|
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to Downstream
|
September 2012
|
|
 The Great Bay Dialogue has changed its name to the Great Bay Initiative to better reflect the action & effort taking place. There are many new resources on the website & new action team meetings will be reconvening in the Fall.
Visit the website for
more information |
|
NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup Upcoming NHCAW Workshops: 9/27 -"What Adaptation Looks Like" at the Hugh Gregg Center, Greenland 5:30-8:00pm
10/29 - Climate Ready Estuaries COAST Project - Results Follow-Up Discussion at Hampton Falls Town Hall, 1 Drinkwater Rd., Hampton Falls, NH 6pm-8pm Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative
Let's Connect! 
|
Photos
Wanted!
 | | Herons Fishing for breakfast in New Castle |
Do you have an eye for capturing nature at her finest?
Do you know how to capture the Seacoast Lifestyle?
Do you love to show off to your friends & family your keen photographic eye?
Submit a photo on PREP's Facebook wall & we may choose it to be featured in an upcoming issue of Downstream.
|
|
Street Team Needed!
PREP needs some street team volunteers to help us out with promotion & staffing for our upcoming Clean Water Music Series Events!
Are you willing to hang posters in your community?
Could you represent PREP at the Clean Water Community Table at an event?
if you're interested in volunteering for PREP! |
| Is Water Worth it To You?
Join in EPA's 40th Anniversary Celebration and take part in the "Water is Worth It" Video Project.
Submit a 15-second video clip explaining the important role water plays in your life.
This is your chance to tell the US why our water in the Seacoast matters to you!
Follow this link for more info & to fill out the entry form.
|
|
Think Blue Exeter!
Exeter has gone to the DUCKS! Exeter has launched a new educational outreach program about the harmful effects of stormwater pollution. Keep an eye & an ear to local TV & radio for the ducks & THINK BLUE EXETER!
|
|
Welcome!
Welcome to the September issue of Downstream, Your Estuaries Partnership News. True New Englanders know that fall is the best time of year here, the humidity drops, the sun is still warm and the roads are less crowded. It's also the best time of year for festivals! From oysters to fish to apples it's the time of year to celebrate the abundant gifts from our seas and land. Our Clean Water Community Calendar has all the details so you can get out and enjoy!
In this month's Downstream we travel out to Ordiorne Point State Park to learn about some valuable restoration work that the Rockingham County Conservation District is doing on a very rare New Hampshire habitat. We also learn about the upcoming Piscataqua OysterPalooza event and why it's so important to understand oysters role in our estuary.
So mark your calendars for all the great events and festivals of Autumn in New England! We thank all of you who work tirelessly to protect and preserve the places we love. Take a minute and snap a photo of the places around here you love and share it with us on our Facebook page. And as always, thank you for reading and caring!
 Jill Farrell Community Impact Program Manager
The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) If you have any recommendations on how we can improve our newsletter, or have any news you would like to share, please e-mail us and we'd be happy to incorporate your ideas into a future issue. |
|
|
Restoring a One-of-a-Kind Habitat in Rye
If you haven't been out to Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH you're missing out. The park is a beautiful mix of fields, woodlands and beaches for walking, biking, fishing and many other activities.
The park also contains a number of rare and unique coastal habitats. In particular it contains a habitat type that isn't only unique to NH's 18 miles of coast, but is globally rare. Coastal Salt Pond Marshes are a type of wetland that forms behind small ridges or berms on coastlines, just barely out of reach of high tide. They mostly contain freshwater but seawater can enter through a break in a barrier or during storms when it is driven farther ashore. This mix of brackish and fresh water can support a wide variety of plant species in a small area, and also support diverse species of birds, mammals, and fish. The one at Odiorne is the only one of its kind in the state.
 | |
Salt Pond Marsh at Odiorne
photo courtesy of Ben Kimball
|
However, this habitat is in danger of disappearing, as non-native and invasive species have begun to replace the diverse native community. The main culprit is the common Reed, well-known by its scientific genus name Phragmites. Phragmites can be found globally in temperate and tropical climates, and scientists have found that North America has a native sub species (Phragmites americanus) which evolved alongside other native plants. This Phragmites, introduced from the European continent, rapidly grows tall, dense stands which can easily out-compete native species for space. If its growth habits weren't enough, it can also secrete acids that are toxic to other plants. Of course, Phragmites is a dominant and critical species in its own neighborhood (like the Sudd reed swamp of southern Sudan which can cover an area of 130,000 square kilometers during the wet season), but if left unchecked it could replace a unique native habitat that supports rich plant and animal life with a habitat dominated by a single species.
The Rockingham County Conservation District (RCCD) has been funded by NH Department of Environmental Services' Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund to control the spread of Phragmites and restore the natural state of coastal salt pond habitat at Odiorne State Park. As part of a larger effort of invasive species identification and removal, an acre of Phragmites has been cut and an herbicide treatment will be applied this month in an effort to kill the Phragmites before it can take hold.
One might ask why it is important to spend time, money and effort on such a small area? The natural communities of our coasts and estuaries are an invaluable part of our heritage and are unique and often times very rare (we only have 17 miles of ocean coast!). We've seen invasive species threaten to completely decimate our oysters, the giant American Chestnut trees are effectively extinct due to an introduced blight, and the famous fall colors of trees like Maple, Ash, and Beech are threatened by invasive species as well. The thing about highly invasive species is that they aren't picky; they're really good at thriving in good and bad conditions when others can't and if left unchecked will completely overtake an area killing off or out competing anything else.
 | |
Location of the Salt Pond Marsh at Odiorne
Map courtesy of NH Division of Forests & Lands
|
If you go to Odiorne Point State Park, you will get to see amazing examples of habitats unique to New Hampshire, but the quiet beeches will be far less attractive if you have to hack through 15 foot tall, razor-sharp reeds to get to them.
|
CCA-NH Hosts 2nd Annual Piscataqua OysterPalooza on September 23rd
|
A delicious array of tasty bivalves await OysterPalooza attendees
|
For the inaugural event last year the Piscataqua OysterPalooza saw VERY heavy rains and high winds and yet despite the downright nasty weather over 400 people showed up to slurp oysters and raise money for Coastal Conservation Association of NH's Great Bay Restoration work!
The idea for OysterPalooza rose from CCA-NH's intent to not only recycle oyster shells from area restaurants for use in the oyster restoration work of The Nature Conservancy and UNH (see last month's Downstream to learn more about this valuable work) but as a way to raise the public's awareness while having fun.
"Those that came to the festival last year were for the most part not involved in any conservation group in Great Bay. They didn't know there were any issues going on. That was our goal - to reach beyond our typical 'choir' and have more citizens learn about the issues and more importantly the solutions to helping protect Great Bay," Jeff Barnum, CCA-NH President Elect said.
The OysterPalooza raised over $2,800 for CCA-NH's oyster shell recycling program and their other restoration projects in Great Bay including dam removal, eelgrass restoration and education on non-point source pollution like lawn fertilizer runoff. To date CCA-NH's oyster shell recycling program has collected over 3000 bushels of shell thanks to Seacoast area restaurant partners.
Admission is a donation to the CCA-NH's Great Bay restoration efforts and costs $20 before 9/23 or $25 at the door on the day of the event. Kids under 12 are free. You can get your ticket online or at Seaport Fish, 13 Sagamore Road in Rye, NH.
Come on out and slurp some oysters, listen to live music, learn from the outreach groups, drink a tasty beer and support the valuable Great Bay restoration work of CCA-NH! It'll be a fantastic time!
Want to volunteer at the event? Contact Jeff Barnum via email.
|
Watershed WatchOur Watershed Watch feature is dedicated to sharing our partners' latest research and reports. If you have, or know of a report you would like us to feature in an upcoming issue of Downstream, please contact us and we will be happy to include it.
Green Payments for Blue Carbon: Economic Incentives for Protecting Threatened Coastal Habitats
By: The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University
Does money provide an effective incentive for reducing development to protect critical coastal habitat like mangroves, seagrass beds and salt marshes? These habitats provide numerous services to human communities, but a major contribution is their ability to store massive amounts of carbon. Similar carbon-trading incentive programs are being experimented with for the protection of forests, but research  has suggested coastal and estuarine ecosystems (hence "blue" carbon) have a staggering carbon storage capacity. An area of saltmarsh a little larger than a football field (1 hectare) may have a storage capacity that is three or times greater than the same area of tropical forest. The amount of carbon stored in that little patch of marsh is roughly equivalent to the amount released by 488 cars over one year. Can economic incentives reduce development of these habitats and protect their invaluable contributions to human economies and well-being? A report from the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions examines these questions and more. An executive summary can be found here. US EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries: COAST in Action 2012 Projects from Maine & New Hampshire By: New England Environmental Finance Center, University of Southern Maine & UNH
 | Cross Beach Road, Hampton
Image by Amy Kane from the 2011 King Tide Photo Contest.
To see all images from the 2011 contest, CLICK HERE. |
How can coastal communities of New England prepare for a future in which situations like the photo above become more common? The communities of Portland, ME and the Hampton/Seabrook estuary have been leading the way in adapting to an uncertain future of impacts from climate change. Thanks to excellent public engagement and technical assistance, these communities recently made great strides in planning for the future. Through federal funding and assistance from regional organizations like PREP and the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (PREP's counterpart from one watershed to the North). Municipal staff, elected officials, and citizens identified vulnerable parts of their communities, and used specialized climate change models to make a plan for reducing that vulnerability.
Read the full report including vulnerability maps here. What needs to be done to have enough clean water for future generations? Final Report
By: NH Listens/Carsey Institute
- Management, Coordination & Protection of Water Resources
- Education & Public Awareness of Water Issues
- Effective Regulations & Incentives for Water Conservation
- Recognition of the need for a Funding Structure for Long Term & Proactive Investments in Water Infrastructure
Read the full report of these conversations HERE.
|
|
PREP's Clean Water Champion
Mitch Kalter, Trout Unlimited & CCA-NH
PREP's Clean Water Champion is a monthly feature that profiles
 | | Mitch with a fresh brook trout on the Isinglass River |
people and partners working to make a difference around our watershed. This month we're featuring Mitch Kalter. Mitch has been a longtime fisherman and advocate for Great Bay and he serves on PREP's Management Committee. Mitch is very active with both Trout Unlimited and the Coastal Conservation Association of New Hampshire. For Mitch the health of the Great Bay estuary is something that is near to his heart.
PREP: How long have you been a champion for clean water? Mitch: Clean water has always been an important issue for me long as I can remember. Water has always been a central theme for me and my family with regard to recreational activities like fishing, swimming, snorkeling, scuba and just plain sitting by and relaxing. Without clean water and healthy watersheds those pursuits cannot be enjoyed. Being able to share those joys with my kids and knowing that they will be able to enjoy them with their kids is my key motivator. PREP: How'd you get started in protecting clean water?
Mitch: I joined Trout Unlimited back in 1994, initially out of an interest in fly fishing. It didn't take me long to realize that the places where the sport could be enjoyed were threatened. Trout Unlimited is all about clean water and healthy ecosystems. Take care of the habitat and the fish can take care of themselves.
PREP: What's your favorite thing to do with or on water?
Mitch: Fly fishing. I love fly fishing in all types of water, fresh, salt, moving, still, warm and cold. Fly fishing demands observation and awareness about what is going on around you to be successful. It is that process of figuring out what is happening in the water through observation and sometimes trial and error that makes each day on the water fly fishing exciting and different. PREP: What's been your proudest moment as a clean water champion?
Mitch: I am hoping that my proudest moment is yet to come, but so far it has been applying for and having our chapter being awarded a grant to begin a local stream restoration. What's one simple thing you would tell somebody to do to protect the places around the Seacoast they love? Mitch: To be aware that everything that we do somehow impacts the places we live. There is no such thing as a "free lunch" in that regard. Everything from driving cars, flushing toilets, maintaining a lawn, forgetting to turn off the lights, cutting down trees or enlarging our homes, has a cost to the environment. Being ever conscious of that should guide us to live more responsibly; at least that is my fervent hope.
To join the Great Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited visit their website.
To join the Coastal Conservation Association NH Chapter & to get your tickets to the upcoming Piscataqua OysterPalooza visit their website.
"Like" the Piscataqua Oysterpalooza Event on Facebook.
|
Grant Announcement
Moose Plate Grant Program
New Hampshire's State Conservation Committee is offering a grant through its Conservation Grant Program. The funds for the grant program come from the sale of those awesome moose license plates you may have, or have seen in front of your car at red lights. The Conservation Grant Program wishes to fund efforts aimed at addressing one or more of these specific issues: - Preserving, protecting and conserving water quality and water quantity.
- Restoring, enhancing or conserving wildlife habitat.
- Reducing, preventing and/or managing soil erosion and/or flooding.
- Planning, implementing and using Best Management Practices for agriculture, forestry or storm water management.
- Conservation planning that accomplishes a conservation protection outcome.
- Permanent land protection through conservation easement or fee purchase.
Eligible Grant Applicants include: County Conservation Grants: County Conservation Districts and County Cooperative Extension Natural Resource Programs Municipal and Nongovernmental Entity Conservation Grants: Municipal conservation agencies engaged in conservation programs; Public and private schools, K through 12; Scout groups; Other nonprofit entities engaged in conservation programs.
For more info & to download the grant application click here. For questions & to discuss grant proposals contact Dea Brickner-Wood at 603-868-6112 or email bluesky24@comcast.net
|
The Clean Water Community Calendar
As the Community for Clean Water, one of PREP's goals is to keep you informed on the latest outings, conferences, workshops and FUN happening around our watershed so that you, your family, friends & neighbors can get involved!
Below is our run-down for September. If you have, or know of an event that you would like us to feature in an upcoming issue of Downstream, please contact us!
Sail Great Bay on the Gundalow
Date: 8/25/12
Time: 11:00am; 1:30pm; 5:30pm
Where: Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, 85 Adams Point Rd., Durham, NH
Explore the Great Bay Estuary on board the new Gundalow Piscataqua. Sails will depart from UNH's Jackson Estuarine Laboratory on Adams Point in Durham. It's a rare chance to explore the unique shoreline and fantastic marine habitat that we are so lucky to live around.
$30/Adults; $12 kids (5-12). Purchase tickets click here. Oyster Reef Paddle in Great Bay
Date: 9/8/12
Time: 12:00pm - 3:30pm Where: Boat Launch at Chapman's Landing, Route 108, Stratham Join Dr. Ray Konisky & Duane Hyde from the NH Chapter of The Nature Conservancy for a first-hand look at TNC's restoration oyster reefs! Launch at Chapman's Landing & ride the outgoing tide to the reef in the Lamprey River. If time and tides allow they'll also check out the newest reef at the mouth of the Squamscott. This is 3+ hour, 5+mile round trip tidal/ocean kayak so be prepared. It's limited to 20 participants and participants must bring your own boat, life vest, sunscreen, water and other essentials. Reservations required. Email Megan Latour or Call her at 603-224-5852 x23. Provide your email and phone in case of cancellation due to weather.
Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
Date: Friday 7:30pm-9pm; Sat. 10am-9pm; Sun. 10am-6pm
Where: Ocean Boulevard, Hampton, NH
A spectacular Seaside Festival featuring 60 of the Seacoast's top restaurants serving seafood, 80 Arts & Crafts vendors, merchants' Sidewalk Sales, continuous live entertainment, Kiddie Land,  Fireworks at Saturday at 8:15pm, Skydiving demonstration, 200 ft. beverage ten serving beer & wine, beach cabana bar, Lobster Roll Eating Contest Sat. 2pm. Free Shuttle & Free Parking at over 13 in-town satellite parking lots.
$5/adult; Children under 12 free of charge Birdwatching Walk at Seapoint Beach Date: 9/8/12 Time: 8:30am Where: Seapoint Beach, Kittery Point
Join the Kittery Land Trust and bird enthusiast, Dave Tucker will lead a birdwatching walk at Seapoint Beach in Kittery Point. Bring your binoculars and meet in the parking lot. More info visit the Kittery Land Trust website.
September 8th
Tour Our Resilient Coast
Date: 9/8/12
Time: 9am-4pm
Where: Saco, Biddeford, Kennebunk & Kennebunkport - transportation provided Join Maine Sea Grant & UMaine Cooperative Extension for a tour of coastal properties in York County that are more resilient to flooding, erosion and extreme storm events. Learn from professionals and coastal property owners about the steps you can take to protect your property.
Registration is $20 and includes transportation from Park 'N Ride lot to property sites & back; Morning snacks & coffee; Catered Lunch & info packet.
Annual Durham Day Event
Date: 9/15/12
Time: 12:30pm-4:00pm
Where: Wagon Hill Farm Waterfront, Route 4, Durham
September 15th
10th Annual BioBlitz!
Date: 9/15/12
Time: 6:00am-5:00pm
Where: Seacoast Science Center, 570 Ocean Boulevard, Rye, NH
During this extreme nature scavenger hunt of Odiorne
Point State Park, you can explore with field experts to find and identify as manydifferent species as possible in one day. New this year, invited experts will begin searching for species the evening before the public event, making it the first 24 hour BioBlitz!, so participants can also learn what species were found in the dark of the night.
September 16th Friends in Flight Interactive Discussion Date: 9/16/12 Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm Where: The Dance Hall, 7 Walker St., Kittery, Maine August and September are the months when many of our visiting songbirds head south for the winter. Many of these birds will travel as far away as the tropics only to make the trip back next spring to breed. Join Kittery Land Trust and York Audubon Educator, June Ficher, for an interactive discussion of some of the neo-tropical birds that are likely to be seen in our region this time of year and places and times when you are likely to see them.
September 21st PREP's Clean Water Music Series - Todo Bien & King's Highway Date: 9/21/12
Time: 7:00pm Where: The Stone Church, 5 Granite St., Newmarket
Come out for a fantastic night of roots, rock, reggae music at the Church! Todo Bien and King's Highway has a great following of fans and sweet,melodic sound that will have you dancing all  night! Sponsored by Smuttynose Brewing Company this night will ring in the fall with good tunes, tasty local beers, yummy food and all for a good cause - CLEAN WATER! If you haven't yet joined us for a Clean Water Music Series now's your chance - this night is not to be missed! September 22nd Prescott Park's 4th Annual Fishtival - NH's Fish & Lobster Festival Date: 9/22/12 Time: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Where: Prescott Park, Downtown Portsmouth
Celebrate 400 years of local seafood & support our local fishermen and women! Walk the decks of local fishing boats, taste freshly-landed local seafood, learn to identify and prepare local fish, check out a cook-off competition and investigate the Gulf of Maine ecosystem.
September 23rd Piscataqua OysterPalooza Date: 9/23/12 Time: 12:30pm-5:30pm Where: Seacoast Science Center, 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye, NH Oysters, signature bites, beer, wine, outreach organizations, raffle, silent auction and much more!
September 23rd
Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner
Date: 9/23/12
Time: 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Where: Meadow's Mirth Farm, 61A Stratham Heights Rd., Stratham
Now in its fourth year, The Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner is a spectacular event that celebrates locally raised heirloom produce and heritage meats, while highlighting the connection between farmers, chefs and consumers. It will also be featuring and discussing local and sustainable seafood! This multi-course dinner is an inspiration and collaboration of local chefs working with beautiful, just harvested heirloom varietals. 
Sponsored by Seacoast Eat Local, Beach Pea Baking Co, The Black Birch, Black Trumpet Bistro, Blue Moon Evolution, Buckley's Great Steaks, Cava, The District, Epoch, The Kitchen, The Oaks Country Club, 100 Club, Popper's at the Mill and More.
Tickets are $125 and go on sale online only through the Seacoast Eat Local website. For more info on the event email Denise at denise@blacktrumpetbistro.com and "like" the Heirloom Harvest Project on Facebook.
September 27th
Water, Weather Climate & Community Workshop V: "What Adaptation Looks Like -Examples from NH & Beyond"
Date: 9/27/12
Time: 5:30pm-8:30pm
Where: Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center at the Great Bay Discovery Center at Sandy Point in Greenland, NH
Join NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (NHCAW) for the 5th in a series of community conversations about climate & community preparedness for severe weather events. This workshop is designed for coastal community volunteer boards, committees & municipal staff members.
The workshop is free of charge & a light dinner will be provided.
September 30th
Great Bay Stewards' Sunset Cruise
Date: 9/30/12
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Isle of Shoals Steamship Co. Docks, Market St., Portsmouth
Join the Great Bay Stewards for a sunset cruise aboard the Thomas Laighton. There will be music, delicious local fare, wine, cocktails and a silent auction with unique and extravagant items! All proceeds will benefit the mission of The Stewards and contribute to conserving and protecting the Great Bay!
Click here for tickets & info.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Water Wise: September Trivia Question
What two major rivers in the Piscataqua Region have recently been the subject of migratory fish passage restoration projects re-connecting access to approximately 18 miles of river habitat to migratory fish that swim upstream through Great Bay?
Name both the rivers and the type of project on each river (fish ladder or dam removal).
The first person who submits the correct answer here will win a $25 Gift Card to
Congratulations to Steve Bird from Dover. Steve, the City Planner for Dover, was the first person to provide last month's answer to the question, "What is the oldest permanent European settlement in the New Hampshire seacoast region?" with "Dover" and he won a $25 gift card to Fiddlehead Farms Marketplace. Way to go Steve! Dover was settled in 1623, it is the oldest permanent settlement in NH and the 7th oldest in the US!
|
| |
www.FiddleheadFarms.com
|
Get $5.00 Off Your Next Purchase of $25.00 or More!
| Offer good one per customer and can not be combined with any other offer.
Valid through 9/1/2012 Promo Code: PREP3
|
|
|
|
