Z I S FO R Z U G U NRU H E | MO NARCH S AND MI L KWE E D
Stewarding Safely
AUTUMN 2020
Caring for Forests and Trails in the Time of COVID
forestsociety.org
#StewardshipMatters
Get Out. Hike, picnic, kayak, walk the dog, enjoy the view. We care for our conserved lands so that everyone can have a place to breathe deeply and enjoy nature. The Forest Society’s 190 forest reservations include places for a rugged hike or a placid meander along the river.
Visit forestsociety.org/StewardshipMatters to learn more and donate today.
EMILY LORD (MOUNT MAJOR, ALTON)
Our Stewardship Matters Fund supports land stewardship work on our forest reservations throughout the state. Your contribution makes a difference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS: AUTUMN 2020, No. 303
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20 (CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT) COURTESY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, CARRIE DEEGAN, RYAN SMITH
DEPARTMENTS 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
6
Persevering during a pandemic
4 THE WOODPILE Merrimack River film in the news; the Conservation Center’s biomass heating upgrade
FEATURE 6 The Rocks, Then and Now After a devastating fire in 2019, the Forest Society unveiled a vision for its North Country offices, education space, and Christmas tree farm at The Rocks in Bethlehem. It’s not the first time the property has changed in its history. In this photo essay, we honor this historic property’s past while setting our sights on the future.
12 THE FOREST CLASSROOM Monarchs and milkweed
14 ON OUR LAND A major trail overhaul; finding normalcy in nature
18 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Photographer Ellen Kenny
20 NATURE’S VIEW “Z” urge to move
22 PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE Celebrating the Great American Outdoors Act Z I S FO R Z U G U NRU H E | MO NARCH S AND MI L KWE E D
23 PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE On our cover:
Stewarding Safely
AUTUMN 2020
Caring for Forests and Trails in the Time of COVID
forestsociety.org
Land Steward Program Coordinator Andy Crowley (center) leads a trail crew at the Forest Society’s Morse Preserve in Alton. For more on the Forest Society’s trail restoration efforts, turn to page 14. Photo: Ryan Smith
The Forest Society’s Conservationist of the Year
24 PROJECT IN PROGRESS An addition to Moose Mountains Reservation
26 CHRISTMAS TREE CUTTING 2.0 Cut-your-own Christmas trees start November 21
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
CHAIR Bill Tucker, Goffstown
VICE CHAIR Bill Crangle, Plymouth
SECRETARY Karen Moran, Webster
TREASURER Andrew Smith, Twin Mountain
PRESIDENT Jack Savage, Middleton
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Charlie Bridges, New Durham Deb Buxton, Greenfield Peter Fauver, North Conway Don Floyd, Concord Allyson Hicks, Concord Jason Hicks, Meredith Drew Kellner, Brookline Andy Lietz, Rye Nancy Martland, Sugar Hill Michael Morison, Peterborough Lorin Rydstrom, Hollis Tom Wagner, Campton Janet Zeller, Concord
STAFF Will Abbott, Project Manager, The Rocks Frank Allen, Building and Grounds Assistant Abraham Ames, Senior Easement Steward Dave Anderson, Senior Director of Education Anna Berry, Digital Outreach Manager Nik Berube, Maintenance Assistant Naomi Brattlof, Easement Stewardship Manager Rita Carroll, Tree Farm Administrator Tony Cheek, Finance Director Connie Colton, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator Andy Crowley, Land Steward Program Coordinator Linda Dammann, Development Assistant Rebecca Darman, Policy & Reservation Stewardship Coordinator Carrie Deegan, Community Engagement & Volunteers Director Maria Finnegan, Manager of Individual Giving Diane Forbes, Senior Director for Development Leah Hart, Land Protection Specialist Laura Holske, Finance Specialist Brian Hotz, Vice President for Land Conservation Tom Howe, Senior Director of Land Conservation Steve Junkin, Field Forester Susanne Kibler-Hacker, Senior Philanthropy Advisor Allan Krygeris, Senior Technology Specialist Sara Krzyzaniak, Data Processor Emily Landry, Easement Steward Matt Leahy, Public Policy Manager Margaret Liszka, Membership Director Nigel Manley, Director, North Country Properties Nate Maser, Christmas Tree Farm Steward Ann McCoy, Development Manager Michelle Morse, Human Resource Director Carl Murphy, Facilities Manager Zach Pearo, Easement Steward Stacie Powers, Easement Steward Meredith Reed O’Donnell, Foundation Relations Manager Tina Ripley, Administrative Assistant Gabe Roxby, Field Forester Jack Savage, President Matt Scaccia, Recreation Manager Ryan Smith, Communications Manager Amanda St. Jean, Office Manager, The Rocks Maria Stewart, Executive Assistant Anne Truslow, Vice President for Development Brooke Vigliotta, Data Processor Wendy Weisiger, Managing Forester Harriette Yazzie-Whitcomb, Receptionist
Persevering During a Pandemic
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s a forestry organization, we are accustomed to thinking long term, managing the forests under our care in a way that contemplates growth measured in decades, rotations considered by century. And yet, in doing so, we are always aware of the sudden unknown event beyond our control—the wind event, ice storm, or flood—that disrupts what we might have so carefully planned. And so it should come as no surprise to any of us that the Forest Society, including its staff, board, volunteers, and members, has adapted and adjusted in response to the sudden disruptive forces of a pandemic. We have been fortunate, to be sure. While exercising caution, we have been able to continue our conservation and stewardship work. Speaking at the Forest Society’s annual meeting in September about Fiscal Year 2020, I was thrilled to report to our board and members about how much we accomplished. In July 2019, we celebrated with thousands of those who stood in opposition to Northern Pass as the NH Supreme Court ruled against the final attempt of the 192mile transmission line project to go forward. Highlights of our land conservation work included permanently protecting via conservation easement the Sullivan Farm, the last working farm in the City of Nashua, thanks to a dedicated and patient landowner and many partners. Today, we own and manage 190 forest reservations making up more than 57,000 acres and hold more than 750 easements on more than 130,000 acres. Financially, we had a good year even with the slowdown associated with COVID-19 in
March and April that caused us to cancel maple programs at The Rocks and otherwise disrupted revenues. Our donated revenue was strong overall thanks to generous annual fund donations and bequests. We closed three Assets-to-Acres projects, in which donors gift us a house or other property for resale. Even with a warm winter that limited logging operations, we conducted 11 harvests, treating 522 acres and generating $202,000 in stumpage. As we continue to deal with the pandemic, I believe that New Hampshire forests have never been more important nor more valued by more people than now. And for us, the members of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, finding the right balance between development, conservation, and active stewardship of our forests has never been more urgent. There’s no doubt that the year presented challenges. But I would argue that for every challenge, there is opportunity. It has been my privilege to help the Forest Society set about finding those opportunities to accomplish our mission to “perpetuate the forests.” Thank you to the staff, thank you to our Trustees who have been so supportive, and most of all, thank you to everyone who has helped to fulfill our mission. With deep appreciation,
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
Looking Back, Moving On The Forest Society’s 119th Annual Report forestsociety.org/annualreport
Ditch the Rake Leave the leaves alone this fall forestsociety.org/dontraketheleaves
Progress in Portsmouth Creek Farm’s makeover is underway forestsociety.org/creekfarmrenovation
“I like making a practice of capturing magical spots when I’m out in nature. It’s like my own personal photo book of adventures. I’ve found that working in a small sketchbook is a great way to catch a spot without feeling too much pressure or time constraint. It also encourages me to really take in the surroundings. This moment at [Monson Center in Milford] was particularly special as there were many great blue herons and I was able to watch the parents feed their young while sketching.” — Rachel Benson @thefiberweb
(OPPOSITE PAGE) RYAN SMITH; (THIS PAGE, FROM LEFT) ELLEN KENNY, EMILY LORD, JASON MORRIS
Tag #forestsociety on Instagram for a chance to be featured in a future issue of Forest Notes.
CONNECT WITH US! facebook.com/ForestSociety
@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 $40 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 2020 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:
Cosponsor
Underwriter
Member
Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 3
Consulting Foresters
THE WOODPILE— NEWS NOT SO NEATLY STACKED
The Forest Society encourages landowners to consult with a licensed forester before undertaking land management activities. The following are paid advertisers. Calhoun & Corwin Forestry, LLC Realize what you value the most in your forest. Serving individual, municipal, state, non-government, and industry forest owners.
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Meadowsend Consulting Company Jeremy Turner NHLPF #318 — Central/Southern NH Email: jgturner@mtlforests.com Ryan Kilborn NHLPF #442 — Northern NH Email: rkilborn@mtlforests.com A division of Meadowsend Timberlands Ltd.
Jerry Monkman, director of The Merrimack: River at Risk, films an interview on the banks of the Merrimack.
In the News
79 River Street, Suite 301 Montpelier, VT 05602 • 802-233-8644 x 23
The Merrimack: River at Risk, a documentary produced by the Forest Society and directed by Jerry Monkman, premiered on New Hampshire PBS in late July with multiple news outlets in New Hampshire and Massachusetts promoting the film’s release in print and online. Articles about the documentary ran in the New Hampshire Union Leader, The Daily News (of Newburyport), The Eagle Tribune, The Telegraph (of Nashua), and the Merrimack Valley Magazine. In addition to airing on PBS, the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, the Merrimack River Watershed Council, and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission hosted virtual screenings of the documentary in August and September with Forest Society staff, including President Jack Savage, Vice President for Conservation Brian Hotz, Senior Director of Education Dave Anderson, and Communications Manager Ryan Smith, taking part in post-film panel discussions with filmmaker Jerry Monkman and the online viewing audience. The Forest Society showed the film at its virtual Annual Meeting on September 26 and is currently working with partners to schedule more screenings in the winter. If you’re interested in hosting a screening, please email Ryan Smith at rsmith@forestsociety.org. The film has generated a lot of conversation around the efforts to protect the river and the actions that can be taken by individuals and organizations to advocate for clean water policies.
Martin Forestry Consulting, LLC
Here’s what some viewers have said about the film:
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“It was great! I think I even caught a half-second glimpse of the Gundalow! Hope we can sail on the Merrimack again next year.” —Andy Bailey
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F&W Forestry Services Inc. Comprehensive forestry management and land brokerage services.
“Very educational and informative, and it showcased its beauty! Interesting to learn some of the history and the hopeful future plans.” —Amanda Naro Licensed foresters should address inquiries about advertising to Diane Forbes by calling 603-224-9945 or emailing dforbes@forestsociety.org. 4 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
“This film was terrific. Made me proud to be associated with SPNHF.” —Jay Frost To watch the documentary and learn more about the Forest Society’s conservation efforts in the Merrimack River watershed, visit forestsociety.org/riveratrisk.
(OPPOSITE PAGE) EMILY LORD; (THIS PAGE) CARL MURPHY (X4)
Next Generation of Biomass Boiler Powers the Conservation Center in Concord Demonstrating techniques for using renewable energy has been central to the education goals of the Forest Society’s Concord-based Conservation Center since its inception. The building is a study in the evolution of energy efficient technology applications, from the 1970s to the present. This fall, the building evolved to another phase, with the retirement of a once-innovative 1996 CHIPTEC A1A wood chip gasifier after 24 years of faithful service and many tons of green mill-grade wood chips. With CHIPTEC no longer in business, the Forest Society worked with Froling Energy of Peterborough to install a T4-150 biomass boiler made by Froling of Austria. The new boiler can use either wood pellets or low moisture precision-dried wood chips (PDCs), and the boiler is tied in to a 500-gallon thermal storage tank which enables it to operate at peak efficiency for longer periods of time while reducing wear from short cycling. In addition, a new 24-ton silo will feed chips directly to the boiler through a feed auger, reducing maintenance demands while expanding our fuel storage capacity from 2 tons of chips to 24 tons in the silo. This in turn will reduce the number of chip truck delivery trips by almost 50 percent during peak heating season. Thanks to Froling’s diligence, the boiler was ready to fire up when old man winter made a quick appearance in October, and together we are working to secure funds from the State of NH PUC Sustainable Energy Fund Rebate Program to help support the conversion. For more information about the project, contact Carl Murphy, facilities manager, at cmurphy@forestsociety.org.
This fall, the Forest Society replaced its 24-year-old CHIPTEC biomass boiler (top left) with a wood chip boiler made by Froling of Austria (top right). The boiler is tied in to a 500-gallon thermal storage tank (bottom left) and the wood chips that fuel the boiler are stored in a 24-ton silo (bottom right) located adjacent to the heat plant.
Correction “I enjoyed your article about forest disturbance in the last issue (“The 3 R’s of Regeneration” Summer 2020). You write that New Hampshire forests were 80 percent cleared prior to 1800. That surprises me. I thought it wasn’t until the Merino sheep boom of 1810–1840 that land clearing reached that extent. Is there good documentation for extent of land clearing prior to 1800?” —David Boothby
From Dave Anderson, senior director of education: “You are correct. As per Tom Wessels, forest clearing increased in the decades following the Revolutionary War and peaked in approximately 1840. At the time, the amount of forest cleared is difficult to estimate without aerial or satellite imagery. Southern New Hampshire and the Seacoast were likely 100 percent cleared. While the Lakes Region, Monadnock, and western New Hampshire were likely near 80 percent. The North Country was far less than 50 percent. Local land use varied with the topography, the population, and the soils.” Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 5
Top: A twentieth century aerial photograph captures some of the structures on the Glessner’s Rocks Estate, including (from left) the Electric Plant, the Green House (behind), the Ice House (in front), the Tool Building, the original Oren Streeter Farm (back), and the Gardeners Cottage (front). Left: The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem was the summer home of John Jacob and Frances Glessner (pictured) and their family. Starting in 1878, the family traveled by train from Chicago to New Hampshire every summer to seek refuge in the North Country’s clean mountain air. In 1978, John and Frances Glessner’s grandchildren donated the 1,400-acre property, including 22 buildings, to the Forest Society.
