MAKING TRACKSVolume 5 No 1 The Newsletter of the New Hampshire Coverts Project March 2000

HAPPENINGSArmed with animal pelts, tracking molds anda bucket of plaster of Paris, Anna Boudreau(CC’95), visited Dover Girl Scout Troop 2161this past November and shared stories andinformation about wildlife, their habitats andtheir needs. Anna’s seven year old daughter,Maria Boudreau, helped her fellow Browniesidentify the animal furs and try to guess whathabitat(s) they might be found in. Makingplaster castings of the animal tracks wasparticularly exciting and messy! All 19 girlswere able to take home a plaster casting oftheir favorite animal. A request for anothervisit has already been made.

“Now that Coverts Corner’s woodlands accessroad is in—y’all come. I’m embarking on thenext WHIP task, namely aspen regeneration.”Roger Brown (CC’95)

Tom Chase (CC’99) reports that he’s become amember of the Barrington Natural HeritageCommittee, he helps out at the town’s recy-cling center one day per week, and writes aBird Notes column for the Rochester and DoverTimes newspaper.

Larry Ely (CC’98) writes, “I had Elise Lawson(CC’98) up to our mountain last fall to haveher hike to the summit with my wife and I. Iwanted her to look over the diverse types ofhabitat on our property. I will try to have herproduce guidelines to incorporate into myforest management plan next year. The RuffedGrouse Society would be pleased to know thatwe flushed grouse on five separate occasionsduring our hike. Our cottage on the mountainis finally buttoned up, but we are still waitingfor the electrical, plumbing and heating to befinished. After those subcontractors are gone, Iwill have about 1000 hours of finish labor todo myself. I’ve been driving up to the moun-tain nearly five days a week. I used MarkSullivan’s (CC’98) company to clean up theice storm damage on some of our trails withSIP reimbursement. Ginger and I cleared a lotof trail last summer also. We will have a smallski loop this winter.”

Deborah Hinman (CC’98) is the newest teammember of the It’s Your Future! Program inClaremont. She is primarily responsible forexpanding the program to include a 7th and 8th

grade component. Due to the many otheractivities that she’s involved in, she brings awealth of information and experience to hernew position.

Dennis Huber (CC’97) is working with thegreenspace protection group and with theKingston town forest. They’ve been discussingland protection, wildlife habitat improvement(including Brontosaurus clearing and patchcutting), the recent thinning operation withhorses and trail maintenance. Dennis is also ina group to study and protect the aquifer whichlies beneath the town. Keep up the great work!

“We are in the process of establishing a smallarboretum in the clearing just inside the mainentrance of our Johnson Memorial Forest inPittsburg. As a beginning, permanent identifi-cation markers, indicating common andscientific names, will be placed near approxi-mately a dozen tree and wildlife-valuableshrub species, along with a larger sign ex-plaining the project. Tourists who stop at ourwell-marked trailhead on their way to theupper lakes often do not have time to walk thetrails. The little arboretum may get them tovisit briefly to learn a bit about the botany ofthe Great North Woods.” Bill and MargeJahoda (CC’96)

Dick Mallion (CC’99) has been appointed tothe Whitefield Conservation Commission.

Nigel Manley (CC’96) and Debbie Mitchell(CC’97) report that they are working on theWHIP program that they signed on to for fiveyears. This winter about 90 trees were to bereleased and pruning started. Old abandonedfields were mowed and areas opened up.Looks like they’ve got enough work to keepthem busy for quite a while!

Working with children can be exhausting buta lot of fun. Last fall, Paul H. Marshall (CC’99)ran an after school environmental club at theSwasey Central School in Brentwood fortwenty 4th and 5th graders. With the assistanceof a teacher, they explored the town forestbehind the school and became involved inmany activities that had them looking at trees,plants, insects and even some owl scat. “Theyhad a blast!”, says Paul. “I think they all got abetter appreciation and understanding of theirwoods and forests”.

“Currently involved in releasing a few appletrees on town-owned conservation land,(Bedford Land Trust has the conservationeasement). Also, gave a program on January27,2000 to the local Audubon Chapter aboutgame and furbearers and their habitat. Waswell received.” Jeff Nelson (CC’99)

”Heading up Merrimack Conservation Com-mission (MCC) efforts to develop manage-ment plans on all town lands appropriate forMCC management. We carried the effort to

the Board of Selectmen, who created a TownOwned Land Committee to review all lands. Iwas appointed to the committee. Final resultwill be the MCC being given responsibility tomanage 52 parcels totaling 700+ acres. Work-ing also to purchase or protect open space intown. Working to hire a town forestry servicefor assistance. I own a site in Danbury-enjoy-ing the peace and quiet. Cutting trails, plan-ning for future harvest, doing timber standimprovement (TSI), encouraging a neighbor toprotect a large tract. I’m looking forward toupcoming Coverts activities.” Andy Powell(CC’95)

“I’m working on planning and obtainingfunding for a schoolyard wildlife habitat at apreschool in Francestown.” Maria Regan(CC’99) Good luck, Maria, and keep us posted.

Bruce Schwaegler (CC’95) reports, “GovernorShaheen has reappointed me to a secondthree-year term on the New HampshireWetlands Council representing the environ-mental and natural resource communities. TheWetlands Council hears appeals when partiesare not satisfied with decisions of the Wet-lands Bureau.”

Congratulations David Stephenson (CC’98)on receiving Peterborough’s ConservationistAward at their first annual awards dinner lastOctober. David, a longtime conservationcommission member, is responsible for nu-merous conservation easements in town, aswell as work that strengthened the towncode’s on wetlands and shoreline protection.

“During the month of December 1999, theStowell family, with assistance from the NRCSand the New Hampshire Fish and GameDepartment, contracted with John Brown andSons to complete Phase II of their wildlifeopening-field restoration project. Steve Snookcoordinated the ‘Brontosaurus’ project and theoperator expertly cleared brush and trees. Hecut for seven days, clearing approximately 25acres and releasing about 60 apple trees.Funds for the project came from federal, stateand private sources. The cost sharing ‘WildlifeHabitat Improvement Plan’ through theNRCS, along with the ‘Private Lands HabitatImprovement Program’ (Small Grants Pro-gram), sponsored by the New Hampshire Fishand Game Department supplemented the costof the project. The Barnstead ConservationCommission, as well as private landowners,were invited to observe the operation. Theweather cooperated and a very nice job wasdone. Cooperative Extension education, publicfunds and land owner commitment workedtogether to improve wildlife habitat. Anyoneinterested in seeing a completed ‘Brontosau-rus’ project is welcome to stop by and see.”Andy Stowell (CC’98)

“At the town level, we are helping with awarrant article to accept a gift of 67 acres. Onthe home front, 34 acres of fields with somewetland put into conservation easement withRockingham Land Trust.” Jim Webber(CC’99)

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CALENDARApril 29 Discover Wild NH Day

NH Fish & Game HeadquartersConcord, NH

May 6 NH Coverts Project ReunionKen & Dorothy Marvell’s Sunrise Tree FarmNew Boston, NH

June 9 & 10 NH Coverts Project RetreatNorth Country

September 6-9 NH Coverts Project Training WorkshopSargent CampHancock, NH

THE LAST WORDThanks Gerry!

Gerry Tilley (CC95) has been assisting the NH Coverts Project since itsinception in 1995. She’s kept our growing cadre of volunteers connectedacross the state, most notably through Making Tracks. Her enthusiasmand dedication have been vital to the success of this program. Fundingfor Gerry’s position ends May 1st and she will be moving on to newopportunities. Gerry, we wish you great success in your new endeav-ors. As a Coverts Cooperator herself though, we hope to see Gerry’sexuberance surface at many future Coverts events!

Ellen Snyder, Coordinator, NH Coverts Project

THE PERSONS PICTURED ARE...Sam Doyle, Roger Brown, Andy & Jeanne Powell, Marty Boisvert, Peter Moore, Bruce & Andy Schwaegler, Helen Evans,Doug Burnell, Tanya Tellman (CC’95); John & Sandy Magee, Nigel Manley, John Doyle (CC’96); Sue Hoey, Cynthia Bruss(CC’97); Nancy Cowan & Injun, Will Abbott, Barbara Fales, Dick LaFlamme, Dean Bascom, Meg Fearnley, Debby Hinman,Bill Heyman, Bill Elliott, Jeff Schadler, Larry Ely, Mark Sullivan (CC’98); Jim Webber, Jeff Nelson, Don Richard, Tom Chase,Dick Mallion, Gil Richardson (CC’99), Joannie Hannah (Potential CC); Bob Edmonds, Frank Mitchell, Don Black, EllenSnyder, Karen Bennett, Marshall Patmos, Nory Parr (UNH Cooperative Extension); Jim Taylor (UNH); Eric Orff, Will Staats,Judy Silverberg (NH Fish & Game Department); Walt Winturri, Bill Leak (USDA Forest Service); Lionel Shute (Society for theProtection of NH Forests); Patrick Hackley (NH Timberland Owners Association); John O’Brien (Consulting Forester); MorrisJames (Private Landowner); children participating in 1999 Discover Wild NH Day