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35 years of Summer Fun A Wol's Nest Reunion
Brings Campers Back Together |
Past counselors, campers, parents and grandparents returned to the Harris Center Sunday for a Wol's Nest Reunion.  |
In the 35 years since Wol's Nest summer camp opened at the Harris Center, the program has touched hundreds of campers, counselors, parents, grandparents and other friends.
On Sunday, August 1, the Harris Center held a reunion of former Wol's Nesters, bringing back good friends and sweet memories. Former camp directors -- like Barbara Breen, Claudia Dery, Susie Spikol and Jay Garrett -- led the group in songs and games that have long been Wol's Nest standards. Among the greatest hits were "Ram Sam Sam," "Three Short-Neck Buzzards" and the game "People-to-People." Current camp director Jenn Sutton led a rousing version of "Little Cabin in the Woods."
Wol's Nesters also shared some of their favorite recollections on a memory wall.
"I've got lots of great memories from Wol's Nest," wrote Jonathan Dowse, a former camper. "One of the activities I remember best is sitting and listening to the sounds that surround us and drawing a map of them. It's been influential in my thinking ever since!"
Verna DeLauer's favorite memory was "going on a search with the campers to find my lost dog, Marlow ... and getting over the fear of singing in front of others."
"What I enjoy most about Wol's Nest is that it is geared for ALL children," wrote Jenn Sutton, the current director. "I love to see introverted kids get excited and become comfortable in the natural world. My favorite activity: Hiking Skatutakee!"
And former camper Liza Dery: "I will always remember Wol's Nest as one of my fondest childhood memories, and advise it for future generations!"
Check out the photos on Facebook!  |
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The Nature of August |
Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa |
The sight of fresh goldenrod often brings mixed emotions. It brightens up the summer with golden yellow flowers on high, stiff stalks, but it's also a sign of late-summer ... almost time to get back to school and work!
While goldenrod is often associated with allergies, the plant doesn't deserve the rap, according to Donald and Lillian Stokes in "A Guide to Enjoying Wildflowers." Only a tiny percent of the pollen in the air is from goldenrod. |
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August 7 Reception "Conserved Farmlands" Exhibition
Opens at the Harris Center |
Alicia Geilenberg-Drakiotes' works are among those of other artists featured in "Conserved Farmlands."  |
Knowing how important farmlands are to the quality of life in the Monadnock Region, a group of five area artists has dedicated a new exhibition to these beautiful and familiar landscapes.
What's more remarkable about these particular farmland paintings - all of the places depicted are protected, conserved for future generations to enjoy.
"Conserved Farmlands: Monadnock Barnyards Revisited" will be on display through September 22 at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock. It features the works of Francelia Mason Clark of Hancock, Mary Iselin and Alicia Geilenberg-Drakiotes, both of Marlborough, and Chris Reid and Ann Sawyer, both of Jaffrey.
There will be an opening reception for the exhibition on Saturday, August 7, 3 to 5 p.m., at the Harris Center. The artists will be on hand to discuss their work.
This is the second time the five artists have exhibited collectively. Three years ago, their exhibition "Monadnock Barnyards" was a tribute to the region's agricultural settings.
The new exhibition is a natural extension of the first, and takes a step further by emphasizing the farmlands that have been permanently protected through conservation easements held by the Harris Center, the Monadnock Conservancy, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and other organizations. |
Welcome, Eric!
Eric Masterson Joins the Harris
Center's Land Conservation Team | |
Eric Masterson, the Harris Center's new lands specialist.  | The Harris Center is pleased to announce that Eric Masterson has joined the staff to play a key role in our continuing land conservation efforts. Eric has been hired to fill the part-time, temporary position to see several land-protection projects through and assist in an array of conservation efforts.
Eric, who lives in Hancock, has an extensive and diverse background in conservation. From 2008 to 2010, Eric was executive director of the Piscataquog Land Conservancy. Before that, he was the director of development for New Hampshire Audubon.
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| Continuing Stewardship:
Antioch Interns Monitoring Harris Center's Easements | |
Antioch interns Tamathy Stage and Matthew Manthey are monitoring the Harris Center's conservation easements.  | One of the most important aspects of holding conservation easements is ensuring that the terms are being followed. That's why land trusts like the Harris Center monitor their conservation easements every year.
It's a big and important job, and the Harris Center has long coordinated its easement monitoring efforts with interns from Antioch University New England. The Harris Center has about 70 conservation easements, including small ones of a few acres to one that's nearly 4,000 acres.
This year's interns are Tamathy Stage and Matthew Manthey. Both are master's candidates in Antioch's Resource Management and Conservation Program. After being trained by Harris Center staff, the monitors have begun this year's process of monitoring easements, starting with making arrangements with landowners. Matthew and Tamathy, with GPS unit in-hand, have been battling heat, humidity and pesky deer flies. Despite the challenges, they always return with a smile. |
| Starts August 26:
Coastal Ecology Class with Brett Thelen |
Brett Thelen on the coast. Russ Cobb photo.  |
he fascinating world of coastal ecology is the topic of a five-session course being offered next month by the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock.
The course begins August 26 and meets Thursday nights until September 16, culminating with an all-day coastal field trip on Saturday, September 18.
Led by expert instructor Brett Thelen, the course will explore the geological history, mechanics and influence of the tides and an overview of major coastal life zones (deep sea, subtidal, intertidal, estuary, beach, dune, upland). It will also take an in-depth look at current coastal conservation issues, such as salt marsh and oyster reef restoration.
Thursday night classes meet at the Harris Center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The course will culminate in a day-long field trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, Mass., on September 18.