6 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
WHAT WAS AND WHAT’S NEXT
By Anne Truslow The historical images in this article are courtesy of the New Hampshire Historical Society. The New Hampshire Historical Society preserves a significant collection of photographs, documents, and objects related to the The Rocks Estate, many donated by the widow of Charles Foster Batchelder III, who was the great grandson of John Jacob and Frances Macbeth Glessner.
hese historic photos of The Rocks in Bethlehem, shared by the New Hampshire Historical Society, offer a timely reminder that this hilltop landscape has evolved and changed over many generations. In the nineteenth century, John Jacob Glessner assembled several smaller farms to create the grand estate he called The Rocks. Inspired by Glessner’s ingenuity (he was a cofounder of International Harvester), the property not only included elegant Queen Anne architecture of the Gilded Age, but also unique mechanical farm innovations. The grand estate featured a succession of buildings that over the late nineteenth and twentieth century were moved, removed, burned, rebuilt, or adapted for a variety of purposes. The photo on page 9 of men wrestling a tripod to set the massive stone foundation for the “new cow barn” built in 1893 is poignant now. Located next to the Tool Building, that cow barn burned in 1947, which led to a third expansion of the 1884 and 1907 Isaac Scott and Hermann von Holst-designed Carriage Barn to accommodate cows. Forty-two years later, on a cold February night in 2019, fire also took the Tool Building and Electric Plant, setting the stage for a new vision for these buildings. The massive granite foundation stones of the Tool Building and cow barn are forming the building blocks for an expansive public open space on the site. Renovations to the Carriage Barn will pay tribute to the horses, coachmen, and cattle of years past, but will evolve to house the next generation of conservationists
and outdoor enthusiasts of all types as the Forest Society North at The Rocks. Rather than rebuild the Tool Building, which had housed all of the Forest Society’s operations and programs at The Rocks, we have decided to embrace the panoramic view of the Kilkenny and Presidential ranges by leaving the space open and contoured for public use and enjoyment. The Carriage Barn will have a new lease on life for the twenty-first century, maintaining its Gilded Age barn characteristics on the exterior, but converted on the interior into an energy-efficient gathering place with classrooms, meeting space, interpretive displays, and a gift shop on the first floor, and offices in the former hayloft and coachmen’s quarters on the second floor. This new space will allow the creation of a true Forest Society North, housing statewide staff so that they are more proximate to the North Country and expanded programs. The Red House and Barns, the former residency of Charlie Brown, one of Glessner’s employees, will also find renewal as the center of operations for the Christmas Tree Farm, putting the barns back into action in service to the larger farm with the addition of a heated workshop built by Lancaster-based Garland Mill. Changes to the landscape and buildings that house irreplaceable history can be difficult. These black and white and hand-colored photographs remind us that this is a landscape that has always been changing with the times, and we aspire to pay tribute to the past as we move into the future.
Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 7
Right: Charlie Brown worked for the Glessners for 53 years, including 25 years as estate superintendent. He lived in the Red House (pictured) that today serves as the center of farm operations for The Rocks. Below: Lined with stone walls and gardens, bucolic Glessner Road winds its way through the property. Much of the landscape was designed by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted, including the formal gardens that remain today.
Right: Jersey cattle graze in the open fields between Charlie Brown’s red house and the Glessner farm buildings.
8 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
Above: The Glessners and their guests would rest at The Bluebird Summer House (bottom), Martin Summer House (middle), and the fire tower (top) while they walked the grounds.
Right: Workers use a tripod to move boulders while building the “new cow barn” in 1893. The barn burned in 1947 and the Carriage Barn was expanded to accommodate cattle.
Above: Farm workers install stone drainages in the fields throughout the property. Stone drains were the first drainage systems to be built for land. During the estate’s heyday, Glessner employed more than 100 farm hands to work on the property. Right: The estate’s Electric Plant. The north side of the building housed the generator and provided power for the property long before many of the local towns did. The employees’ farm dance was held on the south side of the building. Along with the Tool Building, the Electric Plant was lost in the 2019 fire. It had been renovated as The Rocks Gift Shop.
10 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
OVERLOOK TO PRESIDENTIAL RANGE
CHRISTMAS TREE TRAIL
TERRACED AMPHITHEATER
PICNIC AND OUTDOOR EVENT AREA
RED HOUSE AND BARNS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM HEADQUARTERS
HORSE AND CARRIAGE ROUTE
GREENHOUSE COTTAGE
TEA HOUSE
COVERED PAVILLION
FORMAL GARDENS
CARRIAGE BARN TO THE SAWMILLPIGPEN & NH MAPLE EXPERIENCE MUSEUM FANNY’S PLAYHOUSE HERITAGE TRAIL
PARKING
NORTH TRAILHEAD GAZEBO TRAIL TO SUMMER HOUSES
FOREST SOCIETY NORTH AT THE ROCKS BETHLEHEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE
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Above: A twenty-first century vision for The Rocks.
FROM TOP: RESILIENCE PLANNING & DESIGN LLC, ANNE TRUSLOW
Right: Designed by Isaac Scott in 1884 and expanded by Hermann von Holst in 1907, the Carriage Barn is the future host to the main education center and offices of the Forest Society North at The Rocks.
Learn More + For more information about the Forest Society’s vision for The Rocks, visit forestsociety.org/therocks. + Visit nhhistory.org to learn more about the New Hampshire Historical Society’s collections. Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 11
THE FOREST CLASSROOM
From left, Katie Galletta surveys milkweed plants for insect activity at High Five Reservation in Deering, N.H. The brightly patterned coloration of monarch caterpillars warns predators that they are toxic due to their diet of milkweed leaves. A monarch butterfly feasts on the nectar of milkweed flowers (pictured) and many other plant species.
A Plant to Live (And Die) By The relationship between monarchs and milkweed By Carrie Deegan
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potting a monarch caterpillar on the underside of a milkweed leaf is one of the quintessential rites of summer. In an optimal location, it’s not hard to do. Milkweed is the only food plant larval monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) eat. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) plants are widespread in New Hampshire in old fields and open roadsides; they even pop up in less-than-scrupulously tended garden beds. As anyone who has ever broken a milkweed leaf knows, it is full of a sticky white latex that oozes out immediately when the plant is injured. The substance will stick to your fingers and it’s also highly toxic to most animals thanks to phytochemicals called cardenolides. Eleven species of insects, including the monarch, have specifically evolved to eat milkweed, putting these species at risk when they rely on this plant as part of their diets. 12 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
Goffstown native Katie Galletta, a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, spent her summer studying the interactions between monarchs and the rest of the “milkweed community.” “Herbivorous insects that eat milkweed are from many different orders: there’s the monarch butterfly, but also several beetles, flies, aphids, and even a moth,” Galletta explains. “Because they have to be so specialized to eat milkweed, there isn’t an overwhelming number of species, and that makes the milkweed community a great study system.” Near the top of Wilson Hill, on the Forest Society’s High Five Reservation in Deering, Galletta spent many hours closely examining milkweed plants for signs of these herbivorous insects. She is trying to determine whether monarch butterflies choose to lay eggs on particular plants based on
the number and type of other bugs feeding on them. Female monarchs lay one egg at a time, and it’s rare to find more than a single egg or caterpillar on one plant. As you watch a monarch flitting from plant to plant, where it stops may look random, but the butterflies are actually using their feet and their long tongues called proboscises to sense chemical markers in the plants. When a milkweed plant is stressed, as when insects are feeding on it, it may release chemical signals that monarchs can sense, including more toxins. Consuming the cardenolide toxins in milkweed makes the “milkweed community” insects poisonous to predators. Most insects have evolved bright warning coloration, reds and oranges or striking yellow and black patterns, to alert predators before they have a taste. But too much cardenolide toxin can be poisonous even
to the insects themselves, which walk a fine line between self-protection and selfpoisoning. “As they say, the dose makes the poison,” Galletta remarks. The stickiness of milkweed’s latex is also a problem. Research indicates that more than half of monarch caterpillars may perish from their first meal, primarily because the latex glues their mouthparts shut. To survive, the newly hatched caterpillar has to carefully gnaw a small horseshoe-shaped opening in the leaf to drain the latex in that area before trying to fully consume the leaf matter in the center. Other insects employ alternate tactics, including severing or piercing leaf veins to drain the milky substance before they consume the leaves. At High Five Reservation, Galletta checks each leaf of every milkweed plant along a 30 meter transect, recording the number and type of insects as she goes and quantifying the amount and type of
leaf damage each plant has sustained. She can identify the chew marks of a four-eyed beetle, the browning on a leaf which indicates the larva of a leaf-mining fly is consuming its interior tissue, and the small horseshoeshaped hole made by a young monarch caterpillar. By the end of the field season, she hopes to have enough data to identify any relationships between insect presence or absence, herbivory damage, and occupancy by monarch eggs or larvae. Galletta says she has appreciated working with conservation landowners and organizations like the Forest Society for her research. Her 28 study sites, including High Five and the Tom Rush Forest in Deering, are scattered across southern New Hampshire, from Portsmouth to
Peterborough. “When I first visited High Five and Tom Rush, I was amazed at the concentration of milkweed in these fields,” she says. Galletta plans to go to graduate school, likely in a conservation-related field, after she graduates from Bowdoin. She has clearly made the connection between land conservation and protection of species, even those as small as monarchs, milkweed tussock moths, and four-eyed beetles. It’s comforting to know that battles between milkweed plants and their community of herbivores can rage on in quiet confrontation in these wild spaces, whether or not we figure out why. Carrie Deegan is community engagement and volunteers director for the Forest Society.
