Explore the Outdoors with the
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests invites the public to join Forest Society members on five concurrent field trips on Saturday, September 11. Offered in conjunction with the Forest Society’s annual meeting, most field trips will run from 10 am to 3 pm. (The organization’s formal annual meeting and dinner will follow later in the day.) Most field trips are free; see details below:
1. Historical Farms, Forest, and Frontage on the Piscataquog River
Tour conservation land in New Boston with the Forest Society and the Piscataquog Land Conservancy. We’ll drive to the conserved 75-acre Nixon property on Old Coach Road, where we’ll hike well-maintained trails to the South Branch of the Piscataquog River. After lunch at the New Boston Library on the banks of the South Branch, we’ll hike the Two Brooks Trail at the Alan and Edgar Rice Natural Area in Lyndeborough. This trip will be led by Paul Doscher from the Forest Society and Gordon Russell from the Piscataquog Land Conservancy. Difficulty: Moderate.
2. Hands on the Land: Two Families’ Love for the Land in Candia
Learn more about how an abiding love for the land has managed to keep this gateway to Candia green in the face of persistent development pressure. This trip will focus on the Forest Society’s Natt Emerson Forest, the Audubon Society’s Abe Emerson Marsh, and the Pearson Family Tree Farm in Candia. The Pearson family has harvested thousands of board feet of timber over the years. This working white pine tree farm is at the center of an area that has seen many changes. The trip will be led by Dan Sundquist from the Forest Society. Difficulty: Moderate.
3. Water Quality and Forest Management at Lake Massabesic
Find out how the Lake Massabesic watershed collects and stores rainfall to provide drinking water for 159,000 people in the region; learn about the wildlife lives on these 8,000 acres of land; and discover the role that active forest management plays in controlling water retention and runoff. These two trips are cosponsored by Manchester Water Works:
Option 3A: Walking Tour
Dave Anderson and Ken Stern from the Forest Society will join John O’Niel from Manchester Water Works on a walking tour to scenic Battery Point on Lake Massabesic, the site of a former historic hotel. Difficulty: Easy walking on level hiking trails.
Option 3B: Mountain Bike Tour
Join Forest Society staff and Friends of Massabesic Bicycling Association (FOMBA) on a bicycle tour around Little Massabesic Pond. BYO bicycle and gear, including helmet, water, clothing, etc. This trip will be led by Denise Vaillancourt and Chris Wells, both of the Forest Society, with Jack Chapman of FOMBA. Difficulty: Challenging.
4. Of Fruit and Fish: A Scenic Tour of Londonderry’s Conservation Lands
Explore Londonderry’s famed “Apple Way,” a state-designated scenic highway connecting the community’s apple orchards. This largely van-based tour will begin and end at Mack’s Apples, where you can pick your own or purchase apples, pies, cider, and more. Then join us on an easy walk through the Forest Society’s Bockes and Ingersoll Forest Reservation to a Native American fishery along Beaver Brook. Cosponsored by the Londonderry Conservation Commission, this trip will be led by Mike Speltz and Joyce El Kouarti, both of the Forest Society. Difficulty: Short, easy walks plus van transport provided by Londonderry Ford. Cost: $10 for transportation.
Space is limited, so register early. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register for a trip, visit www.forestsociety.org/thingstodo, email info@forestsociety.org, or call 603-224-9945. Field trip directions will be mailed or e-mailed with registration confirmation.
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. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.