|
|
|
|
|
| Wide-Ranging Mammals
Bobcat Study Providing Valuable Information on Habitat and Lands |
UNH grad student Derek Broman and Swanzey trapper Michael Morrison check a bobcat live-trapped in Stoddard.  |
A study of bobcats in southwestern Hampshire is producing remarkable data about the cats' territories and habitat preferences.
The four-year study is a collaboration of the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and is aimed at better understanding bobcats' habitat use and abundance.
The first year of the study focuses on southwestern New Hampshire, which appears to have a relatively strong population. Bobcats have been protected from hunting and trapping for the past 20 years, helping to revive their numbers in this region.
With help from local trappers, 12 bobcats have been live-trapped and fitted with special collars that transmit data showing each cat's location. Cats have been collared and released in Westmoreland, Alstead and Swanzey, while others have come from Hancock, Antrim and Harrisville, the heart of the Harris Center's land-protection focus area.
Data collected already shows some of the collared cats are using lands protected by the Harris Center and partner organizations, along with lands that are not protected. As the study progresses, UNH and Fish and Game researchers hope the data will show what lands -- if protected -- might serve as core habitats or corridors to help ensure a viable and lasting bobcat population.
The Harris Center is assisting the study in a variety of ways, including providing information, its lands, building and other resouces.
"This project will not only help us better understand bobcats and their habitats, it'll help the Harris Center, other organizations and landowners make more informed decisions about land protection," said Meade Cadot, director of land programs.
|
|
 |
|
The Nature of May |
White-throated Sparrow |
White-throated sparrows nest on or near the ground, often in conifers. They can be seen on the edges of forest openings, around low, dense vegetation, and at the edges of ponds, bogs and meadows. According to The Field Guide to Birds by Donald and Lillian Stokes, listen for their tell-tale song, which sounds like: "Sweet sweet Canada Canada Canada."
The above photo, by the way, was taken during the May 2 bird-banding demonstration at the Harris Center. Volunteers and staff from the Ashuelot Valley Environmental Observatory showed how researchers conduct bird-banding and explained why it's a critical tool for science and conservation. Several birds were banded during the day. |
|
|
| Stepping Forward as a Partner:
Harris Center Receives Peirce Easement in Stoddard | |
The Harris Center now holds a conservation easement to 3,954 acres in Stoddard and Windsor owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.  | Partnership as a conservation strategy comes through in many ways, like a transaction recently completed involving a huge chunk of land in Stoddard and Windsor.
The land -- 3,954 acres in all -- is owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and is ecologically significant in many ways.
Since 2006, the lands have been the subject of a conservation easement held by Sweet Water Trust, a Boston-based foundation. When Sweet Water recently decided to shift its own conservation strategies away from holding interests in New Hampshire, the Harris Center stepped forward as a partner. Last month, Sweet Water transferred a revised conservation easement protecting the lands to the Harris Center.
The lands involve the Forest Society's Peirce Wildlife and Forest Reservation, Williams Family Forest, and Holland property, all in northeastern Stoddard and a little bit in Windsor.
While the Forest Society continues to own and manage the lands, the Harris Center now holds the conservation easement, ensuring that the lands will remain protected. The transaction nearly doubles the Harris Center's easement holdings to now a total of 8,439 acres, bringing with it some big responsibilities to monitor the easement's terms.
"We have known and hiked these lands since the 1970s, before we were even a land trust," said Meade Cadot, the Harris Center's lands program director. "So we were more than happy to be a partner with the Forest Society in ensuring their long-term protection and to help Sweet Water Trust with an essential transition. It's what being a good partner is all about." |
Coming June 18 - July 26
"30 Views at the Harris Center"
Paintings by Lone Mountain Artists & Friends | |
Enter a chance to win this pastel painting of Mount Monadnock by Donna Allen in a raffle to benefit the Harris Center. Meet the Lone Mountain Artists and Friends and enter the raffle at an opening reception June 18, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Harris Center.  | After months of painting at the Harris Center on Monday afternoons, the Lone Mountain Artists and Friends will soon be returning with an art exhibit in the Babbitt Room.
"30 Views at the Harris Center" will feature paintings inspired by the Harris Center. The exhibit runs from June 18 through July 26.
