Forest Society Awarded Moose Plate Grant
to Improve Wildlife Habitat at The Rocks Estate
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests was recently awarded a $4,800 “Moose Plate” Conservation Grant from the New Hampshire State Conservation Committee. The Forest Society will use the grant to improve wildlife habitat at the Rocks Estate in Bethlehem.
The project, which will be carried out during summer 2010, involves the restoration of two former apple orchards at the Rocks Estate. Wild apples provide food and shelter for many wildlife species, including bear, deer, turkey, and a host of small mammals and birds. Totaling 7.5 acres, the former orchards will be cleared of competing vegetation via brontosaurus mower, then limed and fertilized. The apples will be pruned yearly to maximize fruit production for wildlife.
The project areas will serve as demonstration sites to raise awareness about wildlife habitat conservation and management. When the work is complete, educational workshops and guided tours for Forest Society members and the public will be offered at the Rocks Estate. An interpretive field trip for landowners interested in improving wildlife habitat on their own properties will be held on the improved site in late summer 2010. For more information, visit www.therocks.org.
Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the landmark 1,400-acre Rocks Estate includes numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, extensive walking paths, and 45 acres planted with Christmas trees. The Rocks sells 6,500 Christmas trees and 2,500 wreaths each year through mail order and on-site sales and participates in such programs as Trees for Troops, helping to provide Christmas trees to American soldiers throughout the country and the world.
Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry.