FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

CHAIR

Bill Tucker, Goffstown VICE CHAIR

Drew Kellner, Brookline SECRETARY

Karen Moran, Webster TREASURER

Andrew Smith, Twin Mountain PRESIDENT

Jack Savage, Middleton BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Charlie Bridges, New Durham Deb Buxton, Greenfield Bill Crangle, Plymouth George Epstein, Silver Lake Elizabeth Salas Evans, Weare Peter Fauver, North Conway Don Floyd, Concord Allyson Hicks, Concord Jason Hicks, Meredith Deanna Howard, Etna Patricia Losik, Rye Nancy Martland, Sugar Hill Michael Morison, Peterborough Tom Wagner, Campton Janet Zeller, Concord STAFF

Will Abbott, Project Manager, The Rocks Frank Allen, Building and Grounds Assistant Dave Anderson, Senior Director of Education Anna Berry, Director of Communications and Digital Outreach Nik Berube, Maintenance Assistant Naomi Brattlof, Director of Easement Stewardship Rita Carroll, Tree Farm Administrator Tony Cheek, Vice President for Finance Connie Colton, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator Linda Dammann, Development Assistant Carrie Deegan, Reservation Stewardship and Engagement Director Leah Hart, Land Protection Specialist Stacie Hernandez, Land Protection Specialist and

Regional Stewardship Manager Laura Holske, Finance Specialist Brian Hotz, Vice President for Land Conservation Steve Junkin, Field Forester Sarah Kern, Creek Farm Education Program Coordinator Susanne Kibler-Hacker, Senior Philanthropy Advisor Allan Krygeris, Senior Technology Specialist Sara Krzyzaniak, Data Processor Matt Leahy, Public Policy Director Cameron Larnerd, Land Steward & Volunteer Coordinator Margaret Liszka, Membership Director Nigel Manley, Senior Outreach Manager, The Rocks Ann McCoy, Development Manager Jack Minich, Regional Stewardship Manager Michelle Morse, Human Resource Director Carl Murphy, Facilities Manager Meredith Reed O’Donnell, Foundation Relations Manager Tina Ripley, Administrative Coordinator Cara Pearson, Membership Specialist John Plummer, Regional Stewardship Manager Gabe Roxby, Field Forester Jack Savage, President Matt Scaccia, Recreation and Community Relations Manager Ryan Smith, Communications Manager Maria Stewart, Senior Executive Assistant Anne Truslow, Vice President for Development Wendy Weisiger, Managing Forester Harriette Yazzie-Whitcomb, Administrative Assistant

A Revival at The Rocks

Earlier this summer we “broke ground” on the next big phase of our rebuilding at The Rocks, our 1,400-acre forest reservation and Christmas tree farm in Bethlehem, NH. Within weeks, the 1884 Carriage Barn, which we are renovating into a classroom, welcoming lobby, and offices for North Country staff and volunteers, was carefully undressed in preparation for needed sill work, reinforcement, and systems upgrades.

In 2023, the building will be ready to welcome thousands of visitors a year to learn about forests and forest management, explore the trails, enjoy a maple tour, cut their own Christmas tree, discover the rich history of the Glessner family, and charge an electric vehicle while they do it. Upgrades including solar panels and geothermal heating will propel us toward a net zero energy budget.

Equally important, the campus will host Forest Society staff, and our investment represents a commitment to doing more of the work we do—land conservation, stewardship, advocacy, education—north of the notches.

We’ve been consistently active in northern New Hampshire through the years. We currently own 17 reservations constituting 7,500 acres and hold easements on tens of thousands of acres involving more than 200 properties. But we recognize the need and opportunity for additional conservation—work that demands presence and proximity. Our plans for The Rocks have given us the confidence to pursue what will be our largest fee acquisition conservation project in our 121-year history: 3,750 acres in Shelburne, NH.

As a statewide organization, we endeavor to customize our approach in various parts of the state. The conservation priorities and opportunities in the Seacoast are vastly different from those in the Great North Woods or the Merrimack River Valley. Our goal is to engage people and partners wherever we work.

In Portsmouth, our recently renovated Creek Farm Education Center is hosting dozens of programs and providing visitors with another, all-too-rare option to take a walk in the woods or have access to the tidal waters of Sagamore Creek. At Mount Monadnock, we just finished up another rousing rendition of Monadnock Trails Week, where dozens of volunteers, buoyed by the support of local businesses and donors, continued the hard but somehow fun and unquestionably satisfying work of improving the trails of one of the world’s most-hiked mountains.

In the Belknaps, staff and volunteers have been engaging Mount Major hikers as our land protection and development staff have wrapped up adding another 683 protected acres around our nearby Morse Preserve. In Cornish and Plainfield, thanks to the vision and generosity of abutting landowners, the protected land around our Yatsevitch Forest Reservation continues to expand.

Wherever you go, wherever you live in New Hampshire, there we are. Thank you for making it so.

Jack Savage is the president of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. He can be reached by email at jsavage @forestsociety.org.

Trail Snaps The top shots from Monadnock Trails Week forestsociety.org/trailsweek22

Free Play in Nature A cool tradition returns on a hot day forestsociety.org/free-play

Spongy Moths’ Toll What’s next for New Hampshire forests? forestsociety.org/spongy-moths

“My cousin Molly and I are having a fantastic time paddling this summer. We’ve completed two of the suggested outings for the [Merrimack Paddle Challenge]; one of them several times. We enjoy seeing wildlife along the way. It has been very exciting seeing eagles several times and many other birds. We look forward to continuing this beautiful adventure—and picking up some trash along the way.” – Janet Lindonen (@janet_lindonen)

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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources. Basic annual membership fee is $40 and includes a subscription to Forest Notes. Editor: Ryan Smith Design & Production: The Secret Agency Printing: R.C. Brayshaw & Company, Inc. Forest Notes is printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from suppliers who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management. Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine. Copyright 2022 SPNHF. US ISSN: 0015 7457 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, N.H. 03301 | Phone: 603-224-9945 | Fax: 603-228-0423 info@forestsociety.org | forestsociety.org The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations: