 |
Dave Mance III
I went on vacation this past week down to southern Massachusetts, a place that's really a different world to a guy from Vermont: the land flat or gently rolling towards the sea; the vegetation squat and disfigured - a sort of coastal krummholz...
|
Meghan McCarthy McPhaul
Helicopters. Keys. Whirligigs. Samaras. Whatever you call the winged seeds released by maple trees, here's one more word for them: delicious. Like many New Englanders, I have fond childhood memories of dropping maple "helicopters" from a height and watching them twist and twirl down to the ground...
|
Joe Rankin
A while back I had a few hives of honey bees parked at a beef farm down the road, tucked up against a stone wall just outside a pasture. One day the owner called to say that my bees had invaded a building in a barn complex and were laying eggs in manure puddles...
|
 
What is this (or rather, what will it be)?
Every other week we run a photo of something unusual found in the woods. Guess what it is and you'll be eligible to win one of our Season's Main Events Day Calendars. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner's name, will appear in our next e-newsletter.
This week's contest deadline is 8:00 AM, Wednesday, July 8, 2015.
|
Congratulations to our winner Kristen Cole of Goffstown, NH! Kristen receives a Season's Main Events Day Calendar.
Meghan Oliver spotted these winged creatures going in and out of four ground nests clustered near each other. What are they?
NW Answer:
Metallic green bees (genus Agapostemon).
|
Our cup runneth over. Actually, our inbox spilleth over. Either way, we have a lot of interesting news stories that cross our desks. Here were some of our favorites:
NATURE
Some high-profile conservationists: Chinese Alibaba billionaire buys 28,000 acres in the Adirondacks and a rock & roll forestry advocate. A small, snail-killing worm and a big bear in New York. Can silver flies save the hemlocks? National Geographic's stunning photo contest (you can enter, too). Japanese knotweed is taking over part of Canada, while six scientists are back home after eight months on "Mars." Closer to home, the Nature Conservancy opens a new boardwalk at Eshqua Bog in Vermont and a college is honored for its nature-friendliness.
INDUSTRY
Renewable energy is part of a budget battle in New Hampshire, while Maine sees both challenges and opportunities in climate change. Also in Maine, some thoughts on fuel taxes paid by the logging industry, and a facelift for the state's forestry museum. The limitations of satellite forest maps in New Hampshire. The mountain pine beetle is causing Canadian mills to buy American mills while Europe is beginning to regulate pellets coming from the U.S. Speaking of wood pellets, if you need to store a lot of them, get a dome. Something to ponder on your next ride: bikes made out of wood.
STORIES YOU'VE SHARED
The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service has rolled out a way for its clients (woodland owners and farmers) to communicate and work with NRCS by electronic means. That includes the ability to request technical assistance or advice for conservation needs; apply for conservation program financial assistance; view, sign, and submit documents; and view and track the status of payments for completed conservation practices. Learn more here.
New Hampshire Fish and Game, in collaboration with other agencies and organizations, is updating the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan. Biologists, land use experts, land protection advocates, state agency staff, conservation commissioners, local planning board members, foresters, educators and other interested parties are all invited to weigh in on the plan that will guide state and local action for the next decade. The next input session will be held on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. - 12 noon at the Stratford (N.H.) Grange Hall. More information can be found here.
The Coös County Conservation District is holding a pollinator workshop on Saturday, June 27, at Moriah Valley Farm in Shelburne, New Hampshire. The workshop will provide an overview of pollinator ecology, farm and land management for wild bees, and how to attract your local population of native pollinators. RSVP via email or call 603-788-4651, ext.102.
|
|
|
|
|
|
