tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76993280876865016632024-03-13T11:58:01.219-07:00Forest Society Land Stewards BLOGThe Land Steward Program is a volunteer initiative run by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (Forest Society). Land Steward volunteers receive comprehensive training and assist the Forest Society in managing 170+ forest reservations (>50,000 acres) across New Hampshire.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-90478055362771369982014-09-13T14:31:00.001-07:002014-09-13T14:31:23.804-07:00Gap Mountain Trail DayFall is almost here, so it must be time for another work day on Gap Mountain. <br />
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There were two more rough sections on the North Trail that needed attention so we thought we would tackle at least on of them today. Here is a "before" view of this section of trail.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5sEgfZOPrs/VBSv3rnk8PI/AAAAAAAAB1M/Z7ps14medoM/s1600/Before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I5sEgfZOPrs/VBSv3rnk8PI/AAAAAAAAB1M/Z7ps14medoM/s1600/Before.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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As can be seen in this picture, a tangle of roots and rocks. Hikers trying to avoid the mess have created an ever widening "trail" over this steep section. Time for some attention here!<br />
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With the help of Bob Curley's crew from Massachusetts and several local workers, we amassed quite a work crew for this Saturday. Bob's crew does extensive work in conjunction with the North Quabbin Trails Association and the Quabbin to Cardigan initiative. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omsvbV-GoE4/VBSxCtHk5jI/AAAAAAAAB1U/vBReYFOnrHA/s1600/Trail%2BCrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omsvbV-GoE4/VBSxCtHk5jI/AAAAAAAAB1U/vBReYFOnrHA/s1600/Trail%2BCrew.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We split into two crews, one for the major rock work in the eroded section and one for general water bar work on the steep upper section of the trail. After the hike in to the work site, the crew immediately began gathering rocks and moving dirt (well, what little dirt there was to move, mostly roots and stones).<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BebY-Cdofz4/VBSywRyo0aI/AAAAAAAAB1c/kLV2JgRJ2do/s1600/Setting%2BSteps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BebY-Cdofz4/VBSywRyo0aI/AAAAAAAAB1c/kLV2JgRJ2do/s1600/Setting%2BSteps.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We finished up by early afternoon and returned to the parking lot just as the rain began. After the fall rains and the leaves drop there should be a new base for new vegetation to take hold along this new section of trail and the area should be much more appealing to hikers.<br />
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Thanks to all that helped out today. And also a thank you to Lee over at Monadnock State Park for lending the crew many of the tools needed for the heavy lifting today.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-50843947411556318782014-08-07T11:02:00.001-07:002014-08-07T11:02:53.916-07:00Monadnock Trails Week 2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of volunteers assembles on the first day</td></tr>
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This year's Monadnock Trails Week wasn't as hot as last years (thankfully), and it wasn't as busy (62 volunteers instead of 82), but it was very productive and, like always, a lot of fun. The first three days were beautiful blue-bird weather with cool temperatures in the 80s, and we took full advantage of the perfect trail work conditions. We constructed some waterbars and check steps on the Old Halfway House trail, worked on drainage and stepping stones on the Parker Trail, and constructed some new bog bridging on the Lost Farm Trail. There were many returning volunteers from previous years at trails week, and also a good number of new faces. All in all we put in more than 860 hours of work on Monadnock's trails... not too bad for five days' effort!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goofing off on our completed bridges, Lost Farm Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray Jackson gives a bit of tool advice in the morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peeling logs for waterbars, Old Halfway House Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers (including land stewards the Bigls and the Stetsers) head to the Parker Trail for a day of work<br /> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting rocks in a waterbar on the Old Halfway House Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a ride up the old toll road in the SPNHF truck</td></tr>
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We had a crew of volunteers working all five days on the Pumpelly Trail, continuing work on the "Jacobs' Ladder" section of trail where crews constructed 50' of rock staircase last year. This year 17 new steps were added to this section, which will require many years of work before the eroded rock-strewn slopes are converted to staircase. The work is technical and very labor intensive on the Pumpelly trail, where crews are using trail winch systems called griphoists to move and high-line large rocks into position on the trail corridor. Volunteers often work one or two days at the Pumpelly trail and then give themselves a "break" by working on other trail projects if they volunteer to work a third day. Rare is the volunteer who toughs it out all five days of Monadnock Trails Week doing this heavy-duty rock work, but we always have a few!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pumpelly Crew on Day 5</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy packs and a long walk in and out for the Pumpelly team</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Zlogar is still smiling!</td></tr>
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Another big project for MTW 2014 was replacement of decaying timber waterbars and check steps on the White Dot Trail. The White Dot is basically the main thoroughfare up the mountain; this trail sees an incredible amount of use, and as a result it is very wide. Waterbars and check steps that span the trail often have to be 25-30' in length... which means that timber drainages are far more convenient to install than rock waterbars. We replaced about 15 waterbars and check steps on the White Dot during Trails Week 2014, and there are at least 30 that still need to be replaced or repaired. There is always more work to be done on Mount Monadnock, and we're already looking forward to the 10th Annual Monadnock Trails Week in 2015!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving a peeled log on White Dot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bart Hunter sharpens his saw for more work on the White Dot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These hardwood logs were incredibly heavy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Len doing one of his favorite things</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-12456865682287889102014-07-02T08:59:00.003-07:002014-07-02T09:00:46.103-07:00Morse Preserve Workday - Sunny Days Only Please!Morse Preserve in Alton is one of our favorite places to hold a workday. You really can't beat the views at lunchtime on this reservation! That's why, when socked in clouds and thunderstorms were predicted for the first day we picked for this workday, we decided to wait for a more "appropriate" weather forecast. Not to mention, it's no fun to be wielding metal tools on the exposed top of Pine Mountain in a lightening storm...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land Stewards and staff go over the task list</td></tr>
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Our second try at hosting the Morse Preserve workday was perfect- bluebird skies and comfortable temperatures too. A group of 9 staff and stewards fanned out across the property to get some work done. Two volunteers went to prune dead wood off of several old field apple trees, in anticipation of using this reservation as the site of our annual spring Wild Apple Tree Release and Pruning workshop next March. The pruners were undaunted by vicious tangles of multiflora rose (ouch!) and the height of some of the dead wood in these trees. Jason and Len pruned off mountains of dead wood, and then Wendy helped finish off the process by removing the really big dead limbs with a chainsaw. Sagging limbs were propped up with birch supports, and the trees are already looking happier in advance of their big pruning workshop debut.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason Morris climbs up to prune an old apple (photo by W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple tree, post dead wood removal (photo by Jason Morris)</td></tr>
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Also on the task list was a lot of trail maintenance. The trails at Morse Preserve pass through many open areas of early-successional habitat. It is one of our goals at the property to maintain a rotation of early successional habitats (field, shrubs, and young saplings) for the many wildlife species that either need or use these areas. But trails through these open areas grow in fast, even with regular use, so we spent a good portion of our workday brushing back the trail system. Brush saws and loppers helped us do this, and we also spent some time popping up stump-sprouting roots where the trail passes through woods. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzanne removes trimmings from the brush saw from one of the open trails</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella finds some shade (photo by Jason Morris)</td></tr>
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Lunch was... well, amazingly beautiful as usual, from the top of Pine Mountain. The only thing missing was that handful of ripe blueberries that you can forage on the top. The trails are looking better than ever, however, in advance of blueberry season- so don't forget to stop by!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob and Bob take in the views at lunch</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-30090709161563102812014-07-02T08:21:00.004-07:002014-07-02T09:00:11.266-07:00Sidney Butler Smith Workday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Sidney Butler Smith Woodland is a beautiful little forest right on Tuftonboro Neck that sticks out into Lake Winnipesaukee. Up until two weeks ago, I had never been there (believe it or not, with more than 170 properties to keep track of, there are still some that I haven't set foot on yet!). But a recent inventory, along with some monitoring reports from our land stewards at Sidney Butler Smith, convinced us that it was time to have a workday there. </div>
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Tasks for the day included replacing a rotting footbridge with a new, pressure treated model, installing some new signage, re-marking the trail system (which is a short loop trail perfect for local folks walking dogs or going for a trail run), and painting the gate. With a crew of about 10 people, we were in good shape to get all the tasks done by mid-afternoon, even with a leisurely lunch in the forest. Thanks to Jim and Karen for preparing us well for this workday and guiding stewards and staff (like me) that had never been to the Sidney Butler Smith Woodland!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray tries out the new bridge (photo by Bart Hunter)</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-45094148176852587792014-06-06T11:50:00.001-07:002014-06-06T11:50:32.261-07:00Sign Workdays 2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Groulx and Jason Morris at work</td></tr>
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This year's sign workdays were as busy, noisy, and saw-dusty as ever. The group on Day 1 included about ten people, only one of whom hadn't been to the sign days before. We (staff) will take that as a good sign that volunteers keep coming back year after year! People got right to work sanding, planing, stenciling, rasping, routing and staining, and by the end of the first day we'd gotten about 40 signs done through the first coat of brown stain. Amazing! I swear this group gets better and better every year. For the first few years, Jason was the only one brave enough to route the signs, since free-hand routing does take some steady nerves... but this year we had 3 other volunteers routing at the same time as Jason, and I know there are others who want to try it next year. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alan Cort routing a sign</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1 at lunch</td></tr>
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The weather was less than beautiful to start Day 2 of the sign workshop, but the hive of activity continued undaunted. The number of signs completed this year, from smaller trail markers to large wooden property signs, was a little more than 70 total. Excellent job, and thank you to everyone who participated and loaned their power tools to the process as well. The only thing left now is to paint a whole lot of white lettering... if you've got a steady hand to lend for that in the next few weeks, please shoot me an email! We can set you up with some tunes and a brush and jar of paint anytime the office is open!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little mid-work conference</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New steward Mike Casino (the only newbie on Day 1) got right down to business</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Seth and Gale are our stenciling experts</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiel and Todd run Todd's planer</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Carafiello routing away</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ever cheerful Todd</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverly & Michael Bettencourt work on sanding</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred in the new work shirt!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason and Mike collaborate on a unique triangular sign</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverly staining a new sign</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-52638056298236291542014-06-06T11:02:00.000-07:002014-06-06T11:02:46.248-07:00Chainsaw SafetyI have to admit, I didn't stay for much of the Chainsaw Safety and Maintenance workshop this spring, as I was busy wrapping up business from the annual Core Land Steward Training. I do know that despite the blackflies and cool weather, a good group of stewards and members headed out with Wendy and Jake Bronnenberg to learn how to stay safe while operating their chainsaws. No matter how many years people have been running a saw, they usually tell me that they got a lot out of this workshop, which is why we continue to run it twice a year!<br />
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-75470189091549963952014-05-16T07:27:00.003-07:002014-05-16T07:27:43.921-07:00Land Steward Class of 2014!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A hearty welcome to the SPNHF land steward Class of 2014! Twenty seven new stewards completed the two-day training course last weekend, which was held this year at AMC's Cardigan Lodge in Alexandria. As usual, the new class is diverse in ages and backgrounds, but everyone seems to come to this volunteer position from a deep-seated love of the outdoors, and New Hampshire's forests in particular. So it was not long before new stewards were bonding and making connections with others in the group. The training covers the history and mission of the Forest Society, the basics of being a land steward, map/compass navigation and boundary monitoring, timber/forestry management, and trail maintenance. We used the grounds around Cardigan Lodge for several of our outdoor sessions, and then traveled to Victor's Woods to look at the results of the recent harvest there. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Frame talking about a recent timber harvest at Victor's Woods.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy measuring a pine</td></tr>
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The group also had some down time to socialize or pursue their own activities in the late afternoon and evenings. Some people climbed Mt. Cardigan (even in the early morning rain!) or explored the trails around Cardigan Lodge and Welton Falls State Forest. On Friday night, the power went out for five hours (just after dinner, which was fortuitous for our bellies) so it was on to headlamps and flashlights for the evening. The outage didn't deter our group from enjoying a nice campfire and the ambiance of the lodge by lamplight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Victors Woods the group learned that this reservation is a prime site for growing softwoods- 6 different species grow concurrently on the property. Five species are pictured here in this group of seedlings- can you spot them?</td></tr>
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Please join me in welcoming the new class of stewards to our community! The Forest Society is proud to have so many talented, knowledgeable, and engaged volunteers helping us steward our lands!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joslin Bennett (right) leading the map and compass session</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening campfire on friday night</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of new stewards taking a hike at Welton Falls (photo: G.Larson)</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-9115586979213663502014-05-16T07:01:00.002-07:002014-05-16T07:01:45.636-07:00Lost River Gorge: still buried in snow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At our annual spring cleaning workday at Lost River Reservation, we usually look forward to spreading mulch and pruning flower beds, painting signage and posts, sweeping the gorge boardwalk, doing some trail maintenance and pruning the native garden. The amalanchier trees are usually blooming, and we worry about how bad the black flies will be. This year spring was so slow in coming that by May there were no flies or flowers of any kind, and the primary task on our workday was snow removal from the gorge boardwalk! As you can imagine, sending visitors down into a gorge filled with snow on opening day would be problematic, so our volunteers got to work with shovels and rock bars. Dave Anderson, Rita Carroll, and Frank Allen led a group of about 15 volunteers (mostly land stewards) down into the gorge. When the day was over and the boardwalk clear, Dave commented, "I was worried that we had too many people heading down for snow removal, but when we got down there and I saw how high the snow still was, I was glad to have all hands on deck!" </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita Carroll digs into the snow removal (photo: F. Allen)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of volunteer stewards and staff, finishing up a section (photo: D. Anderson)</td></tr>
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Since there were more than 23 people at the workday, we still had volunteers to help with the regular pruning, mulching, painting, and trail work. The folks with White Mountain Attractions (who operate the gorge in the summer) treated us to a delicious lunch inside the visitor center, where we could warm up from all that snow and ice and the bitter wind that was whipping during the workday. It was a memorable Lost River spring cleaning for many of our volunteers who make this event an annual spring tradition. Remember that year the snow in the gorge was up to our necks, and we had to <i>shovel </i>it all out?!?! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: F. Allen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank can't fit into this cave yet! (photo: D.Anderson)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All clear! (photo: F. Allen)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some volunteers still got to shovel mulch this year. Ken Marvin seems especially excited about that! (photo: C.Deegan)</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-40975826768986190452014-04-02T09:02:00.001-07:002014-04-02T09:03:09.761-07:00Apples, anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This spring we held our annual Apple Tree Release and Pruning Workshop at the Fells Historic Estate & Gardens and the Forest Society's Hay Reservation, both in Newbury. The classroom session was inside The Fells's offices, and we snowshoed across the street on the Hay Reservation for some field practice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land Steward Henry Taves tries out a pruning saw</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigel (red hat) shows the group how to make a proper pruning cut</td></tr>
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As usual, our very own Nigel Manley, director of the Rocks Estate, led the workshop. A dozen participants attended and asked lots of excellent questions about fruit tree pruning. We found two old apple trees near the cellar holes of the old Sarah Bartlett Farm to work on, and they did indeed need work. We pruned about a third of the live wood out of one of them (all that is recommended for a single year) and several workshop participants tried their hand at using the aluminum pruning ladder and pruning saws. Opening up the canopy in these trees should increase air flow and sun exposure, and will eventually increase fruit production for wildlife. Despite heavy snowcover still, it was a fun and productive workshop!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out the pruning ladder</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several kids on the workshop enjoyed the large cellar holes of the Bartlett Farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way up!</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-84509537491305697462014-03-07T11:07:00.003-08:002014-03-07T11:07:46.839-08:00Celebrating our 20th Anniversary Year!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewards show of their new 20th Anniversary Tees</td></tr>
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The Forest Society's land steward program began in 1993, with the very first class graduating in 1994. Since this past year was the 20th anniversary of the program, we all celebrated the milestone at our Land Steward Annual Meeting in February. More than 60 land stewards and Forest Society staff attended the meeting, which included a delicious potluck dinner and a presentation about the projects and workdays that land stewards accomplished during the year. We also had a slideshow of photos of stewards over the past 20 years, and a presentation from Betsey McNaughten, a steward who works at NH Fish & Game.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewards and staff enjoying dinner</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane Difley with one of our long time land steward, Lee Baker. Lee was in the very first class of land stewards!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewards Betsey McNaughten (left) and Bob Macentee (middle) kidding around<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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Several land stewards were recognized for their outstanding work in 2013 during this event. Moose Mountains stewards Jason Morris and Scott Lavoice were noted for their amazing efforts to create hiking opportunities at Moose Mountains, including significant work on a new trail up Phoebe's Nable this past summer. Land Steward Bob Macentee, who looks after the Wilkins-Campbell Forest in Deering, was also recognized for his outstanding work assisting the Forest Society in removing numerous buildings and infrastructure associated with a former summer camp and returning the lakeside property to natural conditions. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land Stewards Scott Veale (left), Hal Busch (middle) and Martha Twombly (right)</td></tr>
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All stewards at the dinner received a 20th Anniversary Tee Shirt, made especially in a tie dye brown color that will hide dirt and look great through hundreds of workdays to come! If you are a steward but missed the dinner, don't fret! There is a tee shirt waiting for you too, the next time we see you at an event or workday! Happy 20th Anniversary to the Land Steward Program!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Macentee receiving a token of appreciation for his work at Wilkins Campbell Forest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of stewards hold up their new tee shirts!</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-77820353290938735582014-01-09T08:41:00.002-08:002014-01-09T08:41:46.053-08:00Effingham Hike Series Kicks Off!Land Steward Kamal Nath took the "Field Trip 101" workshop last year, and has really fulfilled his promise to lead at least one hike on a piece of conservation land in New Hampshire. Kamal has scheduled a series of four hikes in the Effingham area in 2014, two of which are on the Forest Society's High Watch Preserve on Green Mountain. The first of these took place on New Year's Day. Below is Kamal's description of the day's outing.<br />
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Several winter-hardy hikers celebrated the New Year in Effingham by enjoying a snowshoe hike up the<br />
North-West side of Green Mountain. On a crisp, cold, but mostly sunny morning hikers enjoyed views of<br />
Davis top, Green Mountain, and glimpses of Leavitt Brook flowing downhill. The return views<br />
encompassed the NH Mountain ranges to the North and west along with the Ossipee Lake, its bays and<br />
other water-bodies. Walking on the powdery snow, visitors learned about recent animal activities<br />
(tracks of hare, mice, squirrel, deer and others). On the trees, hikers saw evidence of recent porcupine<br />
chewed bark and bear activities on beech trees, etc. <br />
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This was the first of the four Explore Effingham Landscape -2014 programs organized by Kamal Nath (co-led by Johanna Vienneau) under Speaking for Wildlife Field Trip 101 (UNH Cooperative Extension), sponsored by the Effingham Public Library and co-sponsored by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Green Mountain Conservation Group, Effingham Conservation Commission. The remaining three hikes dates are below. Contact the Effingham Public Library at effinghampubliclibrary@gmail.com to register for any of these hikes!<br />
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April 13 (Sunday) A Bird-Watch Walk: explore birds on such wetland habitats<br />
as the Larry Leavitt Preserve (ECC) and the Watt’s Preserve<br />
(Audubon). Total walk ~ 1 ½ hours.<br />
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July 4 (Friday) A Green Mt. Hike: on Libby Rd. Trail by a tributary to Wilkinson<br />
Brook and an area with the aftermath of the 2008 tornado. View<br />
southeast Effingham and beyond from Hanson Top. Total hike ~ 2<br />
¾ hours.<br />
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October 31 (Friday) A Forest Walk: explore a leaf-littered forest forensic walk<br />
(stone wall, cellar holes, cemetery) by Wilkinson Brook in the<br />
Pine River State Forest. Total walk ~ 1 ½ hours.<br />
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-3516475733766303712014-01-09T08:19:00.002-08:002014-01-09T08:21:14.709-08:00First Day Hikes with NH State Parks!For the past few years, the Forest Society has partnered with NH State Parks to offer guided hikes on the first day of the new year. The motivation is to get people out and enjoying NH's natural environments on the very first day of the year, hopefully influencing folks to make a resolution to continue that practice as the year progresses. If they can do it in the frigid temperatures of January, they can certainly handle any other month! Land Stewards have been a huge part of that effort, helping to plan and organize the "First Day Hikes" event and leading or co-leading guided hikes. This year, hikes were offered at Monadnock Reservation/Monadnock State Park and on the Little Harbor Loop Trail which runs through SPNHF's Creek Farm Reservation, the Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Site, and City of Portsmouth conservation land.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Day Hike at Monadnock</td></tr>
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At Mount Monadnock, land stewards John and Lise Bigl led a group of about 20 explorers on a hike along the Parker Trail, which they steward for the Forest Society and Monadnock State Park. The group had a great day- clear but cold at about 15 degrees above zero - they talked about wildlife habitat, land conservation, forestry and the storied history of Mt. Monadnock as they hiked. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monadnock</td></tr>
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In Portsmouth, the group of participants was large (over 60) and the group split into two factions to hike the Little Harbor Loop trail with SPNHF land stewards Marsha Richelli and Robley Hall as guides. Children and families made up a good contingent in both hikes, which made for a fun and energetic time. Check out this video put together by NH State Parks about the First Day Hikes program in New Hampshire. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/47gSp9UsL7k" width="480"></iframe>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-62979568673576710532013-10-25T10:33:00.000-07:002013-10-25T10:33:11.843-07:00Andrew Brook Trail Project<br />
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We have been busy this fall with planning and implementing a project on the Forest Society's Andrew Brook Forest in Newbury. This forest will eventually be the site of a new trailhead and parking area for the Andrew Brook Trail which climbs up the southern slope of Mount Sunapee to a high elevation tarn, Lake Solitude. From Lake Solitude, hikers can and often do continue on to the summit of Mt. Sunapee to enjoy the panoramic views. Currently, parking for the poplular Andrew Brook Trail is a small pullout on the side of Mountain Road, which is often overcrowded on beautiful summer days. We hope that the new trailhead parking area, which is slated to be constructed next spring, will provide a safer and more practical area for hikers to park. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteer Jim Harnett surveys Wendy's handiwork notching a log</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Harnett, Bob Lyon, and Todd Wagner steady a hemlock log while Wendy notches it</td></tr>
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The other great thing about the new traihead is that once the lower section of trail is re-routed, the Andrew Brook Trail will be entirely on conservation land, effectively guaranteeing that this amazing hiking opportunity will remain available to the public for generations to come. The Forest Society has secured a grant from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) administered by the NH Trails Bureau to fund this work. Although the parking area has not yet been constructed, SPNHF staff and stewards had several workdays on the property this Fall to construct three bridges that will be needed on what will be the new section of trail connecting the trailhead to the existing Andrew Brook Trail. Two of the bridges were built using felled hemlock timbers, so construction of these bridges involved a lot of time peeling logs and slowly moving them into place using a griphoist. All of the hard work eventually paid off, though, and I think we all had a little fun in the process too!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray Jackson doesn't know his own strength with a pick mattock!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy's dog Bella was convinced there was a chimpumk in the muddy stream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Anderson rips a saw down a hemlock log, while Bob Lyon (R) drills holes for rebar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew on Day 3 - bridge completion!</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-83235977660832145502013-10-25T10:12:00.002-07:002013-10-25T10:12:26.474-07:00Finished Staircase!I thought you might all like to see the finished staircase completed during the Moose Mountains Reservation rock work training workshops held in September and October. Thanks to all of you who participated in the workshops and to Nate Preisendorfer of Northstar Trails, who provided the instruction. AND a huge thanks to the Fields Pond Foundation for funding the project!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last workshop day's crew, on the finished staircase (photo: J. Morris)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: J. Morris</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-31194477174733414282013-10-19T16:54:00.001-07:002013-10-19T16:57:29.237-07:00Gap Mountain Work DayToday was a major trail work day on the North Trail on Gap Mountain. While the SCA Trail Crew was on the mountain earlier this spring and completed some significant rock work, much work remains on this heavily utilized trail. Today we continued the improvement effort by knocking off more of the areas that really needed some tender loving care. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a picture taken during the spring. <br />
It shows a typical section of trail needing attention.</td></tr>
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Our group of volunteers arrived and by 9 AM we were ready to get to work. Many thanks to Bob Curly and his crew from Massachusetts and to Frank Bequaert for organizing this event !</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work crew ready for action!</td></tr>
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Today was a super October day for some heavy lifting with fair and cool weather. And NO BUGS. When the SCA crew was here this spring there were swarms of black flies. Today the flies and their mosquito friends were long gone and no one missed them a bit.</div>
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After a short 1/2 mile hike to the work sites we were ready to go at it. Now that most of the leaves have fallen, a distant view of Mount Monadnock was our constant companion.</div>
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Most of the day was spent on new water bars and rock steps. The work sites had been mapped out in advance, all 25 of them! No, we did not expect to finish all the work today, just continue to pick away at the list. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank Bequaert and Bob Curly planning the construction<br />
of steps on a steep section. </td></tr>
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With the large crew of enthusiastic volunteers, a lot was accomplished. Here is a small sample of today's activities.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upgraded water bars</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Rock Stairs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More new stairs. Frank Bequaert and Walter Weeks adding a bit<br />
more brush to direct hikers on the trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basic maintenance to many water bars.</td></tr>
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At the end of the day we declared our work a success and headed home to watch the game. Go Red Sox !!!</div>
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Thanks again to everyone that participated today.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-84481741425218548832013-09-26T12:08:00.000-07:002013-09-26T12:08:42.749-07:00Rock Work Training Days at Moose Mountains"Griphoist UP!" The Forest Society has been hosting a series of trailwork training days at our Moose Mountains Reservation in Brookfield and Middleton, to give volunteer land stewards a background in how to safely participate in projects involving construction with large rocks. The trainings are funded via a generous grant secured by the Forest Society from the Fields Pond Foundation, an organization whose mission is to "provide financial assistance to nature and land conservation organizations that are community-based and that serve to increase environmental awareness by involving local residents in conservation issues." With this funding, we're accomplishing two goals at once: the first is to build a new, sustainable hiking trail to the summit of Phoebe's Nable (a local mountain); the second is to provide land stewards an opportunity to learn about rock trail construction in a relaxed and accessible learning environment. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate Preisendorfer and Jim Harnett position a rock that has just come down the highline</td></tr>
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So far, we have held two training days in September, where small groups of stewards helped construct part of what will be a rock staircase on the new Phoebe's Nable trail. Large rocks had to be excavated from the nearby surroundings, and were moved to the staircase site along a "highline" cable strung between two trees, pulled by a trail winch/pulley system called a "griphoist." Participants learned about basic operation of the griphoist, safety aspects such as where <i>not </i>to stand in relation to components of the griphoist/highline system, and the steps involved in building a staircase from scratch. One of the most common mistakes that beginners make when they try to build a rock trail structure, such as a waterbar or staircase, is using rocks that are too small for the task, according to instructor Nate Preisendorfer of North Star Trails. "For this project, we're looking for rocks that are at least three feet wide and a foot deep," he said, "three to four-hundred pounds minimum." Those are very big rocks, so mechanical assistance to move them is a necessity. The best news? When a rock staircase of this caliber is completed, you can expect it to last hundreds of years. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoZm1cYSH6I/UkSDep0Ls-I/AAAAAAAAFoE/PQk1GyEczUI/s1600/IMG_6010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoZm1cYSH6I/UkSDep0Ls-I/AAAAAAAAFoE/PQk1GyEczUI/s400/IMG_6010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers excavating rocks from where the staircase will go</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land Steward Jason Morris scales a tree to set one of the ends of the highline</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instructor Nate Preisendorfer (far right) gives a safety briefing before using the griphoist</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Harnett and Scott Lavoice operate the griphoist</td></tr>
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Stewards who have participated in the first round of training days were very enthusiastic about what they learned and the great sense of accomplishment they got from moving and setting rocks that big and heavy into place. We'll be holding four more rock work training days at Moose Mountains this Fall- October 11, 12, 18 and 19 - if you're interested in trying this type of work, be sure to contact me to save your spot on one of these crews, as spots are limited each day. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Searching for rocks of the appropriate size and shape to excavate<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Lunch is pretty amazing with the views from the top of Phoebe's Nable</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Nate hooks up part of the highline</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-19022078774115387202013-09-12T10:06:00.002-07:002013-09-12T10:06:31.868-07:00Yatsevitch Forest Invasive Plant Workday<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gale Tobbe plucks up tiny buckthorn plants, roots and all (photo: B. Charpentier)</td></tr>