Did You Know? In late summer and early fall, eastern North American monarchs migrate from northern and central United States and southern Canada to Florida and Mexico. That’s a lot of miles for a tiny insect!
TOGETHER WE Explore
CARRIE DEEGAN (X3)
The perfect trail, a mighty challenge and a good story. New Hampshire PBS has something just waiting for you to discover.
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS
Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 13
ON OUR LAND
From severely eroded (left) to graded and equipped with trailside drainages (right), the bottom part of Mount Major’s Main Trail was reconstructed in October by professional trail builder Erin Amadon (pictured) of Town 4 Trail Services, LLC.
Tending to Mount Major’s Trails First phase of trail work completed at Lakes Region property By Wendy Weisiger
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n 2013, the Forest Society launched the “Everybody Hikes Mount Major” campaign to protect the trails and land surrounding Mount Major Reservation in Alton. The campaign raised $1.8 million that supported the acquisition and stewardship of 950 acres and since then, the Forest Society has purchased an additional 265 acres on the mountain. But our work on Mount Major is only beginning. The trails on the mountain are being “loved to death” by the 100,000-plus hikers who visit this special place each year. As visitation increases, so do the erosion and degradation of the trails. To remedy these issues, the Forest Society began a long-term stewardship project this fall that includes the rehabilitation of the reservation’s trails to make them safer and more welcoming to hikers. In 2019, the Forest Society contracted professional trail builder Erin Amadon, owner of Town 4 Trail Services, LLC, to provide a trail assessment and rehabilitation plan for the Main and Brook trails. 14 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
In September 2020, the first phase of the project began with Forest Society staff and volunteers developing a temporary re-route around the bottom 500 feet of the Main Trail and coordinating with NHDOT to close Mount Major’s parking lot during the project. Construction began after Labor Day, when most families were back in school, and finished before Columbus Day weekend, the mountain’s busiest weekend of the year. The three-phase project is estimated to take several years to complete and cost about $1 million. The bottom section of the Main Trail as you begin your hike from the parking lot was eroded, wet, and slippery. Over the years, and in the absence of any trail maintenance, water runoff and millions of boots trampling the soil contributed to the erosion of the treadway. Water seeps into the middle of the trail even during droughts like this summer. During each rain storm, sediments were pulled off the trail and into an adjacent stream, which eventually drains into Alton Bay. In winter,
the trail was icy or muddy, making it hazardous to walk on and causing many hikers to slip and fall. In an effort to avoid these hazards, hikers braided new trails adjacent to the Main Trail, causing more erosion and greater impact. To remedy these many issues, the first phase of trail improvement involved building up the trail bed with stone and gravel and developing a drain alongside the trail for water to move into. Although hikers won’t see the excavation work done to pitch the groundwater off to the drain under the stone, they will certainly appreciate having drier feet the next time they walk on this section. Next, crushed stone was laid over the washed-out trail bed and covered with geotextile fabric. Then crushed gravel was laid over the fabric and compacted into the new tread surface. The fabric helps to keep the layers of gravel materials from combining, which in turn keeps the hardened trail bed high and dry. Upslope from the project site, Amadon made humps in the trail, called grade
A sign posted at the Mount Major trailhead in Alton points hikers to the start of a new section of trail that was temporarily built to bypass the first phase of construction on the Main Trail.
reversals, which divert water off the trail and keep it from gathering speed and flowing over the treadway. The trail is pitched to one side so water flows off into the woods. In total, Amadon added 428 tons of material to the trail, which is equivalent to 15 dump trucks.
In addition to the start of this major trail work project this fall, the Forest Society installed a new trailhead kiosk to help inform hikers about trail conditions and a donation box so hikers can directly support the Forest Society’s efforts to improve the trails. We also launched a new digital donation program, which gives hikers the opportunity to simply scan the QR code on the trailhead sign with their phones and make a donation online. All of the proceeds will go to maintaining Mount Major’s trails, parking lots, and amenities, including toilets.
The Forest Society recognizes the responsibility it has to maintain Mount Major’s trail system, to improve the hiker experience, to prevent erosion, and to protect water quality. This is a long-term and perpetual responsibility and we are excited to continue working with our partners and volunteers on the phases to come to showcase sustainable trail building at its finest. Wendy Weisiger is the managing forester for the Forest Society.
Call to Action: Support the Forest Society’s ongoing work at Mount Major by donating today. Visit forestsociety.org/ project/mount-major-stewardship-fund for more information.
When the Forest Society wanted to stop the Northern Pass, they called BCM. BCM answered.
WENDY WEISIGER (X3)
What can BCM do for you?
603.225.2585 | bcmenvirolaw.com
Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 15
ON OUR LAND
A Mother’s Quest to Maintain Normalcy During Abnormal Times By Lyndsey Vaillancourt As I began 2020, I started the new year with new hiking goals, including hiking a few more New Hampshire 4,000 footers and making another summit of Grand Monadnock. To kick off the year, my husband Gerry, six-year-old daughter Aubrey, and I participated in the First Day Hike at Monadnock State Park as we have done for the last few years. The event, hosted by the NH State Parks and the Forest Society, has become a tradition for us; a tradition I now wonder if we will be able to continue. In late December 2019, I was busy sharing information about the event to local Facebook groups geared for family hiking. I had seen mentions online about COVID-19, but didn’t pay any attention to it. On the day of the event, my family donned our winter hiking clothes and joined hundreds of eager hikers at Monadnock State Park. After checking in, we started our selfguided hike along the Parker Trail to the Little Mountain viewpoint. It was a cool and brisk morning and I was thankful we had packed plenty of layers and hot chocolate for a special treat at the view. Volunteers dotted the trail at landmarks and told us about the history and geology to certain areas. At the viewpoint, we gazed out at the Wapack Range from the crowded snow-covered ledge and posed for photographs that other hikers graciously took for us using our smartphone. When we arrived back at the trailhead, we were greeted with a campfire, more hot chocolate, and snacks. We circled around the fire with other hikers, swapping stories about hiking and enjoying the company of others while a large picture frame was passed from group to group for a fun photo opportunity. Social distancing was a concept no one had heard of yet. No one standing around the fire that day would even consider it being the largest part of our lives in 2020. Fast forward just three short months and the world as we knew it came to a screeching halt. COVID-19 had made 16 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
Top: From left, Lyndsey, Gerry, and Aubrey Vaillancourt kick off 2020 with Lyndsey’s mom, Peggy Despres, at Mount Monadnock’s First Day Hike hosted by the New Hampshire State Parks and the Forest Society. Bottom: From left, the author enjoys a warm day on Mount Monadnock with her sister-in-law, daughter, and mother. its way to the United States and we all adapted to a new set of norms: businesses deemed nonessential were shut down, schools went remote, and companies that could have employees work from home did so. Everything was closed, except for nature. With a stay-at-home order in place across the state, people looked for ways to escape their homes. The popularity of outdoor
recreation left hiking, camping, and fishing sections of stores short of inventory. Trailheads overflowed with cars often stretching for miles down the sides of the road. The surge of hikers prompted popular hiking locations, including Monadnock State Park, to switch to a reservation system to prevent overcrowding, or worse, having to shut down completely.
LYNDSEY VAILLANCOURT (X2)
In order to better control crowds during peak foliage times, Monadnock unveiled a reservation system in fall 2019 that would allow hikers to reserve a parking spot at the headquarters and prepay for day use fees. Little did the staff know that this new reservation system would be a key asset for following CDC guidelines at all New Hampshire state parks in 2020. In July, I returned to Monadnock with Aubrey, my mother, and my sister-in-law. This would be Aubrey’s fifth summit of Monadnock and she was excited! We picked the Dublin Trail, which is outside of the main state park area, to try to avoid any crowds. I did, however, make a reservation online for the headquarters parking area just in case the trailhead parking lot was full. Having a backup plan or two is now a crucial part of planning hikes in the middle of a pandemic. I also have a NH State Park license plate, so making the reservation only set me back a dollar and I was glad to pay that to guarantee a parking spot. When we arrived at the trailhead, we were surprised to see that there were only a few other cars in the lot. A new essential piece of gear I now carry is a mask. I do not wear it when I am hiking, but I have a small supply in my first-aid kit, so if I ever have an emergency or come across another hiker needing help, I have masks available to wear when social distancing is not possible. As we ventured up the mountain, we encountered only a few others along the way. Each time we passed, we would step as far off the trail as possible to give them space. Greetings were simple head nods. Hiking before the pandemic was a warm friendly affair. Hikers would exchange pleasant greetings, stop and talk to each other, pet dogs, and share trail info on a map or GPS device. Stepping off trail and at times turning your back to others as they pass is now the norm. Aubrey has adapted well to the new hiking etiquette. I have noticed that most children have handled the changes we have asked of them with relative ease. I would guess it is because they have limited years of hiking experience, unlike some of the older, and
wiser, crowd who potentially have years of hiking habits and best practices engrained in their boots. It’s not that other hikers are being rude—it is just the opposite. It is a sign that we care and want to avoid spreading any potentially infectious respiratory droplets to other hikers. When we arrived at the summit, it was noticeably less crowded compared to our other hikes up this extremely popular mountain. On some trips, we have shared the summit area with hundreds of hikers sitting and milling about the ledges. But that wasn’t the case on this trip. We shared the summit with about 100 hikers that day with everyone doing their best to keep their distance from others. In the past, I never hesitated to ask a fellow hiker to snap a picture with my phone, but now I carry a small tripod that I can easily deploy on almost any surface. Using my small tripod now helps maintain a proper social distance from other hikers. Aubrey enjoyed checking out the small puddles
filled with tadpoles. Another young hiker joined her from a distance and they jumped around side to side seeing who could find the most. All the other hikers we ran into later that day appeared to be doing their best under our new social norms. It was great to see many families and new hikers out and enjoying nature. I am eager for the day when hikers can go back to petting other dogs, swapping smartphones at summits to snap group pictures, and sharing tales from the trail at campfires with strangers turned friends. But until then, I will do everything I can to keep all who wander in the woods safe and able to hike another day. Lyndsey Vaillancourt is a Forest Society land steward, an ambassador for Hike it Baby, the founder of Kids Who Hike NH, and she blogs about her hiking adventures with her daughter at adventureswithaubrey.com.
Online: For more information about hiking Mount Monadnock, visit forestsociety.org/ monadnock. For recommendations on other lesser-known hikes, visit forestsociety.org/reservationguide.
IN YOUR WORDS Forest Notes asked our Facebook and Instagram followers how they coped during the state’s stay-at-home orders. The following are just a few of their responses. “Fortunately for me, I can access forest trails from my home. During those first few months, it was wonderful to see the buds on the trees turning into leaves, to see flowers bud and then bloom into beautiful petals and to watch the forest come alive as it always does. To see this helped me to know that there is hope and to honor the space between where we were and where we will be.” —Bob Holdsworth “The pandemic has brought me closer to my children and their rhythms, and it invited ALL of us into the rhythms of nature. We were blessed to have the time to observe the quiet coming of spring alongside the subtle, often overlooked developments in our family. Daily walks gave us focus when uncertainty seemed to be all around us.” —Alice Carey “I’ve always viewed hiking and the outdoors as a form of meditation and stress release. Each and every step I take on the trails releases a little bit of tension and anxiety and allows me to press the reset button. I held off on hitting the trails for a short period of time, but I am back at it, enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.” —Janice Landry “My girlfriend and I took a drive up north into the whites when things started to open back up, and we drove up the auto road to the summit of Mt Washington. The drive up was exhilarating and nerve-racking, but the views were worth the jitters and made us both feel calm and okay for the first time in a while.” –Alex Kamal Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 17
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
A Passion That Goes Beyond Volunteering By Dave Anderson and Carrie Deegan
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18 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
Photographer Ellen Kenny and her dog Bella.
the Merrimack River Floodplain. Many of her students are new immigrants to the United States, refugees from countries in Africa or Asia, and she routinely brings them to the Floodplain to explore their “new” natural surroundings. On occasion, she has walked students from their school to the Conservation Center to meet staff and visit the property. Her infectious spirit and love for the outdoors is evident in every lesson she teaches her students. Her gifts to the Forest Society are not only the photos she provides, but also all of the time she spends with youth on the Floodplain. Forest Society staff have assisted Kenny in teaching her students about dragonflies, maple sugaring, forestry, and other topics. These experiences provided her students with a truly enriching education that increased their understanding of the natural
world. In addition to her school programming, she worked with Merrimack River Outdoor Education Coordinator Linden Rayton in the summer and fall of 2019 to develop educational programs for visitors. Kenny has been a terrific asset and volunteer for the Forest Society for many years. She could easily sell her professional photos, but her passion for the Forest Society’s mission is what motivates her to support the organization’s work in whatever way she can. Her photos have been published in the Union Leader’s Forest Journal column, in Forest Notes magazine, online, and in e-newsletters. Her beautiful images remind our members about what an amazing state they live in and how important the Forest Society’s work is to protect forested landscapes and wildlife habitat. At its Annual Meeting in September, the Forest Society presented Kenny with the Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year Award to honor the quality and commitment of her 10-plus years of volunteer service and the impact her photos and outdoor education lessons have had on the organization and its staff and members. “Receiving the volunteer of the year award seems like I’m being acknowledged for simply doing what I love to do,” Kenny notes. “Having the Floodplain as a part of my daily routine has been a gift, and sharing the photos that I take there is my pleasure.” Dave Anderson is the senior director of education for the Forest Society. Carrie Deegan is community engagement and volunteers director for the Forest Society.
Learn More: + To view a slideshow of Kenny’s photography from the Floodplain, visit forestsociety.org/ellenkenny. + Take a trip with Kenny and her students to the Merrimack River in this Forest Notes story: forestsociety.org/new-americans-old-river.
NEIL KENNY
llen Kenny of Concord, N.H., has volunteered at the Merrimack River Outdoor Education and Conservation Area (Floodplain) for more than 10 years. Kenny wakes up very early on most mornings and walks the Floodplain where she photographs many beautiful images of the plants, animals, and landscapes on the property. After processing her digital photos on a computer, Kenny generously shares them with the Forest Society at no cost for the organization to use in its publications, e-newsletters, website, and social media channels. Possessing incredible patience, Kenny has an amazing eye for photographing wildlife, including seldom-seen animals like mink, otter, thrushes, turtles, and beaver. “Ellen knows the seasonal rhythms of the Mill Brook wetlands and the Merrimack River. The time she has dedicated to studying the landscape and waiting with camera ready have yielded astonishing photos of waterfowl, songbirds, mammals, and reptiles that few people would otherwise ever see,” says Senior Director of Education Dave Anderson. Over the years, the Forest Society has used her photos dozens of times, and staff and members have developed a greater appreciation for the Floodplain because of Kenny’s work. In recent years, she has written blog posts for the Forest Society’s website about her experiences on the floodplain. “My favorite subjects to shoot on the floodplain are usually pictures that tell some kind of story, and for this reason they aren’t always the best shots,” Kenny notes. “This spring I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time watching a mink family. …They tend to be on the move fast, but I love it when I can get one still long enough to snap its picture.” As an English teacher at Broken Ground Elementary in Concord, Kenny has also helped to introduce a new generation of young students to the Forest Society and
The Forest Society thanks the following businesses for their generous support. Summit Circle ($5,000 and up)
Partner (continued)
Matching Gift Companies (continued)
BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC Ed Reilly Subaru Event Builders, LLC Meredith Village Savings Bank Merrimack County Savings Bank Protect the Granite State, Inc. SBA Steel, LLC Whalen Public & Media Relations, LLC
R. M. Piper, Inc. Robblee Tree Service, LLC Samyn-D’Elia Architects P.A. SCM Associates, Inc. Urban Tree Service/A Tree Health Company, Inc. Winnipesaukee Aquatherm Service, LLC Zambon Brothers Logging
Trustees’ Circle ($2,500 to $4,999)
57hours Aesthetic Dental Center Ambit Engineering, Inc. Birch Hill Summer Camp Blaktop, Inc. Cersosimo Lumber Co., Inc. The FloorWorks, Inc. Fuller's Sugarhouse, LLC Granite Investment Advisors, Inc. Great Brook Veterinary Clinic, LLC Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, LLC Kel-Log, Inc. Klüber Lubrication NA LP Kozikowski Properties, LLC Limington Lumber Company Meadowsend Timberlands Limited Mulligan Land & Timber New England Biolabs, Inc. New England Flower Farms New England Wood Pellet, Inc. North Woodlands, Inc. Parade Properties Polly’s Pancake Parlor, Inc. Rise Private Wealth Management Shoppe 1921 Sunset Park Campground Twin State Sand & Gravel Co., Inc.
Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation, Inc. Crestwood Advisors Dell Employee Giving Program Erie Insurance ExxonMobil Foundation Facebook, Inc. FM Global Foundation Gartner, Inc. General Electric Google, LLC Graham Holdings Company Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company Grove Street Fiduciary, Inc. Hewlett Packard Company Foundation The Home Depot Foundation Honeywell International, Inc. IBM Corporation Intel Corporation Jefferies, LLC John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated JP Morgan Chase Foundation Liberty Mutual Insurance Lincoln Financial Group Foundation Lumina Foundation for Education Markem-Imaje Corporation MassMutual McKinsey & Company Medtronic Merck Partnership for Giving Meredith Corporation Microsoft Matching Gifts Program MilliporeSigma Motorola Solutions MSD Capital National Grid The Norfolk & Dedham Group Novartis Nuance Foundation, Inc. Oracle Corporation OSR Open Systems Resources, Inc. PayPal Giving Fund Pfizer, Inc. Premier, Inc. Riverstone Resources, LLC SAP Software Solutions Seaboard International Forest Products, LLC Shell Oil Company TD Ameritrade Matching Gifts Program Textron Matching Gift Program The Travelers Companies, Inc. TriPyramid Structures, Inc. UnitedHealth Group UNUM Matching Gifts Program Verizon Foundation The Vertex Foundation Waters Corporation
Asplundh Tree Expert Company Northeast Delta Dental Northland Forest Products, Inc. Placework The Secret Agency, LLC
President’s Circle ($1,000 to $2,499) Altus Engineering Bangor Savings Bank – Concord Checkmate Payroll Services Chinburg Properties E & S Insurance Services, LLC Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, Inc. Garden Life, LLC GMEC, Inc. Gunstock Mountain Resort Lumbard & Kellner, LLC MegaFood New England Private Wealth Advisors, LLC Ransmeier & Spellman, P.C. Rek’-Lis Brewing Company, LLC Rockywold-Deephaven Camps, Inc. Schilling Beer Company Target Corporation United Natural Foods, Inc. W.S. Badger Company, Inc. Winnipesaukee Chocolates
Steward ($750 to $999) Bank of New Hampshire Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc.
Partner ($500 to $749) Arcomm Communications Corporation Brady Sullivan Properties, LLC Bronnenberg Logging & Trucking, LLC Capitol Craftsman, LLC Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, Inc. Colonial Woodworking, Inc. Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A. Dodge Contracting Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co., Inc. EOS Research, Ltd. Half Moon Enterprises Harvard Pilgrim Health Care The Lyme Timber Company LP Mallory Portraits The Music Mill Pine Springs
Colleague ($250 to $499)
Matching Gift Companies AARP ADP Aetna Foundation Allegro MicroSystems, LLC American Biltrite Charitable Trust American International Group, Inc. America’s Charities Ameriprise Financial Employee Gift Matching Program Amica Companies Foundation Autodesk Foundation Automatic Data Processing, Inc. Bank of America The Boeing Company Bose Corporation Boston Scientific CA, Inc. Matching Gifts Program Cadence Design Systems, Inc. Chevron Human Energy Chroma Technology Corp.
And many thanks to those businesses who support the Forest Society with gifts of less than $250.
The Forest Society…Where Conservation and Business Meet For information on business memberships, contact Diane Forbes at 603-224-9945 or at dforbes@forestsociety.org.
NATURE’S VIEW
Canadian geese fly over the Merrimack River in Concord on a crisp November morning.