Join us for an opening reception on June 18, 6 to 8 p.m. to meet the artists.
While the exhibit is on display, please feel free to enter a raffle to benefit the Harris Center. The prize is an an original pastel painting by Donna Allen, a member of Lone Mountain Artists. The drawing will be held July 27. A percentage of art sales during the exhibit will also benefit the Harris Center.
|
May 7 and 8
Birdsong Expert Donald Kroodsma Coming to Harris Center
and Peterborough's Nubanusit Neighborhood |
Donald Kroodsma | Donald Kroodsma, one of the world's leading experts on bird songs, will be in Hancock and Peterborough on May 7 and 8, showing how he listens for, records and analyzes bird songs.
Kroodsma, author of the award-winning 2005 book, "The Singing Life of Birds," will give a presentation at the Harris Center in Hancock on Friday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m. Kroodsma will show what he has learned during his 30-plus years of recording, collecting and analyzing bird songs throughout North America.
The next morning, at the Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm in Peterborough, Kroodsma will lead a field demonstration to show how he records and analyzes bird songs. After meeting at 7:30 a.m., participants will join Kroodsma with his recording equipment to capture the songs of local birds. They will then go inside, and with the help of computer software, dissect those songs to better understand the patterns and vocalizations of various birds.
Kroodsma has been widely featured in national media about his research and writings on bird songs. A report on National Public Radio's Radio Expeditions described how Kroodsma has traveled across the country on bicycle to record, collect and analyze bird songs along the way. "After some intense listening and study, Kroodsma concluded that, just as with people, where a bird learned a song is just as important as a bird's genealogy," NPR's report said. "He noticed in his travels that birds of the same species but in different states sang the same song, but with their own unique 'accents.' "
Participants at the two workshops will be amazed at the importance of subtle distinctions among bird songs and will learn how to better listen to birds' songs.
Both events are free of charge and sponsored by the Harris Center and the Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm. No registration is required. |
Back-Tracking ... a look back at the Harris Center's 40 years
On Your Own or with a Group:
Take the "40/40 Challenge" |
Hikers take in the view from Cobb Hill during a hike in 2000. Explore peaks around the Harris Center in the 40/40 Challenge.  | Not long after a generous donation from the Greene family protected Cobb Hill in Hancock and Harrisville in 2000, Harris Center volunteers like Jim Orr and others got to work building a trail.
The resulting 1.2-mile trail reaches a spot with one of the best views of Monadnock around, a destination for several Harris Center hikes over the years.
It can be your own destination as part of our "40/40 Challenge," a way to encourage folks to hit the trails and recognize the Harris Center's 40th anniversary. Here's how it works:
Hike any of the Harris Center's trails or N.H. Audubon's trails at Willard Pond Sanctuary. Log your hiking hours between now and October 1. Those with totals of 40 hours or more will earn recognition at the Harris Center's 40th annual meeting, October 17.
For forms, maps and information, click here, stop by the office, or call 603-525-3394.
Start making tracks today!
|
Check out the Exhibit: Kids' Contoocok River Exhibit Featured
at Peterborough Historical Society |
The Kids Curator Contoocook River Project is on display until this fall at the Peterborough Historical Society, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  | An ambitious
project that examines the human and natural history of the Contoocook and Nubanusit Rivers is now on an exhibit at the Peterborough Historical Society.The Kids Curator Contoocook River Project is a collaboration of the historical society, the Harris Center, and Patrick Keegan's sixth-grade class at Great Brook Middle School.
Carrie Whittemore, Education Director at the Peterborough Historical Society, created the Kids Curator Project last year as a way to engage school kids' curiosity about their town's history while developing skills to produce an exhibit that educates and inspires the public.
Sixth-grade teacher Patrick Keegan knows that real-world projects motivate kids to raise their standards for high quality work. He also knows that Peterborough is rich with fascinating opportunities to collaborate with other organizations. He creatively linked his "ancient civilizations along rivers" social studies theme to the Contoocook River.
Committees of students worked with primary source documents and old photographs; explored sites where mills once stood; interviewed community members who witnessed the floods of 1936 and 1938; and studied old maps to help them imagine the landscape of Peterborough's past.
The Harris Center's Janet Altobello worked with the students to study and interpret an array of natural and human history elements about the Contoocook and Nubanusit rivers. Students ultimately produced sharp-looking displays to share their work at the historical society.
coyote, gray squirrel, red squirrel and lots more. |
| Out and About with the Harris Center |
May 6 (Thurs.) - Taking Action for Wildlife Workshop. Since the 2005 release of the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan, the N.H. Fish and Game Department and partners have been busy revising and updating one of the plan's key components: the maps. The revised maps will be a valuable tool for conservation commissions, land trusts and other organizations working to protect habitat and ensure that common species remain common. Emily Brunkhurst of N.H. Fish and Game will lead this training session for communities and organizations that can incorporate the new map data into natural resource inventories and conservation plans. Anyone interested in conservation planning with a focus on wildlife and habitats is encouraged to attend. Co-sponsored by the Southwest Region Planning Commission. 7 p.m. at the Harris Center.
May 7 (Fri.) - Senior Friday Hike to The Nature Conservancy's Wales Preserve in Sharon. Join Ollie Mutch and Lee Baker to see spring wildflowers along the Gridley River. This moderately strenuous trip is about 4 miles with a 250-foot elevation gain. Meet at 10 a.m. at the southeast corner of Ocean State Job Lot parking lot near Route 202/101 intersection in Peterborough. Back around 2 p.m.
May 7 (Fri.) - Don Kroodsma: "The Singing Life of Birds" and Introductory Lecture. Donald Kroodsma, biology professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts and author of the award-winning book "The Singing Life of Birds," will teach us how to listen to birds as we've never listened before. Using recordings and sonograms, we will hear and see conversations of common birds and the beauty of their songs. Co-sponsored by Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm. 7:30 pm at the Harris Center.
May 8 (Sat.) - Birdsong Listening Workshop. Join birdsong expert Donald Kroodsma at Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm (Steele Rd., Peterborough) to walk and listen to morning birdsong. We'll listen outside and record what we hear; then we'll come inside and use a computer and software to explore in detail some of the sounds we heard. Co-sponsored by Nubanusit Neighborhod and Farm. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the NN&F's Common House.
May 9 (Sun.) - The Falls of Otter Brook. Join Roger and Ann Sweet for a relatively easy hike, mostly bushwhacking, along Otter Brook in Sullivan for about 1½ hours. We'll bushwhack up Otter Brook to admire three water falls in spring flush, seek blooming hobblebush and spring ephemerals, and visit a historic mill site. Meet at 1 p.m. at The Nature Conservancy's Otter Brook Preserve parking area on Valley Road. From Route 9 flashing light and Sullivan Country Store, take Center Street, turn right on Valley Road, go 1.5 miles and park there.
May 15 (Sat.) - Two Thumbs Up for the Thumbs Up Trail. If you enjoy hiking one of the Harris Center's nicest trails - the ridge between Skatutakee and Thumb mountain summits - here's a chance to give back. Join Trail Master Jim Orr for clearing and brushing the trail. Bring lunch and enjoy a picnic with a gorgeous view. Tools provided. Meet at the Harris Center at 9 a.m. Back around 1 p.m.
May 15 (Sat.) - Forest Openings for Wildlife. The benefits of creating forest openings for wildlife and habitat is the subject of a lecture and field trip on Saturday, May 15, 9 a.m. to noon, at Blanchard Hill Farm in Greenfield. " Forest Openings for Wildlife" is part of a series of public conservation programs sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension, the Monadnock Conservancy and the Harris Center for Conservation Education. This free workshop will focus on forest openings and the unique wildlife habitat they provide for many of our region's declining wildlife species. Cooperative Extension educators Steve Roberge and Matt Tarr, along with licensed forester Charlie Koch, will discuss the wildlife habitat and silvicultural benefits of creating openings in forest types found in our region. This workshop has limited space, so please RSVP to: Steve Roberge at 352-4550, or e-mail Steve at steven.roberge@unh.edu.
May 15 (Sat.) - Pillsbury State Park for Warblers, Wildflowers and Waterfowl. Join Sandy Brewer and Brian Bishoff for a moderately strenuous, 4-mile hike to Balancing Rock and a search for all the signs of spring. Meet at 10 a.m. at the main gate off Route 31, past Washington village. Small entrance fee. Back around 2 p.m.
May 16 (Sun.) - Birding at Elmwood Junction, Hancock. Join "Backyard Birder" columnist Francie Von Mertens to walk the river's edge and the old rail bed at a local birding hotspot. Meet at 8 a.m. on South Elmwood Road just off Route 202 in Hancock. The birding should be great, but you might want to bring insect repellent. Ends around 11 a.m.
May 22 (Sat.) - Birdathon at Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. Looking for a birding challenge? Join Francie Von Mertens and NH Audubon sanctuary steward Rachael Johnson to tally as many birds as possible as part of NH Audubon's annual Birdathon. We'll explore level ground then hike up the Tamposi Trail for a moderately strenuous outing. Depart from the parking lot at 8 a.m.; return early afternoon. Pack water and a hearty snack. The Birdathon is a fundraiser, and a $10 donation to sanctuary upkeep is suggested. Please sign up with Rachael at asrachael@yahoo.com or 525-4096.
May 22 (Sat.) - Paddle Down the Scenic Ashuelot River, one of the nicest stretches, with Bob Boynton, Ollie Mutch and Jan Miller. Meet at 9 a.m. at Martel Court in Keene (past Agway). Paddle downstream into Swanzey, passing rare floodplain forest to covered bridge, about 7 miles total. Ends around 3 p.m. Bring canoe/kayak and life jackets (required).
May 23 (Sun.) - Birding by Paddle on the Connecticut River from Hinsdale to Brattleboro, with avid birder Eric Masterson in search of migrants, including waterfowl and shorebirds. We'll paddle from the Hinsdale setbacks over to Retreat Meadows in Brattleboro. Meet Eric at 9 a.m. at the Hinsdale area boat launch across the river from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. (Go through Hinsdale on Route 119. Where the road goes downhill and curves right, the river is visible through the trees. There, make a hairpin turn to the left, and you'll see the boat launch on your right. If you begin to pass a pond on the left, you've gone too far.) Optional: Meet 8:15 a.m. at Home Depot parking lot in Keene to caravan to boat launch. Co-sponsored by NH Audubon's Monadnock Chapter. Return around 1 p.m.
May 31 (Mon.) - Loop Walk for Warblers and Wildflowers in Acworth. Longtime outings leaders Sandy Brewer and Brian Bishoff will lead this moderately easy loop walk on a tract managed for wildlife by a Coverts cooperator in Acworth. Lunch on screened porch at the end of the walk. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Acworth Town Hall at the top of Hill Road off Route 123A. Take the immediate right after the South Acworth Store to the top. We'll carpool the 3 miles to the trail. Ends around 2 p.m.
June 4 (Fri.) - Senior Friday Hike to Casalis State Forest in Peterborough and Sharon. Here's a great chance to see some remarkable and diverse forest. This will be a moderately strenuous 4-mile hike into the state forest to New England Forestry Foundation land following sections of Town Line Brook. We'll see wildflowers well into their spring bloom. Meet at 10 a.m. at southeast corner of Ocean State Job Lot parking lot near Route 202/101 intersection in Peterborough. Back around 2 p.m.
June 5 (Sat.) - Field Trip to See Our State Butterfly, the Rare Karner Blue. We'll carpool to the Concord Pine Barrens where N.H. Fish and Game oversees a multi-partner restoration of this endangered species. The Karner blue disappeared from the state but captive breed-and-release efforts - along with vigorous habitat management - have resulted in a small population living in the wild for six years now. We'll meet Heidi Holman from Fish and Game at the Karner blue restoration area in Concord to learn about the program, see the captive-rearing work, and - if luck and weather are with us - witness Karner blues during their early summer adult stage. Meet Francie Von Mertens at the Harris Center at 8:45 a.m. Pack drink and a lunch. Back by early afternoon. Please RSVP by June 3 to vonmertens@myfairpoint.net.
June 5 (Sat.) - National Trails Day on Cobb Hill. Help give back to the Harris Center's trails by fixing up the Cobb Hill Trail and its astounding view. Meet Jim "Trailmaster" Orr at 9 a.m. at Merrill's Corner at the junction of Jaquith and Old Dublin Roads in Hancock. Tools provided. Ends at noon. |
|
Contact Info:
Eric Aldrich
Harris Center for Conservation Education
603-525-3394
| |
|
|
|
|
