Forest Society Blog - News & Features

As winter settles in, New Hampshire’s wildlife relies on time-tested strategies—from hibernation to snow-savvy movement—to survive the cold. But while this season feels especially harsh, long-term data from NOAA show winters are warming overall, with real consequences for forest ecosystems and the animals that depend on them.

The mascots of the 2026 Winter Olympics aren’t foxes or cats—they’re stoats, known here as winter ermine. As explored on Something Wild, these elusive New Hampshire natives are small, fierce, and perfectly adapted to snowy mountain life.

When beaver ponds freeze, winter opens rare access to places usually hidden—turning wetlands into temporary highways for people and wildlife alike. As heard on Something Wild, ice reveals a living landscape, from beaver lodges below to tracks and stories written across the snow.

Early winter in New Hampshire can feel stark and still, with short days, bitter winds, and frozen ground. Yet even in this quiet, the first signs of spring stir: a rose-pink dawn, a chickadee’s song, and the promise of golden maple sap waiting in the sugarhouse.

Seeing moths in the cold? They’re likely Bruce spanworm moths—a native species adapted to fly in chilly late fall, emerging after most insect-eating birds have left.

The Forest Society received three LCHIP grants as part of a $3.5 million statewide investment in land conservation and historic preservation announced by Governor Kelly Ayotte. Together, the grants will help conserve nearly 1,800 acres in Madbury, Nelson, and Springfield—protecting forests, wildlife habitat, and vital water resources across New Hampshire.

Dave reflects on how a childhood discovery—a bird’s nest hidden in a Christmas tree—sparked a lasting connection to nature, memory, and place. From suburban New Jersey to New Hampshire forests, it celebrates the quiet power of early encounters with the natural world.