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A group of volunteers met recently at the Michael & Claudia Yatsevitch Forest in Cornish and Plainfield to work on removing an exotic invasive plants from the forest understory. The offending plants are common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula), two invasive shrubs from Europe and Asia that are threatening the native plant community at the Yatsevitch Forest. The workday was a continuation of work that has happened previously here- last year many larger buckthorns were girdled (the bark was cut through all the way around the trunk) in effort to kill them and reduce the great number of seeds that were being produced from these mature trees. This year we concentrated on the smaller seedlings coming up on the forest floor, hand pulling them one by one and getting up the roots as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Left: girdled buckthorn stem from last year's workday; Right: Fred Tobbe with a handful of buckthorn (photos: B.Charpentier)</span></div>
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Control of invasive plants is a never-ending battle, and one that the Forest Society can afford to undertake only in areas where exotic invasives pose a direct threat to rare or uncommon native species. This is the case at the Yatsevitch Forest, where the rich mesic soils and geology provide the perfect habitat for certain native plants that are rarely found elsewhere in the state. As we headed out of the forest on our recent Yatsevitch workday, many volunteers noticed that there were thousands of buckthorn plants on abutting properties here too- unless everyone else also controls the invasives on their land, we'll never be able to rest on our laurels (or loppers) and claim victory over the invasive plants. It's not a simple problem, and solutions will likewise be complicated and require lots of trial and error. I'm happy that we have a great army of volunteer stewards to call upon for projects like these when we need them!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew at Yatsevitch Forest (photo: B.Charpentier)</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-36793966573840700662013-08-29T19:22:00.002-07:002013-08-29T19:22:18.882-07:00Wilkins-Campbell Workday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes we have some non-standard workdays here in the Reservation Stewardship department of the Forest Society. Mostly our land stewards expect that we may call on them for help with trail maintenance, view clearing, or even the occasional trash clean up. This summer we've had an on-going project at the Wilkins-Campbell Forest in Deering to restore the site of a former summer camp to natural conditions. That means buildings, electric, docks, foundations, everything must go... it's quite a process, and we've had incredible help from our land steward at Wilkins-Campbell, Bob Macentee, in facilitating the whole ordeal. We also had a land steward workday, probably the first of several before we're through, to help sort through all of the items on site and "deconstruct" things like the latrines and bunk beds and cabinets. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy and Alex going through a storage shed</td></tr>
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Everything that can possibly be re-used or recycled is being sent to those higher purposes- we've made several runs to goodwill, metal recycling, and found homes for a lot of usable items. When all is said and done, hopefully all that will be left are a couple of picnic tables by the side of Deering Reservoir. It's a beautiful spot to walk in and have lunch by the water, and we hope it will get a lot of appropriate use from people in surrounding communities. But we've still got a lot of work to do to get to that point...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch for the work crew, beside Deering Reservoir</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-75318549292076699662013-08-14T18:54:00.000-07:002013-08-29T19:08:03.347-07:00Silver Mountain Waterbar Workday<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by S. Lichty</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Earlier this month, a group of land stewards, staff, and other volunteers met at the Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest in Lempster to build some waterbars on the trail up Silver Mountain. This trail receives a good amount of local use, not surprising given the amazing 360-degree mountain views that are found at the summit! Land Steward Sue Lichty has been concerned about erosion on the steepest sections of trail for quite awhile, so it was time to put together a work crew to do something about it. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land Steward Bart Hunter (R) and his daughter Skyler (L) start up a saw (photo by S. Lichty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digging a trench for a waterbar (photo: S. Lichty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steward Ruth Ward (L) and Jim Beard (R) prepare to make a waterbar (photo: S. Lichty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intern Alex Metzger setting rocks (photo: S.Lichty)</td></tr>
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The crew built four waterbars on the steepest section of trail, some rock and some timber. Hopefully these will help direct water off of the trail and prevent future erosion. The group also had time for a hike to the top of Silver Mountain (can't be missed when you're that close!) to enjoy the view.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Mountain work crew (photo: S.Lichty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top (photo: S.Lichty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Payoff at the summit (photo: S.Lichty)</td></tr>
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While this crew was installing waterbars, a separate, smaller crew, consisting of SPNHF staff Wendy Weisiger and Allan Krygeris, and land steward Stefan Pouliot, were on a different mission at Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest. They were wandering around the woods looking for an old cemetery. Sue had sent a photo back in late winter, showing the cemetery covered in downed trees and debris, so this crew was going to liberate it from this sylvan mess. The only problem was they didn't exactly know where it was, and there are no roads or trails that go there. So, after wandering around for a very long time (made longer thanks to erroneous GPS coordinates I found online and sent to Wendy) they finally found the Spaulding Family cemetery and were able to clean up the area. Before and after pics posted below! Nice work everyone.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Spaulding Cemetery before (photo: S.Lichty)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After cleaning out the downed wood (photo: S. Pouliot)</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-11588261957861367292013-08-07T18:36:00.000-07:002013-08-29T19:07:48.081-07:00Dragonflies at the Heald Tract<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last August, during a workday at the Heald Tract, we hiked through a beaver-flooded road that was just humming with the frenetic activity of dozens of dragonflies. I knew then that I would have to return to lead a dragonfly walk at the Heald Tract. Last week, I got my wish. The Heald Tract did not disappoint, either. Twenty two people joined me for a brief talk about dragonfly biology and conservation in NH, and then we headed into the swamp with nets swinging. Skimmers, a large and varied family of dragonflies, ruled the day- we caught and examined many Spangled Skimmers, Slaty Skimmers, Widow skimmers, and Twelve-Spotted Skimmers. Also netted were many bluets (damselflies), meadowhawks, and a single Canada Darner. It was fun to see many of the adults just as enthusiastic as the kids, swinging nets with abandon and overtopping their rubber boots to reach dragons further out over the pond. Because they rarely pause near enough for us to get a really close look, people are always fascinated to examine dragonflies up close in the hand. The patterns and colors on their bodies and wings are often stunning, and it's also fun to let them go by setting them down gently on a finger. Sometimes, they pause awhile on an outstretched finger, which is pretty magical if you're 5 years old....or 75!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male meadowhawk takes a rest on someone's hand</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the shed "skin" of a dragonfly nymph as it emerges from the water and morphs into an adult winged dragon!</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-13157739291613327672013-07-24T19:07:00.000-07:002013-08-29T19:08:25.132-07:00Guided Hike Workshop<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: M. Clyde</td></tr>
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The Forest Society has been running a "Field Trip 101 - How to Lead a Guided Walk" workshop in conjunction with UNH Cooperative Extension for several years now. We've trained dozens of people in how to plan, advertise, and implement a successful and safe guided hike or nature walk on conservation land. And it's definitely starting to pay off- hundreds and hundreds of people have been reached through the many nature walks that participants have led on Forest Society lands and other conservation properties around the state. We feel this is vitally important work- engaging people in their own communities on conservation land, so that they can understand the direct benefits of conserving land- for their families and their communities. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Anderson leads a small group in the outdoor exercises (photo: M.Clyde)</td></tr>
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In late July, we held another Field Trip 101 session on a very hot day at the Conservation Center. Ten new "trip leaders" participated, and all were very tolerant listening to me, Dave Anderson, Malin Clyde, and Emma Carcagno go through the steps of leading a hike while fans whirred away in the conference room and everyone was sticky with perspiration. The highlight of the workshop (as it usually is) was the outdoor exercises at the end of the day, where we break into teams and have a little friendly competition. It's a fun way to spend a day... and one that will keep giving back to conservation in NH for years to come!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: M.Clyde</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: M.Clyde</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-84288533965760802332013-07-20T10:51:00.000-07:002013-07-30T10:52:33.161-07:00Monadnock Trails Week 2013<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock work on Pumpelly Trail (photo: W.Weisiger)</td></tr>
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Monadnock Trails Week was amazing this year, in many ways. We had an amazing number of individual volunteers (82), with between 20 and 40 people showing up for trail work each day. We worked on an amazing number of projects on an amazing number of different trails (15), and put in an amazing number of work hours on the mountain (over 1000- more than 400 over last year's record). Oh, and did I mention the heat and humidity? They were also amazing! Whatever week we choose for Monadnock Trails Week is guaranteed to be the hottest and stickiest of the year, but our volunteers work through almost anything, and even maintain their good humor. They are....you guessed it...amazing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arMWlRyn1TM/Uff4pYYBAXI/AAAAAAAAFKY/dsike9a6Bj8/s1600/IMG_1235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arMWlRyn1TM/Uff4pYYBAXI/AAAAAAAAFKY/dsike9a6Bj8/s400/IMG_1235.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gear shot on Fairy Springs Trail (photo: S. Merritz)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers getting ready to start the day (photo: J. Stetser)<br /></td></tr>
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Highlights from this year included completion of two beautiful rock staircases, one on the Fairy Springs Trail, and another on the Pumpelly Trail which was a full-week project. In fact, there is further work to be done extending the Pumpelly staircase upwards in future years, taming this very steep and uneven rocky section of trail known locally as "Jacob's Ladder". We employed three grip hoists in the making of these two staircases, which I believe is a trails week first. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G37gr6MpA0Y/Uff3ygr0OBI/AAAAAAAAFIo/vTwgk1a8p3w/s1600/IMG_4664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G37gr6MpA0Y/Uff3ygr0OBI/AAAAAAAAFIo/vTwgk1a8p3w/s400/IMG_4664.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the Fairy Springs staircase (photo: C. Deegan)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailwrights volunteers survey their handiwork after day 2 (photo: C. Deegan)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving big rocks on Fairy Springs Trail (photo: W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roy Schweiker, Ed Scott, and Mike Zlogar (L to R) talk about rock placement (photo: W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate Preisendorfer (center) directs volunteers on the Pumpelly Trail (photo: W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron Horner (center) wins the award for the most consecutive MTW days (10 and counting, 2012-13) (Photo: W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWZmb5IxYtI/Uff3-kzRFbI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/vGqPRUTouPw/s1600/Pumpelly+Trail+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWZmb5IxYtI/Uff3-kzRFbI/AAAAAAAAFJQ/vGqPRUTouPw/s640/Pumpelly+Trail+2.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Staircase on Pumpelly Trail. The fact that this (and all these projects) were completed by volunteers just blows me away. We have amazing, amazing volunteers! (photo: P. Landers)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving a rock in unison, Pumpelly Trail (photo: W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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The week's effort also included construction of a new bridge over the Ainsworth Brook on the Parker Trail, and many new rock waterbars (Birchtoft, Sidefoot, Mossy Brook, Fairy Springs, and Hedgehog Trails). We also cleaned and scraped out existing drains, re-routed two trails, brushed in bootleg side trails, maintained clearings, and cleared out stream blockages that threaten to wash out trails during high water. It was a tiring week, but also immensely satisfying to see all the coordination and hard work yield real improvements on the ground. Mount Monadnock thanks you all!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls from Camp Wa-Klo in Jaffrey helped out on two days (photo: C.Deegan)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Len Martin (L) and Wendy Weisiger (R) strip a spruce for use as a waterbar on the Sidefoot Trail (photo: C.Deegan)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fkhv36A8IM/Uff30bXvG5I/AAAAAAAAFI4/-f14LULPOHk/s1600/IMG_4715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9fkhv36A8IM/Uff30bXvG5I/AAAAAAAAFI4/-f14LULPOHk/s400/IMG_4715.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving a large spruce log, not as easy as it looks! (photo: W.Weisiger)<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work on the bridge over the Ainsworth Brook, Parker Trail (photo: J. Bigl)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nailing deck boards, Parker Trail (photo: J. Stetser)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2O4-xj-itcY/Uff4LvR5kFI/AAAAAAAAFJk/xEQq9y5PRzc/s1600/972199_10151778423734274_134799504_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2O4-xj-itcY/Uff4LvR5kFI/AAAAAAAAFJk/xEQq9y5PRzc/s400/972199_10151778423734274_134799504_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew on the completed bridge, Parker Trail (photo: J. Bigl)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sm_GKsauEFs/Uff4Y7aefEI/AAAAAAAAFKE/tUalUI7q2DY/s1600/232323232-fp734-6-nu=3358-672-674-WSNRCG=3972834972336nu0mrj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sm_GKsauEFs/Uff4Y7aefEI/AAAAAAAAFKE/tUalUI7q2DY/s400/232323232-fp734-6-nu=3358-672-674-WSNRCG=3972834972336nu0mrj.