrew Smith, Twin Mountain

PRESIDENT Jack Savage, Middleton

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Philip Bryce, Deering Deb Buxton, Greenfield George Epstein, Silver Lake Elizabeth Salas Evans, Weare Peter Fauver, North Conway Don Floyd, Concord Jason Hicks, Meredith Patricia Losik, Rye Nancy Martland, Sugar Hill Michael Morison, Peterborough Bill “Tuck” Tucker, Goffstown Tom Wagner, Campton Janet Zeller, Concord

STAFF Will Abbott, Project Manager, The Rocks Frank Allen, Building and Grounds Assistant Sarah AlSamaraee, Stewardship & Forestry Administrative Coordinator Dave Anderson, Senior Director of Education Brie Belisle, Regional Stewardship Manager Anna Berry, Director of Communications and Digital Outreach Nik Berube, Maintenance Assistant Naomi Brattlof, Director of Easement Stewardship Rita Carroll, Tree Farm Administrator Tony Cheek, Vice President for Finance Connie Colton, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator Linda Dammann, Development Assistant Carrie Deegan, Reservation Stewardship and Engagement Director Leah Hart, Land Conservation Project Manager Stacie Hernandez, Land Conservation Project Manager Brian Hotz, Vice President for Land Conservation Steve Junkin, Field Forester Sarah Kern, Creek Farm Education Program Coordinator Susanne Kibler-Hacker, Senior Philanthropy Advisor Allan Krygeris, Senior Technology Specialist Matt Leahy, Public Policy Director Cameron Larnerd, Christmas Tree Farm Manager, The Rocks Margaret Liszka, Membership Director Nigel Manley, Senior Outreach Manager, The Rocks Ann McCoy, Development Manager Stephanie Milender, Human Resource Director Jack Minich, Regional Stewardship Manager Michelle Morse, Finance Specialist Carl Murphy, Facilities Manager Meredith Reed O’Donnell, Foundation Relations Manager Tina Ripley, Administrative Coordinator Sophie Oehler, Communications Coordinator Cara Pearson, Membership Specialist John Plummer, Regional Stewardship Manager Jack Savage, President Matt Scaccia, Recreation and Community Relations Manager Ryan Smith, Communications Manager Ron Snow, Manager of Individual Giving Maria Stewart, Senior Executive Assistant Dylan Summers, Stewardship Projects Manager Laurel Swope-Brush, Land Steward & Volunteer Programs Coordinator Anne Truslow, Vice President for Development Wendy Weisiger, Managing Forester Harriette Yazzie-Whitcomb, Administrative Assistant

2 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

Healthy Forests, Healthy Lives

A

t the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, we like to talk about the multiple benefits forests provide. Clean water often tops the list, followed quickly by clean air. Sustainably managed forests yield the wood from which we build our homes, while providing diverse habitat for wildlife. If we take care of the trees, they will take care of us.

In this issue of Forest Notes we highlight another direct benefit of forests, our physical and mental health. As Dr. Aimee Valeras points out in her article (“Forest Rx” on page 8), just simply taking a 20-minute walk outdoors can do wonders for reducing the stress we feel in our modern lives by activating our parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s ability to relax. And just getting our muscles moving has clear physical benefits, too.

Whenever I get a chance, I like to walk down the hill from our Conservation Center headquarters and loop around the trails in our Merrimack Outdoor Recreation and Education Area along the Merrimack River in Concord. Something about the river water flowing by, as it has since the glaciers receded, puts the daily doomsday headlines that shout for our attention in perspective.

If you could use a lift as summer comes to a close, consider signing up for our 2023 Five Hikes Challenge, which is sponsored this year by our friends at Concord Hospital. The Five Hikes Challenge highlights a variety of places around the state where you can get your 20-minute (or more!) parasympathetic jumpstart. Sign up and you’ll receive easy to follow maps that will help you explore a few new places.

I’d also like to invite you to come to our 122nd Annual Meeting on September 23 at The Rocks in Bethlehem, where we’ll be celebrating the renovation of the 1884 Carriage Barn and surrounding grounds (see page 24) into our Forest Society North campus. The view of the White Mountains from our new outdoor amphitheatre urges us to take a deep breath, relax, and relish the fact that—thanks to you— much of what you can see is permanently protected.

Jack Savage is the president of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

He can be reached by email at jsavage @forestsociety.org.

WEB EXCLUSIVES

(OPPOSITE PAGE) RYAN SMITH; (THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) JESSICA HUNT, KATE WILCOX, ANNA BERRY, ALLY SCHOLTZ

Podcasting From Treeline Something Wild visits 6288’ forestsociety.org/sw-mtwashington

Monadnock Rocks!

Photos from this year’s rockin’ event forestsociety.org/trailsweek23

Gorgeous Gorges How do NH’s top three stack up? forestsociety.org/three-gorges

The Eastern Mountain Sports Peterborough, N.H., team got out for #MonadnockTrailsWeek, an annual collaboration between @forestsociety and @nhstateparks to protect, improve, and promote the trails of the Monadnock Region.

Great job team!

CONNECT WITH US! facebook.com/ForestSociety

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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources.

Basic annual membership fee is $45 and includes a subscription to Forest Notes.

Editor: Ryan Smith Design & Production: The Secret Agency Printing: R.C. Brayshaw & Company, Inc. Forest Notes is printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from suppliers who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management.

Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine.

Copyright 2023 SPNHF. US ISSN: 0015 7457 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, N.H. 03301 | Phone: 603-224-9945 | Fax: 603-228-0423 info@forestsociety.org | forestsociety.org The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations:

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Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 3

THE WOODPILE—NEWS NOT SO NEATLY STACKED

Cornish Tree Farmer Wins 2023 Award

By John Tracy The NH Tree Farm Committee has selected Colleen O’Neill of Cornish as the 2023 Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. O’Neill’s 405-acre Tree Farm, known as Langwood Tree Farm, is part of her 475 acres located in Cornish and Plainfield.

Her late husband acquired the initial 90 acres in 1953 and additions have been made when opportunities arose, most recently in 2022. Langwood Tree Farm has participated in the NH Tree Farm program since 1981 and implements the four pillars of the Tree Farm program: wood, water, wildlife, and recreation.

O’Neill’s goals for Langwood Tree Farm include maintaining and expanding the 5 miles of recreation trails, conducting sustainable timber harvesting and improvement, enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting vernal pools and wetlands, restoring and maintaining views, protecting water resources, and creating more meadows and openings with help from the USDA’s Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). The property is open to the public for cross-country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and wildlife observation.

O’Neill’s long-range goal is to ensure that Langwood Tree Farm remains a working forest forever by placing a conservation easement on it. Her conservation efforts have not gone unnoticed. “Colleen has a genuine interest to do the best stewardship motions she can by engaging the best tools and professionals. Along the entire path of planning, implementing, and monitoring her land stewardship, she strives to learn as much as possible from the management toolbox,” says Jeremy Turner, O’Neill’s long-time forester. “Colleen is thoroughly engaged with humble regard for the land. Over the past 16 years, I have seen her transform from being ‘brand new to it all’ into a learned land steward. The New Hampshire forestry community is fortunate to have such a solid team player.”

