Nature Station, EcoTours Offer Fun and Knowledge

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Newfound Lake has the reputation of being the cleanest lake east of the Mississippi River, due in part to the steady exchange of water. Two rivers — the Cockermouth and the Fowler — feed into it, while there is a single outlet, the Newfound River.

The economic and housing development that has taken place across the region in recent decades has led to a concern that the lake’s pristine waters may become polluted — a concern that led to the creation of the Newfound Lake Region Association. The nonprofit’s mission is to protect the lake and improve the environmental health of the Newfound Region. The NLRA has worked with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in establishing water quality targets, expanding watershed health monitoring, and launching innovative protection efforts.

Along with stormwater management, invasive aquatic species management, land conservation, water quality monitoring, and watershed planning, the nonprofit organization has initiated educational and outreach efforts that include programs at the Grey Rocks Conservation Area in Hebron.

Grey Rocks is the site of a former marina whose owners designated it for conservation under the stewardship of the Newfound Lake Region Association. The NLRA has been undoing the commercial damage from the marina and restoring the property to more nat-

Perry Brothers Monuments

ural conditions. That includes creating a 1.5-mile trail system with bridges and signs identifying the flora and fauna one may encounter.

As part of those efforts, the organization has established the Nature Station, a series of programs that provide families and visitors with suggestions to focus upon as they explore the Grey Rocks Conservation Area. By connecting people to the wonders around them, NLRA is trying to inspire the next generation of stewards who will continue protecting Newfound Lake and its watershed in the future.

Each month, the Nature Station has a different topic — insects in June, soil and animal camouflage later in the season. The topic serves as the starting point, with the NLRA providing information and resources such as bird guides and loans of magnifying glasses. The Nature Station suggests activities to include in the tours and provides materials for a craft to take home.

Visitors exploring the Nature Station and the Grey Rocks trails do so at their own pace, while NLRA members are there to provide guidance and answer questions as needed. Mirka Zapletal, the education and outreach manager, said, “Hopefully, participants learn more about the ecology of Grey Rocks but also take that learning home to explore the areas more familiar to them.”

Nature Station is a drop-in program that is offered free and is open to all. Upcoming programs are:

Wednesday, June 14, and Saturday, June 17, educators will explore the insect community at Grey Rocks between 10 a.m. and noon. Insects, while they are not always appreciated, are an important part of the local ecosystem, as they pollinate flowers, feed other animals, and help clean up. Participants will observe the different roles that insects fill and investigate which insects are found at Grey Rocks. They also will make a bug hotel to take home.

On July 19 and 22, and again on August 9 and 12, September 20 and 23, and October 18 and 21, participants will learn about the plants and animals at Grey Rocks and make a craft to take home.

The NLRA also conducts EcoTours, pontoon boat rides that make two-hour loop around the lake, teaching guests

• Nature Station continued on page 28 about the history and ecology of Newfound Lake. The tour emphasizes the challenges and work necessary to support lake health.

One of the goals of the EcoTours is to help people get a sense of how the area around the lake has changed over time, including the farming, logging, and recreational use through the years. Leaders also discuss the threats to the lake’s water quality, including storm water and invasive species, and describe how the NLRA monitors those threats. Included in the tour is a water monitoring demonstration.

The goal of EcoTours is to give participants the experience that puts the lake in the context of the watershed, highlighting the work being done to keep Newfound a wonderful place to visit.

The organization also is collaborating with the Loon Preservation Committee to operate three Loon Cruises this summer. The special tours will feature a biologist from LPC and provide an in-depth look at loon biology and ecology in New Hampshire.

The Loon Cruises will take place on June 22, July 6, and August 10. Tours depart and return from the Grey Rocks Conservation Area at 178 North Shore Road, Hebron.

Additional activities offered by the organization are guided hikes and guided explorations within the Newfound Lake watershed.

The Newfound Lake Region Association is a member of the Newfound Land Conservation Partnership, a group that also includes local watershed residents, the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, the Society for the

Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the Nature Conservancy, and representatives of NH Audubon. Its focus is on the environmental value of land, providing information on stewardship and conservation.

The Partnership works with landowners in all five Newfound watershed towns, with a special focus on protecting land around the Alexandria aquifer, which serves as a drinking water supply and is the largest water source feeding into Newfound Lake through the Fowler River. That region also contains the Alexandria bog, a rich and productive habitat for wildlife and a natural water purifier.

The guided hikes are one way to help people enjoy the conserved land within the watershed. Volunteers lead hikes once a month in the conservation land around Newfound Lake, introducing participants to the resources and highlighting the work that has been done to place nearly 25 percent of the land in the watershed in conservation easements. The hikes include beautiful scenery and introduce people to trails they may not have taken before.

Martha Twombly, chair of the Newfound Land Conservation Partnership, will lead a hike through the Cockermouth Forest in Groton on Friday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to noon. The hike’s destination is “Little Pond,” a high-elevation wetland within one of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests’ eco-reserves. It is a moderate hike of about five miles.

The next hike is on Friday, July 14, in the Sugarloaf Ridge-Goose Pond Conservation Area in Alexandria, led by NLRA board member Parker Griffin. The tour will also take hikers to locations in Wellington State Park. There are some steep areas on an approximately four-mile hike.

Then, on Friday, August 11, Rob Moore, a former president of the Newfound Lake Region Association will lead a hike in Welton Falls State Forest in Alexandria. Moore has spent his life exploring the Newfound Watershed and will point out the features of the geologic gem that is Welton Falls, hidden in the hills of a sub-watershed stream of the Fowler River. It is a moderate hike of about 3.5 miles.

Vin Broderick, former director of Camp Pasquaney, will lead a hike and discuss the history of the camp, founded in 1895, on Friday, September 8. It is classified as an easy to moderate hike of about three miles.

Finally, on Friday, October 13, Twombly will lead another hike, in the Butman Family Forest of Alexandria. The hike will explore parts of a 500-acre conservation property that includes features such as a bog, cliffs, and foundation remains. It is a moderate hike of about three miles.

Dogs are not allowed on any of the hikes, all of which begin at 9 a.m.

In addition to the hikes, there are guided explorations on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Watershed stewards will lead the activities, including hikes and paddles, giving community members and visitors new ways to connect with nature.

The first guided exploration of the summer will take place on Thursday, June 15, during which participants will have a chance to visit vernal pools. Although the focus and format change each time, the small-group explorations will provide in-depth looks at specific facets of the larger environment — for example, the connection between water quality and aquatic life.

For further information, check out https://newfoundlake.org.