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Bigl working on a trail re-route, Parker Trail (photo: J. Stetser)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUWPS8bHau4/Uff4Y2I0GuI/AAAAAAAAFJ8/YX-jDfAqE7w/s1600/232323232-fp54374-nu=3358-672-674-WSNRCG=39728348;;336nu0mrj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUWPS8bHau4/Uff4Y2I0GuI/AAAAAAAAFJ8/YX-jDfAqE7w/s400/232323232-fp54374-nu=3358-672-674-WSNRCG=39728348;;336nu0mrj.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrying in lumber for the Parker Trail bridge (photo: J. Stetser)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UH_E4fO6Z2Q/Uff4hRzL0RI/AAAAAAAAFKQ/aFTd6Q6Hde4/s1600/Armored+drain+across+Mossy+Brook+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UH_E4fO6Z2Q/Uff4hRzL0RI/AAAAAAAAFKQ/aFTd6Q6Hde4/s400/Armored+drain+across+Mossy+Brook+Trail.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished rock drain on Mossy Brook Trail (photo: M. Kresge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMzqCS_0i4U/Uff40o293YI/AAAAAAAAFKk/nD8FvMDq7QU/s1600/IMG_20130714_141352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMzqCS_0i4U/Uff40o293YI/AAAAAAAAFKk/nD8FvMDq7QU/s400/IMG_20130714_141352.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Kresge with a rock for his waterbar, Fairy Springs Trail (photo: W. Weisiger)</td></tr>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-24712651656599656272013-07-02T10:57:00.000-07:002013-07-30T10:19:24.108-07:00Winsheblo Forest Workday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzpceSBh9Lo/UdMUgucmwXI/AAAAAAAAFAU/9gq__DEpbig/s1600/IMG_4305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzpceSBh9Lo/UdMUgucmwXI/AAAAAAAAFAU/9gq__DEpbig/s400/IMG_4305.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The Winsheblo Forest in Gilford is a property recently protected by the Forest Society. In the past this 210 acre forest was home to a girls summer camp, though the camp buildings are no longer on the property. As a new Forest Sociery Reservation, Winsheblo needed a new property sign... and some TLC. Unfortunately, some dumping of household and construction waste had happened here before we owned the land, and several areas were heavily used for target shooting. In late June, a group of land stewards and staff met to help clean up the mess.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlJwjddvTkw/UdMUg45A3jI/AAAAAAAAFAY/Uqwciobf3VM/s1600/IMG_4311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlJwjddvTkw/UdMUg45A3jI/AAAAAAAAFAY/Uqwciobf3VM/s400/IMG_4311.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't these guys look tough?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan gets up in the truck bed to help re-arrange the load</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Hundreds of metal bullet casings were meticulously (and back-breakingly) picked up off the sandy ground and deposited into five gallon buckets. We also collected a few broken televisions, mattresses, tires, and tarps. When the house cleaning was done, we installed some new signage, including a brand new routed property sign. A complete facelift for the Winsheblo Forest in only a day!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surveying our handiwork</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-32352731914507969432013-06-30T10:26:00.000-07:002013-07-30T10:53:06.678-07:00Sign Me Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Intern Alex (L) and land steward Jason Morris (R) work on signs</div>
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The volunteer sign workdays keep getting better every year. Partly that's because we have such great volunteers, many of whom have mastered these skills and come back to help year after year, but also, we keep tweaking the process each time in order to make it more efficient and effective. This year saw some major changes, thanks to land steward Bob Macentee, who singlehandedly conducted a comparison study of different materials and techniques to see what might be most cost effective for the Forest Society over the long term, while still maintaining the rustic hand routed look of our signage. Though we didn't end up changing the untreated pine sign stock itself, the whole process did go from 14 steps to 11, because we changed stains and eliminated the several coats of spar varnish we usually put on the signs. The thinking is that although spar varnish does keep out moisture for a few years, it eventually cracks and peels, and then tends to trap moisture in the wood, leading to rot. The new stain alone should allow the wood to get wet and then dry thoroughly, hopefully extending the life of the sign.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Routing in progress</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiel chopping signs to size</td></tr>
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Another change this year was in painting the white lettering on the signs. Normally we do this by hand with tiny brushes, and two to three coats are required. This year we used large syringes to paint the letters! Paint is sucked up into a large-needled syringe and then the syringe is used to fill up the entire routed letter with paint. Then, the paint is simply sucked back out with the syringe, leaving a nice thick coat on the routed surface. On many of the smaller signs, only one "coat" was required with this method, which saved us lots of time. We completed at least 50 signs during the 2-day workshop, and everyone kept busy with all the different tasks to be completed. Eleven steps is still a lot of steps! Thanks to everyone who helped out during the workdays this year!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewards Gale and Schuyler work on stenciling letters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stencil layouts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign crew on Day 1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seth (L) and Gale (R) stenciling</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewards Bill Bruce (L) and Michael Bettencourt (R) sand routed signs before staining begins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Land Steward Peggy Ueda (L) and Michelle Whisnant working the "syringe" method of letter painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole Whisnant family came out to help with signs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stewards Bob Lyon (L) and Fred Tobbe (R) staining signs</td></tr>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7699328087686501663.post-41438250373691744492013-06-21T11:44:00.000-07:002013-06-21T11:44:14.665-07:00Tree ID Workshop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The workday season has been a bit slow to start this year, especially with all the rain lately, but we did hold a great land steward tree identification workshop last week. The workshop was led by one of our field foresters, Gabe Roxby, who led a group of about 18 people around the Merrimack River Outdoor Education and Conservation Area (affectionately known as "the floodplain") in Concord. Gabe had scouted out 20 common tree species prior to the workshop, and used some interactive and small-group techniques to get people to notice different features characteristic of each species. I'm pretty sure everyone (even Wendy) learned something about a tree species that they didn't already know, and most of us gained a wealth of knowledge! Many new and veteran land stewards attended the workshop, and we hope to host others like it (maybe winter tree ID?) in the future. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small group of stewards look at defining characteristics of a shagbark hickory</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparing maple leaves</td></tr>
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One funny thing about our Concord floodplain property- when Gabe was scouting trees, he realized that two of the very most common trees that we find in practically EVERY forest in NH- American Beech and Hemlock- are totally absent there! Gabe had to tote in samples from his house!<br />
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01156598739901559262noreply@blogger.com0