4 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

2023 Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Colleen O’Neill.

As is required for all certified Tree Farms, a written forest management plan for Langwood Tree Farm is in place and is updated regularly with the assistance of Turner and Mathias Nevins of Meadowsend Consulting Company. O’Neill, the recipient of the 2017 Cornish Conservation Commission Award, is a board member of the NH Timberland Owners Association.

She learned about managing her woodlot by seeking advice from her consulting forester and other tree farmers and attending multiple educational workshops, many of which were organized by UNH Cooperative Extension, the Forest Society, and the NH Timberland Owners Association. Not one to be idle, she is a NH Coverts volunteer and serves on the NH Board of Foresters.

SAVE THE DATE! SEPTEMBER 16

Tree Farm Field Day Langwood Tree Farm, Cornish The NH Tree Farm Program will hold its annual Tree Farm Field Day on September 16 at Colleen O’Neill’s Langwood Tree Farm in Cornish.

For more information, visit nhtreefarm.org.

This story originally ran in the NH Tree Farm Committee’s winter 2023 newsletter of Granite State Tree Farmer.

(OPPOSITE PAGE) COURTESY OF COLLEEN O’NEILL

Forest Society Invites Public Comment for LTA Accreditation Renewal The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) is a national organization that supports more than 900 member land trusts and promotes voluntary land conservation to benefit communities. Recognizing the importance of public confidence in land trusts, LTA established formal standards and practices in the 1980s. The Forest Society was one of the earliest adopters of these standards. The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever.

In 2006, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission was established as an independent program of LTA. The commission designed an accreditation system that recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards. Today, there are 467 accredited land trusts nationwide, which collectively have protected 81 percent of all land and easements held by all land trusts in the United States.

The Forest Society chose to participate in this voluntary and rigorous accreditation program and became an accredited land trust in 2013. Accreditation provides the assurance of quality and permanence that is essential for building public confidence in land conservation. It also ensures that the Forest Society follows national best practices established for all land trusts.

Five years after its initial accreditation, in 2018, the Forest Society underwent its first accreditation renewal. Now, five years later, the Forest Society is up for its second re-accreditation.

“As a land trust, the Forest Society’s goal is to be exemplary in our conservation work,” says Forest Society President Jack Savage. “Accreditation is one important way that we can measure the quality of our work against nationwide standards.

We’re proud to be an accredited land trust

Consulting Foresters

The Forest Society encourages landowners to consult with a licensed forester before undertaking land management activities.

The following are paid advertisers.

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Full Circle Forestry, LLC

and we look forward to renewing our accredited status.”

The renewal process through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission involves an extensive review of the Forest Society’s policies and programs. As part of the review process, public input is invited.

The commission accepts signed, written comments on pending applications.

Comments must relate to how the Forest Society complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards, visit landtrustaccreditation.org/ help-and-resources/indicator-practices.

Comments on the Forest Society’s application will be most useful by November 18, 2023. If you have any questions about the accreditation renewal process, please contact Easement Stewardship Director Naomi Brattlof at 603-224-9945. To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit landtrustaccreditation.org or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org.

Ehrhard Frost, NHLPF #103, Thetford Center, VT 802-785-4749 • efrost.fcf@gmail.com Eric Radlof, NHLPF #447, Antrim, NH 603-321-3482 • eradlof.fcf@gmail.com Jeffrey Snitkin, NHLPF #452, Newbury, NH 802-310-0292 • jsnitkin.fcf@gmail.com Benjamin Vicere, NHLPF #453, Springfield, VT 802-779-7021 • bvicere.fcf@gmail.com We specialize in creative, ecological approaches to forest management that are designed to provide longterm economic and intangible benefits to landowners and their forests. FCF partners are licensed foresters, NRCS Technical Service Providers, pesticide applicators, and Tree Farm Inspectors.

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Martin Forestry Consulting, LLC Offering complete forest management services, including timber sales, cruises, appraisals, and wildlife habitat management. Ask us about recreation trail planning, construction Brontosaurus mowing, and forestry excavation services.

P.O. Box 89, New Hampton, NH 03256 • 603-744-9484 Email: martinforestry@gmail.com

Meadowsend Consulting Company

Quality Consulting Forestry with Integrity. Guaranteed.

Jeremy Turner, NHLPF #318 — Southern NH jturner@meadowsendco.com Matthias Nevins, NHLPF #518 — Central NH mnevins@meadowsendco.com Ryan Kilborn, NHLPF #442 — Northern NH rkilborn@meadowsendco.com Vast range of quality land management services.

Connect with us for a free site consultation!

meadowsendco.com • 603.526.8686 Licensed foresters should address inquiries about advertising to Anne Truslow by calling 603-224-9945 or emailing atruslow@forestsociety.org.

Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 5

THE WOODPILE—NEWS NOT SO NEATLY STACKED

Moving Rocks on Monadnock The Forest Society and New Hampshire State Parks are thankful for the more than 50 volunteers and staff that joined us from July 13–17 at the 17th annual Monadnock Trails Week.

Even with the threat of rain and storms every day, volunteers accomplished major trail structural improvements at Mount Monadnock and Gap Mountain.

On Monadnock’s Marlboro Trail, stone check steps were installed to reduce gully erosion on a 70-foot section of moderately sloped trail. On the Dublin Trail, a stone staircase was extended by 25 feet to reinforce the steep grade of the trail. On the popular White Dot Trail, a crew installed a drainage waterbar to reduce erosion from water and foot tread. The bar was made from logs that New Hampshire State Parks had peeled and stored on-site. Another crew attended to trailhead improvements on the Old Toll Road, Dublin Trail, and Marlboro Trail by adding Forest Society property signs and sprucing up the area. On Gap Mountain, an all-girls crew from Camp Wa-Klo in Dublin, N.H., cleared saplings on the middle summit to keep valuable blueberry and early successional species habitats open.

By the end of the event, 39 volunteers had contributed approximately 447 hours to trail improvements, and 13 Forest Society staff and temporary crew leaders spent more than 288 hours leading and supporting their efforts. This work couldn’t have been done without the support of Eastern Mountain Sports, who provided our volunteers with plenty of food and swag to keep them going. We’ll see you next summer!

Forest Society staff and volunteers came out in force at this year’s Monadnock Trails Week to address trail erosion issues and improve footing at Monadnock and Gap Mountain.

Gear Up and Get Out This Fall!

The Forest Society is excited to announce the 4th Annual 5 Hikes Challenge will take place from August 31 to October 31. Hit the trail with your family, friends, or on your own for a do-it-yourself hiking experience. This year, we’ve partnered with the Concord Hospital Regional Healthcare Network to present the challenge. Together, we’ll share wellness tips to keep you motivated throughout the challenge and the science behind the physical and mental benefits of time spent in nature. For more, turn to page 8.

Registered participants will also receive a “Forest Rx” notepad and five trail maps with directions and safety info. For more information, visit forestsociety.org/5hikes.

6 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) KATE WILCOX, SOPHIE OEHLER, LAUREL SWOPE-BRUSH

By Laurel Swope-Brush

Together Making New Hampshire a Great Place to Live, Work, and Explore The Forest Society thanks our business partners for their generous support Forest Society North at The Rocks – CDFA President’s Circle (continued) Tax Credit Program GMEC, Inc. Badger, Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc. Bassinger Limited, PC Grappone Management Co., Inc. Lumbard & Kellner, LLC Mascoma Bank Meredith Village Savings Bank Merrimack County Savings Bank Milestone Engineering & Construction, LLC Nathan Wechsler & Company Northway Bank ReVision Energy Union Bank Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank

Lumbard & Kellner, LLC Milestone Engineering & Construction LLC New England Private Wealth Advisors, LLC NH Conservation Real Estate Ransmeier & Spellman, P.C. ReVision Energy Rockywold-Deephaven Camps, Inc. Samyn d’Elia Architects PA Target Corporation

Summit Circle ($5,000 and up)

Partner ($500 to $749)

Altus Engineering Badger, Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc. J and M Morse Trucking, LLC Liberty Mutual Insurance Merrimack County Savings Bank Nathan Wechsler & Company Newburyport Bank Northland Forest Products, Inc. Seaboard International Forest Products, LLC St. Mary’s Bank Summit Wealth Group LLC Whalen Public & Media Relations, LLC

Trustees’ Circle ($2,500 to $4,999) Northeast Delta Dental The Secret Agency, LLC

President’s Circle ($1,000 to $2,499) Bangor Savings Bank BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC Bensonwood & Unity Homes Capital City Subaru Checkmate Payroll Services Chinburg Properties EOS Research Ltd. Garden Life, LLC

Steward ($750 to $999) Devine, Millimet & Branch, PA Post and Beam Brewery Arcomm Communications Corporation Blue Mountain Forest Association Capitol Craftsman, LLC Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co., Inc. Eastern Mountain Sports Frog Hollow Forestry Half Moon Enterprises Harbor Group Leigh Starer Landscape Architect The Lyme Timber Company LP Meadowsend Timberlands Limited The Music Mill Pine Springs R.M. Piper, Inc. Whole Wealth Management, LLC

Colleague ($250 to $499) Ballentine Partners C&S Wholesale Grocers Dublin Road Tap Room and Eatery Gideon Asen LLC Great Brook Veterinary Clinic, LLC Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, LLC J.M. Tree Service Joyful Yoga NH Kozikowski Properties, LLC

Mulligan Forest, LLC Robbins Lumber Sunset Park Campground Tri-State Iron Works, Inc. Twin State Sand & Gravel Co., Inc. Zachary Berger Associates, Inc.

Matching Gift Companies ADP, LLC Ameresco, Inc. American Biltrite, Inc. Amgen, Inc. Autodesk, Inc. Bank of America Bank of New Hampshire Bose Corporation Boston Scientific Citizens Bank Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation, Inc. Dell, Inc. Erie Insurance Gartner, Inc. General Electric Gilead Sciences, Inc. Google, LLC Gradient John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. Liberty Mutual Insurance Lincoln Financial Group MassMutual Microsoft Corporation Novartis Oracle Corporation Pfizer, Inc. Raytheon Technologies Corporation Shell Oil Company Silicon Laboratories, Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. The Travelers Companies, Inc. Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. VMware, Inc.

We are grateful to the many businesses that support the Forest Society with gifts of less than $250.

The Forest Society…Where Conservation and Business Meet For information about business memberships, sponsorships, or to initiate a gift membership program for your clients or employees, please contact Anne Truslow at (603) 224-9945 or atruslow@forestsociety.org.

Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 7

I

n this issue of Forest Notes, we’ve curated stories, art, and activities that promote wellness in our lives. First, Aimee Valeras of Concord Hospital explains the value of spending time in nature to boost our mood, health, and relationships. This is followed by a story about strengthening your senses written by Creek Farm Education Program Director Sarah Kern, some beautiful works of art from painter Becky Fullerton, and a seasonally appropriate story written by Howard Mansfield. It’s our hope that you find time to get outside this year for some restorative moments spent by yourself or with others at our more than 190 properties. You’ll be glad you did!

– Ryan Smith, Forest Notes editor

Taking in a view of natural landscapes has been shown to lower pulse rates and combat mental fatigue. Views in New Hampshire—including the one pictured from the Forest Society’s Eagle Cliff in Sandwich—are plentiful and free and can be enjoyed by all ages! Photo: Emily Lord

8 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

N

Nature is a Remedy for Stress

By Aimee Valeras

ature is a missing ingredient in our society’s approach to health care. The benefits to being outdoors include positive impacts on psychological, physical, and cognitive well-being.

Walking in nature has the obvious benefit of getting you moving and physical movement is always a good thing. A lesser known benefit, however, is that being active in nature gets the body’s parasympathetic nervous system going. The para-what?!

What does that mean?

The sympathetic nervous system starts up the fight-or-flight response in our bodies when we sense danger. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the body is prepared to take action to deal with whatever the threat is. Imagine a bear jumps out of the woods and it is coming straight for you! Your heart immediately starts beating harder and faster, your breathing might become more like panting, your pupils dilate, and your mouth might feel dry because your body is not focused on salivation or digestion—it’s focused on survival! This bodily response is perfect if you need to figure out whether to run away as fast as you can or to confront that bear.

But a problem arises when the sympathetic nervous system kicks in at the wrong time: when there is no life-threatening situation. It’s as if our brains perceive a real-life actual bear jumping out of our phone when we check our email or when someone calls or when we click on the calendar app and see all the plans for the day. Our brains get tricked into perceiving daily stressors as an angry mama bear and can send us into fight-or-flight mode without us even realizing it is happening.

The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, refers to the network of nerves that relaxes our bodies when it

thinks we’re no longer under stress or in danger. When the parasympathetic response kicks in, our heart beat slows down, our breathing slows down, the pupils constrict, and our digestive system kicks back in through increased saliva and juices in our intestines that process food. Our brain realizes we’re not in any danger and allows the body to relax.

When our sympathetic nervous system is too active, we can feel stressed out, and chronic stress can lead to all kinds of health problems. This is why it’s so important to know that a simple activity like walking outdoors can kickstart the parasympathetic nervous system and calm the body and mind.

How much time moving outdoors does one need to gain these positive health benefits? Answer: Only 120 minutes a week, which means just 20 minutes a day!

Research has shown that moving our bodies in nature can result in: • improved psychological well-being (less anxiety, fewer negative feelings, and less repetitive thinking); • improved psychophy siological stress reaction (less fluctuation in heart rate; lower stress-related hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine; and more feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine); • improved cognitive function (more creativity, better focus, fewer memory issues).

Both being outdoors and grounding exercises are enjoyable, free, easy to learn, and the more often you do them, the easier it is for the brain to relax the body!

Aimee Valeras, Ph.D. LICSW, is a social worker at Concord Hospital Family Health Center.

VonFelsinger Forest | Photo: Ryan Smith

10 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

S

Nurture Your Senses

By Sarah Kern

pending time in nature offers us ample opportunities to retool our senses, many of which have lost their ability to fully function because of our ever-increasing infatuation with digital devices. We see less, taste less, and aren’t completely in tune with everything around us. The next time you need to recharge, shut off your phone and find a spot outside to immerse yourself in the following sensory exercises.

Try to do these every day for a week, a month—who knows— even a year and see how you feel.

Sight | “Shape of Things” Who knew searching for shapes in nature could be an amazingly fun and simple activity for children and adults! Does that broken tree limb look like a dragon? Is that a heart shape on the feather you found? Is that tree hollow a circle? When we slow down and open our eyes, the world comes to life. Bring a sketch pad with you to log the daily shapes that you see. You’ll be amazed by how many different ones there are.

Sound | “Sounds Around” In our busy and highly audible world, silence is rare, but so is slowing down to listen to more of the subtle sounds around you!

For this activity, choose a comfortable and safe spot to sit—alone or with your family—and close your eyes for 5 minutes and just listen. What do you hear? Can you hear any cars or planes? Can you hear water? How far off do you think you can hear? What do those noises mean?

Touch | “Texture Treasures” This activity can be done in any environment. From finding pinecones, leaves, or catkins on a walk in the forest or stones and moss along the wetland’s edge, find as many textures as you can out in nature! Is your object spiky, rough, smooth, or bumpy?

If you are unsure if something is safe to touch, imagine what it might feel like. Be sure to handle everything with care, put objects back where you found them, and have fun!

Smell | “Scents All Around” This fun activity boasts surprises when you simply stop and smell the roses, or mud, leaves, and more! First, gather some natural materials such as flowers, pine needles, mud, tree bark, and grass. Place these items into individual cups or canisters and cover them so they can’t be seen. Smell each container and see if you can guess what it is. Use descriptive words to describe the smell.

Taste | “A Sip of Summer” You don’t have to look too far in New Hampshire for wild drinkables that are sure to enliven your senses. One easy concoction to make is a “lemonade” made from staghorn sumac.

This shrub might not be as common as a red maple or pine tree, but you probably have seen sumac growing in places more often than you think. Your tastebuds will thank you once you bless them with this zingy summery drink.

Instructions • Harvest sumac berries (called “drupes” or sumac “bobs”) and pick away any sticks or leaves.

• Place berries in a large pot.

• Cover with water and use your hands or wooden spoon to agitate the water and berries.

• Allow berries to soak for a few hours or overnight.

• Use hands or wooden spoon to “smoosh” the berries.

• Strain through a fine mesh strainer, clean kitchen towel, or coffee filter.

• Sweeten if desired and serve chilled.

Sarah Kern is the Creek Farm education program coordinator.

Grafton Pond | Photo: John Welch

12 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

Join Us! Author Howard Mansfield and composer Ben Cosgrove are performing their collaborative experience A Journey to the White Mountains in Words and Music at the Forest Society’s 122nd Annual Meeting at The Rocks in Bethlehem. For more information, visit forestsociety.org/2023annualmeeting.

F

Summer Over Autumn

By Howard Mansfield

loating, paddle at rest, my kayak is adrift in the middle of the pond as I look at the mountain. It’s mid-August.

The light is silvery and soft. I can see a weakening of the green, and here and there like a splattering of paint, the first yellow leaves.

Autumn is beginning to slip out from under cover. I think of this moment as its own distinct time, as “Summer Over Autumn.”

This is the moment that precedes the fall snap, the great colors, and the final bare season in November.

Summer is in high season—you’ll never eat better tomatoes or corn, but the first apples are ready for picking, the evenings are cooler, and the day’s heat lacks conviction. Summer at this moment is a party, but the party is already over. August in northern New England is poignant, a quick curtain call for the green earth, for summer’s heat, and for the gardens.

Summer Over Autumn isn’t a season. It’s a glimpse, the moment when we see the skull beneath the skin, the death that is always part of life. “In the midst of life we are in death,” as the Book of Common Prayer says.

It’s a moment poised on the seesaw, right at the fulcrum, a moment of passage. Sitting still, you can feel summer passing, retreating as fog retreats. It’s like passing through a doorway. If we could inhabit a still-point, floating as if we were in a kayak, would we be aware of the many doorways we daily pass through?

The pond is one such doorway. We have seen loons nest, raise a fluffy, awkward chick, and then at season’s end, fly off. None of this looks easy, and each summer it seems as if the loons are inventing it all over again—the way the chick at first rides on the mother’s back, then the stage where it is on its own in the water, but looks like a floating toupee. And when the loons are getting ready to fly away, they have to flap their way down the length of the pond to rise just a few feet. To clear the trees, they have to circle again. They look less like birds than someone earnestly impersonating a bird.

Turtles; snakes; salamanders; the occasional otter family; a bald eagle fishing; pink lady’s slipper orchids; dragonflies; kingfishers; big rocks that have shifted, fissured, and shed parts of themselves; tall trees that shaded us one summer, died the next, and by and by fell over, giving rise to other trees, plants, and insects. All these we have seen at this one pond while adrift.

And we have seen people come and go. There was a young couple who lived in a small cottage near the pond. I’d see them working on their place. None of that came easy, either. He always seemed to have a circular saw in one hand; she was balancing a baby on her hip, and keeping her eye on their two-year-old, while trying to hold a board for him. She looked as tired as those women in the photos from the Depression-era Dust Bowl.

For a couple of summers, I’d walk past them in this formation, or stop sometimes to chat. What happened next happened in winter, I guess. They separated and divorced. He got very sick, and I last saw him in town. He was confused, under heavy medication, and too thin, the death in him showing. He died not long after; other couples have come to live out their dramas in that cottage.

Summer Over Autumn will never make the roster of mini seasons like Mud Season and Black Fly Season. It’s just too short. It’s like a ferry ride described long ago by the eighth-century Chinese poet, Tu Fu: a group of “dandies” and young women set out on a fine summer’s day but, as Carolyn Kizer translates: Above us a patch of cloud spreads, darkening Like a water-stain on silk.

The women in their “crimson skirts” are drenched by a downpour. The ferry trip home is cold and wet.

Like a knife in a melon, Autumn slices Summer.

This essay is from Howard Mansfield’s Summer Over Autumn: A Small Book of Small Town Life (Bauhan Publishing, 2017).

Made Well Through Painting

By Becky Fullerton

14 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

A

lthough I had started painting scenes from the White Mountains a few years before I moved out of Boston, coming north solidified this region as my main focus in terms of subject matter. But the move also helped me broaden the types of compositions I create. When I had been a visitor to the area, I felt the time pressure to collect as many reference photos and sketches as possible to paint dramatic and iconic mountain scenes. As a resident, I have the time and access to study the more intricate and subtly beautiful snippets of the greater landscape. For example, I decided to commit to studying and deciphering the mysteries of painting water, and especially water in motion, which I avoided before.

Hikers who view my work will also notice the careful attention I pay to depicting the character of the rocks and plant life in the higher reaches of the mountains. I could paint these things more generically but making them recognizable types and species that you would find in this environment is my way of paying homage to the mountains and giving the work a deeper sense of place.

I don’t think I ever expected to call myself a landscape painter, much less a White Mountains painter, but I have fallen in love with the scenery here and find I will never run out of things to paint.

Painting and outdoor recreation feed off each other in maintaining my overall wellness. I must spend time in nature to glean ideas and subject matter for my paintings, but I find the outdoors also acts as a barometer for my overall health. I start to get what I call the “no-hike grumpies” when I’ve been away from the trails too long. Be it an all-day hike in the Pemigewasset Wilderness or just a couple miles of trail running through the Forest Society’s Bretzfelder Park, recreation fuels my soul. Coming back into the art studio with inspiration from my latest hike gives me capacity to get into that cherished flow state we all pursue to be taken outside of the stressful things we deal with in life. While painting, I am actively thinking about how the place in the image felt on the day I was there. The finished painting then has a lasting after-effect on me in bringing up the positive emotions and sense of adventure I experienced.

Based in Bethlehem, N.H., Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art and art history from Hartwick College, as well as a master’s degree in museum studies from the Harvard Extension School. To see more of her work, visit rmfullerton.com.

Above: “A Little Pond Shore” | 9 x 12 inch oil on panel painting | Bretzfelder Park Right: “Sound of Water” | 16 x 20 inch oil on gallery wrapped canvas | White Mountain National Forest

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

On “Top” of Her Stewarding Game

By Carrie Deegan

O

ne of the more reliable things you can say in the summertime in New Hampshire is that if it’s nice out, the trailheads are sure to be packed—especially Mount Major’s.

Ashleigh Roberts knows this firsthand.

As a member of the Forest Society’s Volunteer Trailhead Outreach Program (VTOP) at Mount Major in Alton, Ashleigh plans her shifts around sunny days to interact with the most people possible. “People head to Mount Major because the climb is hard enough to feel like a real challenge, but it’s not too difficult. It’s so exciting when you reach the top and see that view,” she says.

VTOP was piloted in summer 2021 thanks to a handful of dedicated volunteers, including Ashleigh, with the goal of providing information to the 80,000plus hikers who visit Mount Major every year to assist them in maximizing safety and reducing some of the humancaused environmental damage occurring on the mountain. Volunteers provide visitors with updates on current trail conditions and potential weather hazards (e.g., extreme heat or thunderstorms) and encourage responsible recreation.

They also talk about simple things people can do to reduce their impact, such as leashing their dogs to reduce unwanted conflicts, explaining how staying on trails can reduce erosion, or making sure waste, even “natural” items like banana and orange peels, are packed out and disposed of properly. In turn, volunteers get a lot of questions about which trail to hike and how long it will take to reach the summit. “A lot of people who come to Mount Major have never been here before, so they don’t know what to ask besides questions about the trails,” Ashleigh notes. “I try not to recommend a specific trail, but instead give people information to let them make their own decisions. Providing information about safety and introductory hiking 16 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

Ashleigh Roberts, a member of the Volunteer Trailhead Outreach Program at Mount Major, provides hikers with weather reports, trail advice, and other useful information during busy summer weekends. skills is so important. A lot of kids—and adults—take their first hikes here on Mount Major.”

An environmental educator by trade, Ashleigh came well prepared to help with hiker outreach at Mount Major.

She currently works at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Laconia but has taught people about the natural world in numerous locations, from her native Ohio to the deserts of southern California. “Our country has so many diverse ecosystems; but the big ideas in environmental education are amazingly

consistent and transferable,” she says.

Adjusting to New Hampshire hasn’t been difficult, especially after Ashleigh spent some quality time exploring the local trail systems. She has hiked most of the peaks in the Belknap Range, which she says comes in handy when she meets the occasional hiker looking to head beyond Mount Major’s summit. The first time she summited Mount Major, it was part of a loop hike that combined Quarry and Straightback mountains. “Mount Major was the last peak I came to,” Ashleigh says, “and when I got to the summit, my

Are you interested in volunteering for VTOP at Mount Major?

Becoming a VTOP volunteer is fun and easy! Our online training modules can be completed at any time, and 2-hour VTOP shifts are available every day of the week.

For more information, or to sign up, visit forestsociety.org/vtop or email VTOP@forestsociety.org.

first impression was sadness that all the lichens, blueberries, and other vegetation I saw on the other peaks were gone. That’s part of why I started volunteering for VTOP. I like doing something to help the trails I’ve been hiking on.”

In VTOP’s first season, volunteers logged more than 100 hours and interacted with about 4,000 visitors. Building off that great start, the Forest Society is working to expand the program significantly this year, thanks to an AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund grant through VolunteerNH, by recruiting and training new volunteers. With their hard work and dedication, Ashleigh and the other VTOP volunteers will continue to make Mount Major a safer, more sustainable hiking destination for everyone.

Carrie Deegan is the reservation stewardship and engagement director for the Forest Society.

A Major Undertaking The Forest Society is dedicated to consistently improving the visitor experience and natural resources at Mount Major.

We are teaming up with Town 4 Trails Services and OBP Trailworks to construct a sustainable trail to take the place of about 1/3 mile of the existing Main/Blue Trail, which has some extremely eroded sections (pictured at left).

Work on the trail will take place soon.

Please join us in being good stewards of Mount Major by donating to the Mount Major Main Trail Project today at forestsociety.org/majortrailwork or at the mountain.

WATCH NOW WITH THE FREE PBS APP

(OPPOSITE PAGE) CARRIE DEEGAN; (THIS PAGE) SOPHIE OEHLER

STREAM FOR THE WONDER

Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 17

FOREST CLASSROOM

This hand-drawn map depicts a portion of a 250-acre property in Grafton on which the Forest Society holds a conservation easement. The land has been owned by the family for more than one hundred years, and if you look closely, the map tells some of the family history by way of trails, timber harvests, and future projects to tackle.

The Lost Art of Mapmaking

By John Plummer

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hen monitoring properties protected through a Forest Society conservation easement, I regularly meet with owners to discuss the latest happenings on their land, usually referencing a map as we talk. Sometimes I carry a field folder with deeds, surveys, and satellite imagery that I can refer to, but I often forego this printed material and opt to use a phone instead.

Having access to accurate maps in a navigation app allows me to determine my location within the boundaries of any of the conserved properties that I monitor. As convenient as this can be, it makes me feel detached from what is taking place on the ground in front of me. A phone connects me to the land, but it also disconnects me 18 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

from experiencing nature. Fortunately, the more I visit a property, the less I need to rely on a phone to guide me. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve come to know many forests like the back of my hand. And while I have a good sense of direction, it is easy— and scary—to get lost, even in the places I know best. Knowing how to use a map and compass can make walking in the woods more satisfying and safer. From a stewardship perspective, generating a map can be useful for planning new projects for forest management, trail building, or agriculture.

For example, I recently made a small map of the gardens in my yard. This has made it easier for me to plot what will grow where and maximize as much of the scarce sunlight cast on the yard as possible.

While making your own map may seem unnecessary or tedious at first, it can be a profound way to connect with a place and a tool to notice things that were previously unnoticed. A handmade map is a way to remember the location of a wildlife sighting, an outing with a loved one, or changes in the landscape over time. Note where the boulder stands next to the brook that flows into the beaver pond, the vernal pool lies at the top of the hill, or the craggy, old apple tree still stands. What time of year was it? What was the temperature? How did this experience make you feel?

Making a map can be a great way for kids to connect with a place that they care about all while incorporating a sense of adventure into each outing. You can

Left: Drawing this map allowed the author to visualize where the maximum amount of light would hit his gardens. A row of trees on the west side of the property shades part of his yard in the afternoon, so he situated plants that like sun and heat on the eastern side of the garden.

Right: The Forest Society’s OuterSpatial mobile app provides hikers with an interactive way to explore nearly 20 Forest Society properties and learn how to navigate using GPS software. The Tree ID Outing at Creek Farm guides hikers on a tour of this waterfront property where many kinds of trees are waiting to be found and learned about. For more information about the app, visit forestsociety.org/app. designate certain sites along a route that have historic significance. The first stop could be the cellar hole in the middle of the forest! How do they think it got there?

Did it fall from the sky? Or did someone make it? Next stop: the wetland down the hill where they’ll learn about how some animals can modify entire landscapes to suit their needs. Beavers, insects, and woodpeckers all create habitats where they can thrive, which subsequently benefit a lot of other organisms through their work. Last stop: the forest canopy, where they can use their eyes and ears to identify some common birds. Whether it’s your local neighborhood park or deep in the forest, I encourage you to find a place that you love and use a map to get your kids to engage with these cool places.

In New Hampshire, there are many tools available to learn more about the

natural resources around us. At the top of the list is the state’s GIS clearinghouse, NH GRANIT (granitview.unh.edu), a web mapping app that provides access to key data layers (e.g., administrative and political boundaries, elevation, inland water resources, and geophysical features) about your backyard, your town, and beyond. If you want to dive deeper into your research, you can reach out to your town or regional conservation commission or historic society to learn about a location’s background.

By making your own map, you can move beyond using it just for navigation and include it as a resource for understanding more about a locale. It can be an enjoyable project for kids and adults to take on to get oriented with the world around them and connect with a place they love. A map is also a great way to connect future generations with a place

that you find special. Having a map that captures your sense of place can help make land handed down through generations that much more special. In my role as an easement steward, I have come across a handful of family maps that have been passed down through generations. In them, I see the rich history of stewardship and connection with the land. Over the years, parents, their children, and their children’s children have added their notations to the maps, adding their respective contributions to the place and natural changes that have occurred over the years: a clearcut now dense with regeneration, a hay field turned to wetland, or a logging trail turned back to forest all tell the storied past of a place.

John Plummer is a regional stewardship manager for the Forest Society.

Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 19

NATURE’S VIEW

The Old Growth Hunter

By Dave Anderson

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hen my friend and ecologist Chris Kane has some spare time, he channels his inner Sherlock Holmes and heads to the forest in search of trees. Not any tree ... specifically ancient, generations-old trees that have never been cut. If these trees were the needle in the haystack, the haystack would be bigger than Mount Washington. Chris, an associate ecologist at the NH Natural Heritage Bureau, has spent decades sifting through maps and data seeking clues that might lead to the holy grails of the woods. This summer, Chris and I chatted on his screen porch to talk about all things old growth. Turns out there’s more to these trees than I originally had thought.

Dave Anderson: How much old growth remains in New Hampshire?

Chris Kane: Well, nobody has the complete answer. The NH Natural Heritage Bureau database currently has records of 13,826 acres of original forest of any kind.

The vast majority of this is high-elevation spruce-fir forest, which is not necessarily very old; it has largely been uncut and is natural. Records of all other forest types on record in old forest condition currently total 1,886 acres in the state. But that is a minimum and does not include additional acres of known sites not yet fully documented by area extent. Considering areas that are known or suspected to include relict old forest areas not yet documented, there could be as much as 2,500 acres or more of old growth. The percentage of the state’s total forested area is now 79 percent or 82 percent depending on whether water bodies are included. So, even if we assume 3,000 acres of old growth, that is three hundredths of one percent of forest cover. An infinitesimal number. Even if we could double what has been documented already, it would still be under one tenth of one percent statewide.

20 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

DA: Yet you continue finding new areas of old growth on public land?

CK: Yes. It is very uncommon these days to find previously undocumented areas of old growth, but they are out there.

As recently as June 2023, I found very old trees in intact forest with no signs of human use in areas I need to investigate further. For me, sleuthing out these sites has become a passion. This all started during an internship for the NH Division of Forests and Lands while attending Antioch New England Graduate School. I developed a predictive model for locating old hemlock forests in central and southern New Hampshire. One of the results of this project was I rediscovered the old growth forest on Mount Sunapee that Forest Society President/Forester Phillip Ayers documented in the Manual of Mount Sunapee published in 1915.

DA: How does your process work?

CK: I start by considering areas with a combination of specific characteristics, including ownership history and topography. Then I look at stereo pairs of statewide forest aerial imagery in black and white aerial photos from 1953. The stereo 3D viewing effect can display the texture and look of areas of taller and more complex canopy indicative of old forest, as well as areas previously in other land use. You can presume a typical history of land use in most of New Hampshire: The most accessible forest sites were converted to agriculture or logged, starting with the lower more productive soils near the coast or in river valleys and expanding from there over time. Forests in early public ownership are more likely to be places with less history of commercial activity or changes in ownership. Also, steep, rough topography is likely to have discouraged or delayed human influences. The 1953 aerials provide a 70-year-old snapshot of forest conditions at that time. The logic

Chris Kane poses next to an old-growth yellow birch tree. is that if areas were intact back then, and modern imagery indicates similar conditions, they will be good candidates to investigate in the field. Today, there is state-wide LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data that reveals early roads and cellars, and this helps to eliminate consideration of some sites that might appear inaccessible but were actually managed.

DA: What tree species are typically found in our state’s old growth forests?

CK: Trees that are shade tolerant, mostly, since they tend to dominate after less tolerant species are replaced. These would be hemlock in central and southern New Hampshire. Then yellow birch, sugar maple, American beech, and red spruce across the Lakes Region and White Mountains, and at higher elevations. The oldest known individual trees in the state are actually very large black gum trees found in perched wetlands. Yet eastern red cedar trees have been found growing on extremely dry ledge sites: very slow-growing trees that are quite short but can be more than 700 or 800 years old.

DA: Is it possible to find more old growth?

CK: The search continues for relict old forest sites. But if soil has never been converted to agriculture, and given enough

time, theoretically old forests would reestablish. Certainly, trees would grow old, but whether the full ecology present in old forests would reestablish is not really known. This is an area of much study today, as is the concept of actively mimicking certain old-growth characteristics in second-growth forests.

DA: What is it that captivates people most about old trees and old growth forests?

CK: I believe that emotions have an important influence on aspects of the world, and old trees and forests are no exception. Old forests are unusual, different, and intrinsically interesting for many people. They are very rare survivors that have escaped the most direct impacts of human influence. We can’t assume humans have never done anything in these areas, but it may be undetectable. The idea of ancient surviving forests untouched for many thousands of years, even in New Hampshire, is appealing.

In addition to the 3 spatial dimensions, old growth forests provide a unique perspective on the fourth dimension: time. Time that is almost beyond the ability to comprehend.

From a scientific perspective, surviving old trees are also successful survivors that may have important genetics in these places compared to places where people have repeatedly removed only the very best trees.

And there are other unique biodiversity values not yet fully understood, including bryophytes, fungal networks, lichens, and wildlife-tree-insect relationships.

DAVE ANDERSON

DA: Should all old growth locations be undisclosed?

CK: I am not really in favor of restricting access to all old growth sites. It depends on the site-specific conditions. If the goal is education, it is reasonable to expect that some public access should be available with some protections and conservation guidelines. For example, there is old growth at Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Mount Sunapee, and these already have trails to access old forest areas. Where there are individual very old trees, directing people may have adverse impacts. There is a 625-year-old black gum tree located on

private land near Deerfield, N.H., with no landowner permission to access. There are old red cedars on steep, exposed ledges that are estimated to be more than 700 years old. These trees have already beat the natural odds for centuries and do not need to sustain human impacts now as well.

DA: What are the greatest natural and human-caused threats to old forests?

CK: Certainly climate change is a major concern, as higher temperatures and more severe weather alter the conditions under which these forests evolved. But an even more immediate threat may be a consequence of global trade: the introduction of exotic insects and tree pathogens.

Examples include the hemlock woolly adelgid, a well-established insect now in parts of New Hampshire, that’s decimating eastern hemlock. There is region-wide decline of beech from beech bark disease and, more recently, the loss of ash from the emerald ash borer. While these insects may not be the direct result of climate change, warming winters allow the expansion of populations of these damaging insects.

In New Hampshire, the insect losses may not be quite so dire as regions to our south though, as our colder climate and higher elevation sites appear to discourage hemlock adelgid. Another issue is earthworms.

There are no native North American earthworms. In Pennsylvania especially, forest regeneration is being greatly impacted by earthworms as well as extensive herbivory by deer. In New Hampshire, the old growth is more northerly and tends to occur at higher elevations less suitable to deer and some exotic insects.

DA: The UNH Cooperative Extension is hosting an old growth conference on September 21–23 in Moultonborough. Tell me more about that.

CK: The main goal is to provide a forum

for the sharing of knowledge of the state of old growth forests, what recent research has emerged, and why these forests are more important than might have been realized. There will be sessions on many diverse topics organized into four themes: forest ecology, dynamics, and biodiversity; balancing preservation and management; climate change implications; and health and wellness impacts and benefits. A series of field trips to local old growth forest sites will be led by experienced interpretive guides. Wellness hikes will also be led on the conference grounds.

There have been times when interest in old forests had dissipated, but now there seems to be a resurgence, perhaps due to the expansion of media coverage generally. And so it seemed like it was time to offer another conference to help meet this interest.

DA: Seems like there is still missing information about locations and status of old forests?

CK: The default public assumption seems to be either that there is none left or that all old forest areas in New Hampshire have already been investigated and documented. But the reality is that the knowledge base is still expanding. Because there has been no comprehensive statewide effort to date, different forest areas are known to different researchers and institutions. The NH Natural Heritage Bureau is in a good position to consolidate this knowledge base and advance research about our old growth forests. And this year Natural Heritage is pursuing that goal. The conference will be a great opportunity to share the understanding of what we already know about old growth, what we are still finding today, and what might remain to be discovered.

Dave Anderson is the senior director of education for the Forest Society.

Learn More:

To register or for more information about the upcoming old growth conference, visit extension.unh.edu/eastern-old-growth-forest-conference.

Watch a documentary by filmmaker Ray Asselin about Mount Sunapee’s old-growth forest at forestsociety.org/primeval-sunapee.

Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 21

PUBLIC POLICY

A Small Victory for Conservation

By Matt Leahy

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very session of the New Hampshire Legislature considers big policy questions. The 2023 session was no different. In addition to approving the operating budget for the state government for the next two years, the Legislature also debated such issues as the expansion of renewable energy sources, the reauthorization of the New Hampshire Medicaid Program, and how to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Not surprisingly, issues like these generate the most attention in newspapers and online. On the flip side, smaller stories sometimes don’t garner as much attention despite their relavancy.

Such was the case during this year’s legislative session with the passage of a bill that strengthened New Hampshire’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program (ALP). As summer is in full swing and many farm stands are bursting with fruits and vegetables for sale, there is no better time to celebrate this good news.

The state first established ALP in the early 1980s to give the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food (DAMF) the ability to conserve important farmland across New

The Forest Society is currently working with Rob and Sherri Morrill and the Morrill Dairy Farm to purchase a conservation easement on approx. 208 acres of their farm property in Penacook, N.H. The farm is operated by the Rob and Sherri Morrill and their three sons, Andy, Kevin, and Ryan.

Hampshire. It did that by holding conservation easements on properties protected with ALP funds. Over time, unfortunately, funding for ALP dried up and the program was unable to protect additional agricultural properties.

However, the need to conserve important farmlands and high value soils did not diminish. In fact, the opposite became apparent as more of that type of terrain was

converted into other uses. Simultaneously, the public began asking for more locally produced food. In response, DAMF and elected officials began to ask what New Hampshire should do to maintain the state’s agricultural heritage. They took an important step several years ago at the request of DAMF Commissioner Shawn Jasper by appropriating about 1.2 million dollars for ALP.

In 2021, the Forest Society worked with the Cox family (acting through Westwick Farming, LLC) to buy a conservation easement on a 36-acre parcel of land that was recently acquired by the family as an addition to Tuckaway Farm in Lee, N.H. The existing farm is already conserved with a conservation easement.

22 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

BRIAN HOTZ (X2)

DAMF and other stakeholders realized the department did not have capacity to manage and monitor ALP, including the additional projects that would be added into the program. The US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides matching funds to help protect farmland, but the rules of ALP did not align with the federal program. That meant that projects that would use ALP would be unable to tap into NRCS assistance, and all these constraints were limiting the state’s ability to maximize the program’s benefits.

