Skip to main content

Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

Get our e-news!

Sign up

small nav

  • About Us
    • Staff
    • Board of Trustees
    • Our History
    • Contact Us
    • COVID-19 Updates
    • Partners
    • Business Members
    • Annual Reports
    • Bylaws
    • Policies
    • Conservation Center
    • Employment
  • log in
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Main menu

  • What we do
    • Land Conservation
    • Education & Events
    • Advocacy
    • Forestry & Recreation
    • News & Features
    • Forest Notes & More Publications
  • Current Projects
    • Mount Major Stewardship Fund
    • Forest Society North at The Rocks Campaign
    • Clay Brook Forest, Hampton Falls
    • Stillhouse Forest Addition, Northfield
    • Moose Mountains Expansion
    • Merrimack: River at Risk
    • Weeks Woods - Rene and Elizabeth Gilbert Tract, Gilford
  • Visit & Explore
    • The Rocks
    • Conservation Center
    • Forest Reservation Guide
  • Get Involved
    • Upcoming Events
    • Membership/Renewal
    • Support Our Work
    • Take Action
    • Volunteer
    • Subscribe to E-news
  • Search

Search form

Donate
Menu

News

  • Chestnut Orchard Volunteers Recognized for Service

    Anna Berry
    December 10, 2020

    Forest Society volunteers were honored with 2020 Spirit of New Hampshire awards, presented by Volunteer NH.

  • Remembering Rocks Volunteer Ann Gruczka

    Nigel Manley
    September 25, 2020

    Annie Gruczka was a volunteer at The Rocks for nearly 25 years and a member of the Bretzfelder Memorial Park Committee.

  • Volunteer Easement Monitoring Program Expands

    Emily Landry
    February 25, 2020

    To help the Easement Stewardship team monitor thousands of acres of conservation properties, the Volunteer Easement Monitoring Program (VEMP) was started in 2016. Since then, the program has been gradually expanding.

Forest Society Honors Ellen Kenny as Volunteer of the Year

Press Release: Kenny Named Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year at 119th Annual Meeting
October 8, 2020
Volunteers
Children from Broken Ground School pose during an outdoor lesson with Volunteer of the Year Ellen Kenny. (Photo: Emily Lord)
Children from Broken Ground School pose during an outdoor lesson at Mill Brook with Volunteer of the Year Ellen Kenny (second from right). (Photo: Emily Lord)

CONCORD, N.H. (Oct. 8, 2020)— Each year, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests announces the organization’s Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year Award at its Annual Meeting held in the fall. This annual award honors those exemplary people who have volunteered their time, resources, and energy to help the Forest Society achieve its mission. While this year’s meeting took place virtually, it did not take away from the meaning of one of the organization’s most prestigious recognitions. 

Ellen Kenny poses on the Conservation Center deck with her award.
Ellen Kenny, left, with her Volunteer of the Year award presented by Forest Society President Jack Savage (middle) and Senior Director of Education Dave Anderson (right).
At this year’s 119th Annual Meeting, the Forest Society was honored to present the Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year Award to Ellen Kenny of Concord. Kenny has been a monitor on the Merrimack River Outdoor Education and Conservation Area (Floodplain) for more than a decade, contributed her outstanding photographs for the Forest Society’s use, and she has been an advocate for the organization in the local community and beyond.  

“Ellen has incredible patience and an amazing eye for shooting wildlife photos,” states Carrie Deegan, director of volunteers and community engagement for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. “Her gift to the Forest Society is not only the time she volunteers to take photos and share wildlife stories, but also the time she spends with young people on our Floodplain property. Our staff have been beneficiaries of her connections to our increasingly diverse community of Concord neighbors. Ellen’s spirit and love for the outdoors is evident when you see her with her students.” 

Kenny assists the Forest Society daily with an early morning routine that includes opening the Floodplain parking lot gate for visitors. Her daybreak walks with camera in hand, have captured stunning photos of the plants, animals, and landscapes of the Merrimack River Floodplain. She has generously shared  permission to use these photos without cost or restrictions for the organization’s publications, e-newsletters, website, and social media. Among her subjects are seldom-seen animals like bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, nesting wood ducks, mink, beavers, and turtles. In recent years, Kenny has  accompanied her photos with written blogs about her experiences for the Forest Society’s website. 

As an English teacher at Broken Ground Elementary School, Kenny has helped engage a new generation of students with the Forest Society and the Merrimack River Floodplain. With many students from immigrant families and refugees from African and Asian nations, she has made it a priority to help them connect to their new homes in Concord by exploring the forest and riverbank of the Merrimack River Floodplain. She has created opportunities for students and her staff colleagues in summer school sessions to visit the Floodplain trails to both learn and enjoy unstructured time to swim, explore, and share. 

Footer menu

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests54 Portsmouth St.Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603.224.9945Fax: 603.228.0423info@forestsociety.org
Land Trust Alliance accreditation logo