Brett has spent countless hours wandering the dunes, marshes, shores, and pitch pine forests of outer Cape Cod. She has a master's degree in environmental studies from Antioch University New England, where her thesis research focused on citizen science and shellfish in restoring a Cape Cod estuary.
The course is part of the Harris Center's Environmental Studies Institute (ESI), an easy way to introduce adults to a fun assortment of conservation and nature topics. ESI courses give adults the chance to learn about the Monadnock Region's natural history, connect to the outdoors, and engage in meaningful discussion about the environment. |
Sign up now for courses Coming Up in the Harris Center's
Environmental Studies Institute |
Here are three additonal courses the Harris Center is offering through its Environmental Studies Institute:
Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14
10 a.m. to noon
Location: Harris Center
Cost: $40 members / $60 non-members
Instructor: Jenna Spear
Did you know that insects make up over half of all of the plant and animal species on earth? Are you interested in learning about the common terrestrial insects in New England? In this course we'll learn how to identify the major insect orders and explore the role of beneficial insects in the ecosystem.
Jenna Spear holds a master's degree in forest entomology from the SUNY College of Forestry in Syracuse, where she specialized in chemical communications between insects. She has taught entomology at SUNY and Antioch University New England, and has worked for the NY Department of Conservation.
Historical Archaeology of the Monadnock Region
Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Harris Center and field sites
Cost: $60 members / $80 non-members
Instructor: Martha Pinello
Join Martha Pinello in exploring how archaeologists learn about the historic past. We'll start with an overview of historical archaeology, including studying biological material to document past landscapes and human behaviors. We'll investigate methods that historical archaeologists use to understand the role of ethnicity and race in the region's past. We will discuss strategies to identify above-ground remains and practice those strategies with site visits. Sessions will include presentation and hands-on segments.
Martha Pinello has served as a consultant for garden restorations and historic landscape interpretations. She has conducted research and field work for public works projects, and directed the archaeology program at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth for over 20 years.
Agriculture and the Monadnock Region's Future
Oct. 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18
10:30 a.m. to noon
Location: Harris Center
Cost: $40 members / $60 non-members
Instructor: Ruth Holmes
Whether you're a backyard gardener or you run an agricultural business, these are exciting times for farming. With instructor Ruth Holmes, we'll discuss the vast changes in the region's farming and explore its future, including the eat-local movement, the challenges and rewards of organic gardening, and raising farm animals, from chickens to livestock.
Since July 2004, Ruth Holmes has been one of the principal farmers at Sunnyfield Farm, one of the last working dairy farms in Peterborough. She is a former teacher who previously managed farm programs at The Meeting School in Rindge. Ruth was also on staff at the Canterbury Shaker Village doing vegetable garden restoration. Her present focus is on a challenge put forth by Charles Daloz, to make the Monadnock region 80 percent self-reliant for food in the next 30 years, a topic we'll discuss for this class.
Call 603-525-3394 or email lefebvre@harriscenter.org to register. |
| Back-Tracking ... a look back at the Harris Center's 40 years
Spoonwood 1983: A Sign of Things to Come! |
Paddlers -- all canoeists -- fan out across Spoonwood Pond in September 1983. Their return trip marked a pivotol point in conserving one of the region's most treasured places.  | As the Harris Center celebrates 40 years, a few events stand out as key moments in its history.
One such event happened 27 years ago, in 1983, when Meade Cadot and John Kulish led a public paddle to scenic Spoonwood Pond with Jan McClure, who was then working for the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests.
Upon their return to the Nubanusit boat ramp they were greeted with freshly installed signs announcing the sale of a piece of the shoreline around Spoonwood Pond! That started a series of events that ultimately led to the protection of Spoonwood's entire shoreline.
On Saturday, September 25, 2010, join Meade and Jan as they recreate this paddle and recount the story of how one of our region's most treasured places was protected. This event is co-sponsored with The Nature Conservancy, which protected Spoonwood and Nuby's "island" in 1961. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Nubanusit boat ramp on King's Highway in Hancock. Ends around 2 p.m. |
| Out and About with the Harris Center |
Artist/botanist Frankie Brackley-Tolman shows the business end of a bladderwort during last month's paddle to Rye Pond.  |
August 7 (Sat.) - Conserved Farmlands: Monadnock Barnyards Revisited. 3 to 5 p.m. at the Harris Center. Features the works of artists Mary Iselin, Francelia Mason Clark, Alicia Geilenberg-Drakiotes, Chris Reid and Ann Sawyer. Meet the artists for an opening reception from 3 to 5 p.m., and enjoy the art in the Babbitt Room through Sept. 22. A portion of art sales benefits the Harris Center.
August 22 (Sun.) - Muffin-Top Hike - Mount Skatutakee. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join Eric and Adine Aldrich for a fun hike up Mount Skatutakee as part of Hancock's Old Home Day celebrations. At the top we'll celebrate the view and summer's bounty with ... well, muffins, of course! Bring your own favorite muffins to share at the top. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Cadot Trail trailhead on Old Dublin Road in Hancock. Back around 1 p.m.
August 28 (Sat.) - Rye to Robb Paddle. 9 a.m. to noon. Join Eric Aldrich and Jeff Littleton (of Moosewood Ecological) for a paddle from Rye Pond to Robb Reservoir in Stoddard. This will be a moderately difficult paddle with at least two short carries and plenty of late-summer color. We'll paddle through some of the more interesting parts of the Harris Center's 1,667-acre reservation, checking out a fen/bog system, riparian area and other features of this wild and remarkable place. Meet at 9 a.m. at Rye Pond, off Route 123, about 2 miles south of the Route 9/123 intersection. Bring canoe/kayak, life jackets (required) and a snack. |
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Contact Info:
Eric Aldrich
Harris Center for Conservation Education
603-525-3394
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