The Migratory Urge: Zugunruhe What vestigial instincts persist during dramatic seasonal change? By Dave Anderson
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uring this tumultuous and historic year when the global pandemic forced us to stay at home, many people may be struggling to curtail their own restlessness and inborn urge to move and travel. Cabin fever for humans is what Zugunruhe is for migratory birds. Zug what? That’s right, the word Zugunruhe, derived from the German words zug, meaning “move,” and unruhe, meaning “anxiety,” describes a migratory restlessness. This phenomenon of a universal migratory impulse belongs in the science of ethology, which attempts to study animal behaviors under natural 20 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
conditions as evolutionary traits and adaptations to stimuli in unrelated species. Zugunruhe is strongest in migratory species, birds in particular, but even yearround resident species exhibit lower levels. Researchers studying wild birds held in cages correlate the number of nights of autumn restless behavior to the respective distances bird species typically travel. The autumn bird migration includes distinct waves. Generally, the earliest to leave travel the longest distances. Fall migration is slower and less direct than in spring when there is a rush to claim the best nesting territories to win mates.
Decreasing daylight, the sign of approaching autumn, has been found to trigger ancient avian restlessness in wild and even in some domesticated birds before midAugust. In early May, shorebirds are one of the earliest bird species to flock to northern breeding territories and they are also one of the earliest to depart in late summer. Adult songbirds also respond to the shorter daylight hours, leaving their breeding grounds to their tumbling, inexperienced, stub-tailed fledglings who become more conspicuous to birdwatchers in late summer. Adult songbirds cease singing and quietly molt their riotous breeding plumage for a
Write to Us!
(OPPOSITE PAGE) RYAN SMITH; (THIS PAGE) ELLEN KENNEY
Have you ever felt the tug of a migratory urge in autumn? What forest-related ritual or comfort food do you turn to during this season of change? Email your answers to Dave Anderson at danderson @forestsociety.org for a chance to be featured in a future blog post or Forest Notes article.
drab palette of earth tones, including olive green, dull yellow, and tan. It’s no coincidence human fall fashion follows suit. In fall, birdwatchers rely on warblers’ subtle field marks, such as wing bars or eye rings, to identify these birds. On moonlit nights after Labor Day, waves of songbirds, warblers, thrushes, tanagers, vireos, hummingbirds fly low in the sky, filtering through forests, while singing partial songs and location calls of chips and pips. In October, successive waves of different sparrows drift south into suburban backyards. These migrants do not fly as far south as others. They also make an earlier return trip in spring. In late September, hawk migration peaks across New England. This annual spectacle attracts hundreds of birdwatchers to mountaintops to watch as tens of thousands of broad-winged hawks soar aboard thermal air-current escalators created by the morning’s warming sun on their journey south to their Central and South American wintering grounds. Fall migrations trigger a kind of parallel longing in those humans paying attention. People report experiencing their own autumn restlessness. Cool weather seems to trigger vestigial instincts to walk in the woods, wandering in search of wild mushrooms or collecting fallen leaves and scrutinizing for signs of wildlife movement. Deer hunters describe an acute itch to scout favorite hunting locations, check wildlife cameras, place tree stands, and prepare for the autumn hunt.
The Merrimack River as seen on a cold winter day. Autumn is a season of creeping nostalgia. Unexpected emotions arise from apple picking and the ubiquitous pumpkin spice flavor. The panorama of colorful leaves creates a kind of “inner foliage season.” Humans are creatures of adaptive evolution, deeply connected to seasonal wild food and wildlife cycles in forests and jungles. We made our livelihood for tens of thousands of years reading and responding innately to signs of changing seasons. Is it any wonder we still feel Zugunruhe? Even in contemporary suburban or citified settings, people squint into the chilly wind and thinning sunlight with nostrils flared at the cinnamon scent of fallen leaves
collecting in the streets and feel some ancient, latent connection to autumn and a kinship with birds, mammals, and our own ancestors. Listen to Canada geese migrating south over New England in November and you’ll feel that primal, ancient longing to join them when snow is in the forecast. Joni Mitchell said it best in her classic song “The Urge for Going”: And I get the urge for going When the meadow grass is turning brown And summertime is Falling Down. Dave Anderson is the senior director of education for the Forest Society.
Did You Know? In researching snow geese migration from the Canadian Arctic to warmer climates, William Fiennes writes in his aptly named booked, The Snow Geese, “In accordance with inherited calendars, birds get an urge to move. When migratory birds are held in captivity, they hop about, flutter their wings and flit from perch to perch just as birds of the same species are migrating in the wild. The caged birds ‘know’ they should be travelling too. This migratory restlessness, or Zugunruhe, was first described by Johann Andreas Naumann…[who] interpreted Zugunruhe to be an expression of the migratory instinct in birds.”
Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 21
PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES
Why the Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act Matters By Matt Leahy
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e have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.” Congress may not have had in mind the 100-year-old words of former president Theodore Roosevelt when it approved the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the landmark legislation to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, yet, and despite the many other challenges and political divisions facing our country, the bi-partisanship and urgency the president and Congress displayed in passing the bill by overwhelming majorities echoes the spirit behind Roosevelt’s words. One could say the reason for the successful outcome was due to the benefits the GAOA will bring to a multibillion dollar industry like the outdoor recreation economy; that it was a matter of basic dollars and cents. No doubt, the outdoor industry will likely get a boost in business. One could also say the bill passed because it will enhance the ecological benefits of land conservation: the filtering of water and air resources, for example. Certainly, environmental groups have long made that argument. However, a more fundamental dynamic was behind the bill’s passage. Remember, the GAOA will guarantee the Land and Water Conservation Fund $900 million each year forever, and it will direct $1.9 billion a year for the next five years for overdue maintenance at our national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, and recreation areas. That is a lot of money. Congress would not approve such a large expenditure without assurances their constituents really wanted them to do so. 22 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
Protection of Moose Mountains Reservation in Middleton and Brookfield began in 2003 when the Forest Society partnered with the Moose Mountains Regional Greenways to obtain funding from the federal Forest Legacy Program, which receives funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The project was completed in 2006. The broad national partnership of stakeholders who advocated for the bill’s passage gave Congress this assurance. The members of this coalition came from opposing political parties and from different regions of the country, and represented a diverse group of trade, industry, and nonprofit groups. Yet, they all shared the singular belief that the protection of our forests and other special natural areas is actually a long-term investment in creating healthier and more vibrant communities. Far from being a luxury that we can only afford during robust periods, environmental conservation is a must-do undertaking, even when times are difficult. Because our elected officials recognized how firmly the public stood behind this idea, the passage of the GAOA became a top legislative priority. The fact that this milestone occurred at the same time the United States was overcome by an international pandemic and trying to respond to enormous societal conflicts is the most noteworthy take-away. It is not
a coincidence that shortly after COVID-19 hit, and calls for social justice grew inescapable, many outdoor recreation sites in New Hampshire, including the Forest Society’s Mount Major Reservation, saw a spike in visitation. Perhaps because those two crises feel so overwhelming, we have turned to nature for a sense of normalcy and a breather from these challenges. Looking to the outside for comfort, we may have also come to the realization that we cannot build new iconic landscapes nor can we create more great flowing rivers. We can, however, steward the natural areas that surround us and leave them in a better state for our descendants. By doing so, we can show, just as President Roosevelt urged, “that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.” The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act is a timely response to his charge. Matt Leahy is the public policy manager for the Forest Society.
PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
A Heroine of the North Country By Kelly Whalen Cioe
(OPPOSITE PAGE) JACK SAVAGE; FOREST SOCIETY FILES (X2)
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ach year at the Forest Society’s Annual Meeting, we present our conservationist of the year award, the most prestigious recognition at the Forest Society. Past award recipients include Martha Chandler, Bob French, and U.S. Senator Judd Gregg. This award honors people whose work to promote and achieve conservation is exemplary and whose actions have made a difference, not just in their own backyards, but also have advanced the protection and stewardship of land statewide. Often those deserving of the award have chosen to give up something in order to accomplish a conservation outcome for the greater good. With heartfelt gratitude, the Forest Society presented Tanya Tellman with the 2020 Conservationist of the Year Award for her 50 years of membership, 30 years of volunteering at The Rocks and Bretzfelder Park, and a lifetime of exemplary stewardship. “Tanya’s lifetime of commitment to conservation and good forest stewardship makes her particularly deserving of this award,” President Jack Savage said at the virtual Annual Meeting presentation. “In word, deed and generosity, she has shown others how to be a conservationist.” Tellman attributes her lifelong love of nature to the influence of her mother and her mother’s cousins. She grew up in Connecticut and enjoyed visits to a family camp on Squam Lake. Her mother’s cousin, John Dodge, who worked for New Hampshire Fish & Game, took her on trips to the state’s premiere outdoor locations. He introduced her to Les Clark, the Forest Society’s former education director, when she was in fifth grade. These early experiences led Tellman to enroll in Michigan State University as the only female student in the Fish and Wildlife Department. She graduated in 1961 with a conservation education degree.
Left: This summer, the Breztfelder Memorial Park Committee dedicated the park’s pavilion in Tanya’s name to commemorate her years of volunteer service for the Forest Society. Above: Tellman leads her popular wildflower tour at The Rocks in 2004. In November 1969, she and her husband Dave purchased 135 acres in Whitefield so they would have a place to camp with their two sons. In 1970, they joined the Forest Society. In 1990, upon her husband’s retirement from the military, they moved to Whitefield. After taking the docent training course in 1991, Tellman became a steady volunteer at The Rocks, over time doing everything: serving on committees, leading the spring Wildflower Walk, hosting the wagon rides at Christmas, in addition to chairing the Bretzfelder Memorial Park Committee for numerous years. The Tellmans also led field trips for the Forest Society on their tree farm, often ending an educational excursion with homemade cookies and cider pressed on the spot. Tellman has brought her love for the outdoors to the conservation world as well. She and her late husband grew the 135acre camp into more than 1,000 acres of conserved farm and forest land. Purchases
of additional properties resulted in more than 1,500 acres in Columbia around Lime Pond. In fact, Tellman loved the variety of wildflowers growing around the water so much, the couple went to work on conserving every parcel around the pond over several years. In 2007, a parcel of land owned by the Tellmans in Bethlehem was named Tree Farm of the Year. “Tanya is one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable people I have ever known,” states Nigel Manley, director of The Rocks. “In fact, I have never met someone as passionate about wildflowers as Tanya. She is an expert in geology and wildflowers, the changing seasons and natural history, and she has shared her knowledge and passion with students young and old. If you ever get a chance to take a walk with her, I highly recommend it.” Kelly Whalen Cioe is the owner of Whalen Public & Media Relations.
Autumn 2020 FOREST NOTES | 23
PROJECT IN PROGRESS
Clockwise, from top left: Autumn colors blanket Moose Mountains Reservation in Brookfield. With more than 3,000 feet of frontage on the Jones Brook, the Harvey property consists of high-quality wetlands and prime wildlife habitat. A section of the Moose Mountains Trail runs through a rare “pitch pine rocky ridge” natural community on the Nason tract.
Expanding the Moose Mountains Reservation in Middleton and Brookfield
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he Forest Society has the opportunity to acquire two strategic parcels of land that would expand the Moose Mountains Reservation by an additional 171 acres, and, in the process, protect a key segment of the Moose Mountain Trail as well as other important natural areas. With almost $70,000 secured and a number of grant proposals pending, we must raise at least an additional $40,000 from private donors before February 15, 2021. The Moose Mountains Reservation is one of the Forest Society’s largest reservations and it is part of one of the largest blocks of forestland in the southeast part of the state. Nearby properties include the adjacent 1,920-acre Ellis R. Hatch Jr. (Jones Brook) Wildlife Management Area owned by the NH Fish and Game Department, the 732-acre Copple Crown Forest conserved by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, and the new 2,015-acre Birch Ridge Community Forest bordering Merrymeeting 24 | FOREST NOTES Autumn 2020
Lake in New Durham and purchased by the Southeast Land Trust of NH. These two new additions to Moose Mountains will contribute to a landscape of almost 7,000 acres of nearly contiguous conserved forestland. This is significant because here the streams that feed Jones Brook, Horn Brook, and the Branch River flow down from the mountains to form the headwaters of the Salmon Falls River. This river then feeds into the Piscataqua River, which has a major impact on coastal water supplies and water quality. The Forest Society is working with two families to acquire lands at each end of the Moose Mountains Reservation. On the north side in Brookfield, the Nason property includes 100 acres on the eastern flank of Moose Mountain. This higher elevation area includes one of the most rare types of natural communities found in the state: “pitch pine rocky ridge,” which consists of pitch pines growing in
high elevations in very shallow soil with areas of exposed bedrock. The property also has a stretch of the Moose Mountain Trail and two other unnamed trails. On the southwesterly side of the Moose Mountains Reservation, the Forest Society is working with the Harvey family to acquire 71 acres of land that includes frontage on Jones Brook as well as the confluence of two tributary streams and extensive wetlands. This property is a wildlife haven, with a variety of forested wetlands and young forest habitat for moose, deer, bear, turkey, and aquatic species. Together, these two small parcels will add important resources to the Moose Mountains Reservation, helping with management continuity and further building toward corridors that will connect conserved lands in this still-wild and forested part of the state. Please join us by supporting the Moose Mountains additions today!
(OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) JACK SAVAGE, TOM HOWE (X2)
YES, I WANT TO HELP PROTECT MORE LAND AT MOOSE MOUNTAINS RESERVATION! Name: Address:
Town/City:
Telephone:
Email:
State:
Zip:
Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution of $_____________ VISA
MasterCard Number: ________________________________ Exp. date: ______ Security code: ______
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/moose. For more information, call Anne Truslow at 603-224-9945 or email atruslow@forestsociety.org.
Thank you for your help! 4104T166/MMB20FN
SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS 54 Portsmouth Street Concord, NH 03301-5400
Nonprofit Organization US Postage Paid Manchester, NH Permit No. 0494
Address Service Requested
‘Tis the Season
Come to The Rocks in Bethlehem, N.H., this holiday season to cut your own Christmas tree on our 40-acre tree farm. NEW THIS YEAR: RESERVATIONS REQUIRED To make your reservation, visit forestsociety.org/therocks. Open daily from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., by reservation, from November 21–December 20. Note: Closed November 22 and Thanksgiving Day. Special hours for customers over 60 and/or who are immune-compromised. Make your reservation for Monday–Friday between 10–11 a.m. Staff will be available to assist. Reservations are required to purchase trees and wreaths. Credit cards are accepted. No cash or checks. Masks are required on the property.
During the week, visit 686 Main Street/Route 302, Bethlehem, N.H. (at The Red House) On the weekends and Friday, November 27, visit The Rocks’ main complex on Glessner Road (off Route 302).
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED – BOOK HERE: forestsociety.org/therocks
SHANNA HALE
Grab a saw and find your perfect tree. Or, if you don’t want to cut your own, freshly cut Christmas trees and homemade wreaths are available for purchase.