The upside to all of this is New Hampshire has a skilled land trust community that has protected thousands of acres of farmland here. These organizations have the expertise and capacity to take on the responsibilities of protecting and stewarding additional agricultural land, but would usually require multiple funding sources to take on these projects.

With that in mind, the Legislature considered and approved House Bill 221. In fact, the bill passed unanimously out of the committees in each body that heard the testimony. Its enactment means ALP is now compatible with other funding sources, including those of NRCS. Adding ALP into this toolbox of support programs will mean better outcomes for the protection of our state’s agricultural and farming community.

There are two other notable points about HB 221: First, the passage of the bill highlights recognition by lawmakers of the value of conservation. Second, it underscores the importance of the partnership between land trusts and the state, and the valuable role land trusts play in helping the state advance its conservation priorities.

True, the approval of HB 221 is not at the same scale as the passage of the Weeks Act or the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Yet, as small as it is, the passage of HB 221 is still a victory for conservation and worthy of a shout-out.

Matt Leahy is the public policy director for the Forest Society.

CELEBRATE SOMETHING WILD'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 BETHLEHEM

FAMILY

1 PM TO 4 PM

FUN DAY Meet Hosts Dave Anderson & Chris Martin

FREE! LOCATION: FOREST SOCIETY NORTH AT THE ROCKS

Take a horse-drawn wagon ride Learn about solar power from ReVision Energy's Sunsquatch F o o d & R e k'-l i s b e e r f o r p u r c h a s e RSVP: tinyurl.com/SWbethlehem

Summer 2023 FOREST NOTES | 23

PROJECT IN PROGRESS

The Rocks is on a Roll We Need You to Help Bring Us Across the Finish Line!

A

s you read in this issue, we are looking forward to welcoming you to Forest Society North at The Rocks for our 122nd Annual Meeting on September 23. The event marks a major milestone in both our campaign and the physical transformation of The Rocks. We are excited to welcome people back to this special place after many months of construction closure and to offer a peek at the twenty-first century chapter that is beginning there.

We’ve come a long way since the February night in 2019 when a fire ripped through our beloved historic buildings, leaving a sad pile of slushy ash. Today, a much happier scene is emerging. The Olmsted-designed formal garden is in full bloom. A new amphitheater built from old granite foundation stones boasts a stunning view of the White Mountains’ Kilkenny and Presidential ranges. And the 1884 Carriage Barn is amid its renovation as a net-zero program center, still retaining its grand stone and shingle character while incorporating new technology.

Our vision of creating a North Country hub of activity is coming to fruition. It won’t be complete on September 23, but it is turning toward the home stretch.

We need you to help us cross that finish line!

The Forest Society North at The Rocks Campaign is an effort to raise $8.5 million to support the renovation and re-envisioning of The Rocks. This includes investing in the Christmas Tree Farm facility; creating a new flow to the landscape, including the amphitheater; renovating the Carriage Barn; creating both indoor and outdoor classroom and event spaces; housing more Forest Society staff with offices, so we can serve the North Country from a local base; and improving wayfinding and interpretation throughout the property to 24 | FOREST NOTES Summer 2023

This summer the tap of woodpeckers and screech of catbirds is replaced by pounding hammers and buzzing saws at The Rocks. The loud symphony heralds exciting signs of progress in the transformation of the Rocks. As drawings and sketches are coming to life, grass is growing in the new amphitheater, the Carriage Barn is re-sided in traditional Rocks Red shingle, and geothermal wells are in place.

(OPPOSITE PAGE) TOP: SHANNA MAZIARZ, BOTTOM: SHANNA HALE PHOTOGRAPHY; (THIS PAGE) RYAN SMITH

make all feel welcome. Part of this effort also includes raising a $2 million endowment, an investment for future programs and operations.

We are about 70 percent to our goal, which leaves $2.5 million left to raise.

You can be part of the story of The Rocks by donating today. Each gift has a tangible impact that you will see in the stone walls, walkways, towering post and beam rafters, panoramic windows, and picnic spots overlooking the White Mountains for many years to come.

And, beyond the capital improvements, the Forest Society North at The Rocks Campaign is also an investment in the Forest Society’s service in the North Country. Already, with more staff locally based, we have more than ten new projects underway. We will soon complete the 3,700-acre Mahoosuc Highlands project in Shelburne, forever safeguarding an outstanding working forest and recreation area. Our work with landowners and communities in the North Country will continue to grow into the future.

So, now is the time. Please make your gift today or contact Vice President of Development Anne Truslow if you would like more information. Planned gifts, gifts of stock, or IRA distributions are welcome, and naming opportunities are available.

Staff based at Forest Society North at The Rocks will be better positioned to work on local land conservation projects, including the Mahoosuc Highlands in Shelburne (pictured).

We hope to see you in September at the Annual Meeting, and don’t forget that

cut-your-own Christmas Tree season starts right after Thanksgiving!

Online

For the latest updates on construction at The Rocks, including video presentations, visit forestsociety.org/the-rocks/about/restoration.

YES, I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE FOREST SOCIETY NORTH AT THE ROCKS CAMPAIGN Name: Address:

Town/City:

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Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution of $_____________ VISA

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Please mail the completed form to: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301

Or donate online at forestsociety.org/the-rocks For more information, call Anne Truslow at 603-224-9945 or email atruslow@forestsociety.org.

Thank you for your help!

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SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS 54 Portsmouth Street Concord, NH 03301-5400

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Please join us for our 122nd Annual Meeting and grand re-opening of Forest Society North at The Rocks

CHRIS WHITON

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 • BETHLEHEM, NH

The dramatic view of the Kilkenny and Presidential ranges as seen from the newly designed amphitheater at The Rocks.

LOCATION: Forest Society North at The Rocks, 113 Glessner Road, Bethlehem, N.H. FIELD TRIPS: 1. Protecting a Family Forest in Bethlehem | Underhill Acres Tree Farm 2. Walk the Tom Howe Trail or Go Fly-fishing | Ammonoosuc River Forest 3. Horse-drawn History and Wildlife Tour | The Rocks 4. Christmas Tree Farm Tour | The Rocks 5. The Path to Net Zero and Energy Efficiency | The Rocks

MEETING SCHEDULE: 9:00–11:00 a.m. Field trips (optional) and ongoing tours of the renovated Carriage Barn 11:30 a.m. Registration opens at the Carriage Barn Program Center 12:00 p.m. Lunch: Featuring Chef Joe’s Catering and Rocks Red Ale by Rek’-Lis Brewing Company 1:00 p.m. Business Meeting, Recognitions and Conservationist of the Year Award 2:00 p.m. A Journey to the White Mountains in Words and Music

by Howard Mansfield and Ben Cosgrove

COST: R egistration includes field trips, lunch, and program.

Early Bird: $50/person (Registration deadline September 1) Regular Price: $55/person (Registration deadline September 15) For more information or to register, visit forestsociety.org/annualmeeting or contact Linda Dammann at 603-224-9945 x325 or ldammann@forestsociety.org.

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