Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series

Trees in spring and the organizer's logos.

 

Cottrell-Baldwin Series 2024

The Forest Society, along with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, presents the annual Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture series, with topics that touch on historic preservation, wildlife, and land conservation. The series takes place Tuesdays, in March and April from 7-8:30 p.m., at Fox Forest’s Henry I. Baldwin Environmental Center in Hillsborough. 

Discussions of old growth forests; fading winter weather and the challenges and opportunities of forest carbon are widespread nowadays. 

Has the difference between carbon sequestration and carbon storage got you perplexed? What are the benefits of old growth vs young forests? What are the opportunities for wood construction and carbon storage? 

This year’s Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series, presented in partnership with the NH Division of Forests and Lands will focus on forests young and old, fading winters, forest carbon and a range of durable local wood products in a time of increasing public concern for both forests and climate. The series is free and open to the public; however, advance registration is requested to make the check-in process quicker. The series is held at the Henry I. Baldwin Environmental Center at Fox State Forest, 309 Center Road, in Hillsborough. Learn more and register for programs below. 

 

Tuesday, March 19 at 7 PM: REGISTER HERE

“The Forgotten Forest Primeval,” A film by New England Forest Films

Join us for a film screening (35 minutes) and follow-up discussion with ecologist Jessica Bouchard

There is renewed interest in remaining old growth or “primeval” forests in New England. Learn about the history of one rare old growth forest at Mount Sunapee State Park in Newbury, NH. The original campaign to purchase and protect Mount Sunapee by Herbert Welsh of Sunapee and Philip Ayers of the Forest Society took place in 1912. The “rediscovery” of old growth a century later by ecologist Chris Kane includes potential to find additional areas. Join us for a film screening and discussion. Following the screening, NH Natural Heritage ecologist Jessica Bouchard will answer questions on old forests and the history of Natural Heritage old forest inventories at Mt. Sunapee.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Jessica Bouchard is an Ecologist with the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau (NH NHB). The ecologists and botanists in NHB analyze data on the status, location, and distribution of rare or declining native plant species and natural communities to protect NH’s biodiversity. Jessica has worked to locate and confirm new sites of old forest in the state, performs rare plant surveys, and assesses the ecological integrity of natural communities. She has a background in environmental regulation, plant conservation biology, and genetics. Jessica has a M.S. in Plant Science and Biotechnology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a B.A. in Biology from Rutgers University.

 

Tuesday March 26 at 7 PM: REGISTER HERE

Remember Winter Film Screening & Discussion with filmmaker Gabriel Andrus

Remember Winter follows adventure filmmaker Gabriel Andrus's attempt to cross-country ski the length of New Hampshire. Inspired by childhood memories growing up in NH and by conversations with his grandpa about his observations of winter, the film features interviews with locals and experts alike to further understand how this beloved season is changing. Remember Winter is a project that comes from the heart.

Gabriel writes: “Growing up in rural southwestern NH, I spent nearly all of my time outside. Running around the woods and playing in the snow that’s still what I do now! When I wasn’t building snow forts or riding our family’s old snowmobile, I could be found skiing at the local ski areas or racing for my school’s cross-country ski team. Through all these experiences and countless hours spent in the snow, I have developed a deep love and appreciation for the season of winter that I want to share with others.” Join Gabriel for a film screening and discussion.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: 

Gabriel Andrus grew up amid babbling brooks and undulating hills of Walpole, New Hampshire. Through work in guiding and outdoor education, Gabriel fostered deep connections to the natural world. This sense of connection to the landscape and the people within it is at the beating heart of his creative work and is what inspired Gabriel to step into the world of filmmaking. Learn more about Gabriel and the film and watch the trailer below.

 

Tuesday, April 2 at  7 PM: REGISTER HERE

"A Forest Carbon Primer" with Professor Tony D'Amato

The role of forests as natural climate solutions given their ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it has gained increased attention over the past several years. This presentation by University of Vermont Professor Tony D’Amato will review the basics of forest carbon and how the management decisions we make influence this critical forest benefit.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Tony D’Amato, Professor of Silviculture and Applied Forest Ecology and Director of the Forestry Program at the University of Vermont. Tony is co-author of Forest Carbon, An essential natural solution for climate change. His research focuses on long-term forest dynamics, disturbance effects on ecosystem structure and function, and silvicultural strategies for conferring adaptation potential within the context of global change, including introduced insects and diseases.

 

Tuesday, April 9 at  7 PM: REGISTER HERE

"The Promise of Building Big with Wood: An Environmental and Economic Answer," with speaker Andy Fast

Building construction is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change – can wood - local wood, provide an alternative? Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), a type of mass timber, is a “new” wood building product that is touted as a substitute for fossil fuel intensive building materials such as concrete and steel. There is tremendous potential for CLT to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings while benefiting the regional New England forest economy. Come find out: just what is mass timber? Why is CLT viewed as a promising building product? What is the status of CLT made from local wood species? Why should you care? Hint – Mass Timber IS carbon storage!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Andy Fast, UNH Cooperative Extension Forest Industry Specialist. Andy joined Cooperative Extension as an Extension County Forester in 2008. He has experience in a range of land management related positions in the northeast and western United States with the U.S. Forest Service, Marin Conservation Corps, and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. He has a M.S. in Natural Resource with a concentration in Forestry from the University of New Hampshire.

 

About the Cottrell-Baldwin Series

 

Full capacity crowds have packed Fox Forest classroom in past years. (Photo: Dave Anderson)


The annual Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series takes place at the Caroline A. Fox Research & Demonstration Forest in Hillsborough, featuring a variety of experts on topics ranging from foraging for edible plants to restoring wildlife habitat. The lecture series honors the environmental and scholarly legacies of Hillsborough residents Annette and William Cottrell, as well as that of New Hampshire’s first research forester, Henry Ives Baldwin. The annual series is co-sponsored by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the NH Division of Forests & Lands Caroline A. Fox Research & Demonstration Forest.

2023

  • Tues, March 21 at 7 PM: Covered Bridges of NH with Researcher & Photographer Kim Varney Chandler
  • Tues, March 28 at 7 PM: Black Bears: Understanding and Controlling Human-Bear Conflicts with Andy Timmins, NH Fish & Game Biologist
  • Tues, April 4 at 7 PM: Ten Years and a Dozen Porcupines – An Informal Study with speakers Ann Eldridge & Bill Duffy
  • Tues, April 11 at 7 PM: This Land Was Saved for You and Me with Author Jeffrey Ryan

2021

April 6: Fresh Water Connections with Jim Rousmaniere

In this pre-recorded presentation, journalist and historian Jim Rousmaniere explores the many relationships between inland waters and surrounding lands. As was expressed in the constitutional logic behind the Weeks Act that led to the protection of the White Mountains, land and water are connected. This presentation is based partly on research that went into Rousmaniere's "Water Connections" (a non-fiction book published in 2019 about what inland waters mean to us and what we mean to water). The talk explores recent experiences involving contamination, floods, stream crossings and citizen action, among other topics.

Learn more:

 

March 30: Edible Wild Plants of the Granite State with Russ Cohen, author of "Wild Plants I Have Known... and Eaten."

In this virtual education program, Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of, "Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten," shares his knowledge of #ediblewildplants. The Granite State is home to over 100 species, some of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. Connect with over 40 of the tastiest species the region has to offer — ranging from plants everyone knows, like Daisies and Dandelions, to plants you may never have even heard of, like Calamus and Carrion Flower. The presentation covers identification tips, edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, along with general guidelines for safe and environmentally responsible foraging. Learn about native edible plants raised from seed and partnerships with conservation groups to add edible native plants to the landscape.

Learn more:

 

March 23: New England Cottontail Restoration with Heidi Holman, NH Fish and Game Department Wildlife Diversity Biologist

In this pre-recorded presentation, Heidi Holman, Wildlife Diversity Biologist at NH Fish & Game, will look at 10 years of hard work to restore the native cottontail. Until recently, the New England cottontail was a candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. For years, shrubby thickets and young forests, primary habitat for the species, has declined due to changes in human land use. Since 2008, hundreds of partners from state and federal agencies, municipalities, conservation organizations, zoos and private land owners have been working together across the historical NE cottontail range on a recovery effort to reverse the decline and bring back our native rabbit while providing benefits to over 60 other species that live in these habitats. (Photo: NH Fish & Game)

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March 16, 2021: Trout Stream Restoration with John Magee, Fish Habitat Biologist, NH Fish and Game Department

Streams and riparian forests are dynamic, changing dramatically over decades. Research in the last 30 years sheds light on the interconnections of streams and riparian areas as integral parts of stream ecosystems. Research demonstrates the importance of wood in streams to fish habitat and nutrient cycling and emerging information on the role of light on the productivity of stream ecosystems. Learn about research in NH and beyond on fish habitat, instream wood and what we may expect in the coming decades as our forests age. John will share stream restoration projects that use knowledge of stream and riparian processes to restore health to formerly degraded ecosystems.

Learn more: