Volume XXI Issue II Spring 2018 A Quarterly Publication for the Ossipee Watershed Published by the Green Mountain Conservation Group Memorial Concert to help raise funds for Blue Heron House A fundraising concert featuring church basement for folks to mingle, will be held on purchase David Mallett’s music, and Saturday May 12th at 7pm at The learn about GMCG. Little White Church in Eaton, New In addition to being a fundraiser for Hampshire to raise funds for the The Blue Heron House this special restoration of Green Mountain concert is also a memorial to the late Conservation Group’s new office, Esther Folts who was an avid Blue Heron House. This new supporter and volunteer with the conservation center is located directly organization. on the Ossipee River in Effingham “If the moon still moves the deep blue sea and will be GMCG’s new home. and rules the hearts of men Proceeds from the May 12th concert If the world keeps turning quietly, here will specifically fund shingles and we go again outside trim for the building. Upon If the winter grass turns April-green completion this new community when the rain begins to fall If there's water flowing from the stream space—the Charles and Patricia Watts there's hope for one and all” Conservation Center—will include a public meeting hall, educational Lyrics from “Hope for One and All” by classroom, the Stan and Gladys David Mallett www.davidmallett.com Brown Natural Resource Library, When: May 12th, 2018 office space for GMCG staff and the Larry and Jackie Leavitt Water Photo courtesy of David Mallett Quality Center. Known for his carefully written, poetic offerings, his body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, , Hal Ketchum, , and the Muppets.

The Little White Church is an intimate and delightful listening space and with David Mallett being a View of Blue Heron House entrance popular, well-loved musician in the David Mallett is an American folk local community GMCG hopes for a singer song writer hailing from well attended event to meet their . In a career spanning four fundraising goal of 150 attendees. Doors open 6pm, concert starts 7pm. decades, he has recorded 14 albums, David Mallett appeals to all ages and had several hundred covers of his we encourage you to join us with Where: The Little White Church is songs, including the American folk friends and family. Tickets are $25 located at 2371 Eaton Rd (Rt 153) IN classic Garden Song [Inch by Inch, and can be purchased online by Eaton Center. Row by Row] and performed in clubs, visiting www.gmcg.org, or in person concert halls and festivals across the at Mountain Top Music in Conway, Get tickets: $25 per person US, Canada and Europe. He has and The Other Store in Tamworth. Purchase online at www.gmcg.org Email [email protected] for more appeared on numerous broadcasts, Doors will open at 6pm and concert including National Public Radio’s A will start at 7pm. Following the information or call 603.539.1859

Prairie Home Companion. concert there will be a reception in the

The Watershed News The Watershed News Despite thankfulness we also offer condolences. . . The Watershed News is a quarterly publication of the Green Mountain By Blair Folts GMCG thanks all those who came Conservation Group, a non-profit, 501(c ) 3, charitable organization Executive Director out to celebrate this milestone event; established in 1997 and dedicated to the It is with great poignancy that I the committed citizens who have preservation of the natural resources in submit this note. On the one hand, I joined GMCG’s growing membership, the Ossipee Watershed. The towns of Eaton, Effingham, Freedom, Madison, write to thank the community for and the conservationists, state Ossipee, Sandwich and Tamworth make helping the Green Mountain agencies and local non-profit up the boundaries of the Ossipee Conservation Group celebrate its 20th organizations in New Hampshire and Watershed. This watershed includes one of the largest and deepest stratified drift Birthday at the Province Lake Golf Maine who work with us to protect the aquifers in New Hampshire. GMCG also Course and on the other hand I write shared natural resources of the partners across the Maine border into to express condolences to the new Ossipee Watershed. We are grateful Parsonsfield and beyond. Water does not have any political boundaries. (Carol and David Porter) and the for the generous support from the former (Arthur Little and Jann local business community who helped GMCG’s purpose is twofold: Leeming) owners of the Province fund the event including Huggins

1. To provide an organizational Lake Golf Course over the tragic fire Hospital, Constantino Real Estate, structure for a coalition of citizens there ---just five days after our Beam Construction and all the local and local officials interested in Annual Meeting celebration. businesses and individuals who identifying sensitive areas within the Watershed in need of Firstly, we extend a heartfelt thank donated items for the raffle and silent protection; you to everyone at the Restaurant at auction. Province Lake Golf for hosting a Despite so much gratitude, we also 2. To offer public educational events about conservation issues and fabulous celebration and all the extend our heartfelt condolences to possible solutions regarding the GMCG volunteers who helped make Carol and David Porter as well as preservation of unique natural the night such a success! For this Arthur Little and Jann Leeming on the resources. organization that began around a overwhelmingly tragic fire that Through research, education, advocacy kitchen table on the east side of Green leveled Province Lake Golf. For two and land conservation we strive to Mountain, the night’s celebration decades, GMCG has partnered with promote an awareness and appreciation of our watershed’s natural resources and proved to be a tribute to the amazing PLGC for some amazing events. I encourage a commitment to protect power of grassroots work that brought personally watched how hard Arthur them. a few dedicated folks together to and Jann worked to create a vision that

Board of Directors create GMCG. Over 120 people would enhance the historic quality of attended this event including the 100 year old buildings and yet at Blair Folts, President numerous water quality volunteers, the same time build in a more lasting Larry Wogman, Chairman Vacant, Vice Chairman past and current board members, and clientele. They worked to keep the Nancy Wogman, Treasurer municipal officials to name a few. course itself cozy and rural with an old Aysia Morency, Secretary All were treated to wonderful food fashioned feel and yet at the same time

Town Representatives prepared under the guidance of Sabin provided all the comforts of a modern Beckwith and his wonderful staff. golf course. They were happy to find Eaton, Kristine Foster-Carbone The evening was introduced by David and Carol Porter and their Effingham, Susan Slack Freedom, Alice Custard GMCG Board Chair, Larry Wogman shared passion for the community and Madison, Jay Buckley followed by short introductions from knew they would be a good fit as new Ossipee, Emilie Talpin GMCG staff, Karen Deighan, owners. Thanks to their introduction, Sandwich, Mark Longley Tamworth, Kit Morgan Education Coordinator, Moselle GMCG has also enjoyed a wonderful Maine, Peter Zack Spiller, Outreach Coordinator and partnership with the Porters and we finally Executive Director and co- truly felt that our event on March 3 Staff founder Blair Folts. Visitors were was our best Annual Meeting/ Executive Director, Blair Folts treated to raffles, silent auction and Birthday Celebration ever. With a then an interesting presentation by heavy heart, we say thank you for Education: Karen Deighan wildlife biologist, and longtime hosting us for so many years, thank Outreach: Moselle Spiller partner, Ellen Snyder. And as surreal you for a fantastic annual meeting and as this sounds, you can view so many please know that we are holding you wonderful images of the event on the all in our thoughts and prayers during GMCG Facebook page. this sad time.

2 TheThe Watershed Watershed News News 20th Annual Meeting celebrated two decades of community support

Twenty years is an important milestone hard work that involved research, town or community. This year’s awards for a non-profit particularly one with an education, advocacy and land protection. went to: Kingswood Regional High environmental focus. While Green The evening was interrupted by brief School for their efforts to lessen plastic Mountain Conservation Group was introductions to Board members, staff and in the school and do away with founded based on an issue that confronted key volunteers and then also with raffle Styrofoam trays in the lunch room and one of the Watershed Towns, within just a drawings from fun items donated by local buy reusable ones instead; Richard Fahy few months, founders recognized the businesses. And all the while, guests were from Ossipee for his efforts to speak up importance of the shared regional aquifer about need to protect the aquifer; Sabin and it quickly grew into a community Beckwith from Province Lake Golf and organization dedicated to working across his efforts to lessen plastic use at the political divides to protect shared water restaurant and on the course and to Tim resources across seven towns. White for his 20 years of amazing cartoons. After the traditional cake and singing of Happy Birthday, key note speaker, Ellen Snyder delivered an informative presentation on critters in the watershed ranging from small rodents to large mammals such as moose and bear. She touched briefly on the spread of Lyme Catering was provided by The Restaurant at Province Lake Disease by small rodents mainly the Volunteer Tim Otterbach greets guests white footed mouse. In this treated to incredible food overseen by presentation, Snyder explained that March 3 GMCG celebrated this 20th Sabin Beckwith who manages the kitchen. because of the spread of development Annual Meeting/ Birthday Party at the If the main room was too boisterous, you there is less biodiversity within the small Restaurant at Province Lake with many could always retreat to the Memory Room mammal population. Since the white former board members and former staff, where a slide presentation was running footed mouse is now taking center stage long time GMCG supporters, community and is also the main carrier of the members, water quality volunteers, land disease, NH is seeing an increase in trust committee volunteers, new residents Lyme in concert with development. Finally the board and volunteers honored Executive Director and founder, Blair Folts with a short video that Noreen Downs had asked Jean-Michel Cousteau to produce. In it he thanked her for her time, energy and vision in creating GMCG and following through with that vision for 20 years. It was a very different and special GMCG Board member Emilie Talpin, Dave Downs & Bill Huckins in the “Memory Annual Meeting and opened up the door Moselle Spiller, Outreach Coordinator and Room.” Photo courtesy of Emilie Talpin. to a new decade of conservation work in GMCG Secretary, sell raffle tickets. the Ossipee Watershed with hopefully a showing the rehab of the Blue Heron handful of new and younger voices to to the area and new and young board House. lead the way. members. Also on display were documents and With over 120 folks present, it was a reports created by GMCG over the past 20 wonderful time to toast to 20 years of years as well as brochures and information about all the different programs that this small organization has delivered to the community over the past two decades. One of the highlights of the night is the announcement of the Annual High Watch Award given by Executive Director Blair Folts. Created at the first board meeting in 1999 as a way to honor Charlie and Patricia Watts and how they inspired Blair to form GMCG, this award goes to members of the Watershed who have gone above and Noreen Downs thanks Blair Folts for WQM volunteer, Jim Pitman, performed. twenty years of service beyond to promote conservation in their

3 OAAC to host FREE Pancake breakfast with Steve Whitman The Ossipee Aquifer Advisory years and has come to be recognized by · To educate the public and to Committee is hosting a free Meet and his peers as a leader and innovator. assist in public awareness about Greet Breakfast featuring speaker and Steve also partnered with GMCG on the Ossipee Aquifer. natural resource planner Steve past projects such as the Natural · To work in an advisory capacity Whitman on May 5th from 8:30am to Resource Planning Guide and the with local municipalities, 11:00am at the Ossipee Town Hall in Ossipee Aquifer Protection Ordinance. agencies, board, and Ossipee, NH. His presentations have helped foster commissions within the Ossipee community collaboration. Watershed. The Ossipee Aquifer Advisory · To review and communicate any Committee (OAAC) is a newly formed potential impact on the Ossipee committee comprised of stakeholders Aquifer. from the seven towns across the The Ossipee Aquifer is the largest Ossipee Watershed. Over the course of stratified drift aquifer in New 2018 the committee hopes to foster the Hampshire. It is made up of sandy formation of an Aquifer Advisory soils and gravel particles. It has both Board that will include one to two a large storage capacity and high members from each town that will be recharge rates. These unique appointed by each town’s Board of characteristics also leave it Selectmen. Whitman at a 2006 Natural vulnerable to contamination. To learn The May 5th event will introduce the Resource Guide meeting. more please join us. first formal working session which will Pancake Breakfast be facilitated by Steve. Co-chairs will When: Saturday, May 5th Mr. Whitman is from Resilience be chosen and attendees will have a Time: 8:30 am to 11:00 Planning & Design in Plymouth, NH. chance to share their regional water Where: Ossipee Town Hall This is a New Hampshire based firm resource concerns. For Who: that provides collaborative planning, For folks learning about the OAAC, · All Municipal Officials; design and education services. Steve it is an advisory board inspired by the · Residents and homeowners; Whitman, has been working in the Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory · Interested stakeholders. public, non-profit, and private Committee (bpac.pvpc.org) and tasked sectors in New England for twenty with the following: For more information call 539-1859. GMCG and Carroll County 4-H to host EARTH DAY event GMCG is partnering with the Carroll County 4-H Youth The girls are leaders not only in 4-H, but also in their Leadership Team to host Earth Day 2018. The event will schools and community. The girls are inviting teens be held on Sunday, April 22 from 1:00 to 4:00pm at the aged 12 and up from across Carroll County to come to GMCG office, located at 196 Huntress Bridge Road, Earth Day to help clean up and have some fun. They are Effingham, NH. All ages are welcome to come help planning a game of Manhunt (teenager’s version of tag). celebrate Earth Day! The more teens that Earth Day is a global event held each year to support come the better! Of environmental protection. It was started in 1970 and is course families and kids the largest civic-focused day of action in the world. At of all ages are invited to GMCG, on April 22, Earth Day will be celebrated with the event and perhaps roadside clean-up, trail clean-up, educational exhibits, there could be a game of food, games, and more. Please bring gloves. tag for the younger kids. An exciting part of Earth Day this year is the partnership There will be time to between 4-H Youth Leaders and GMCG. The Carroll explore the woods, County 4-H Youth Leadership Team is a group of teen river, and hopefully the leaders dedicated to providing insight and support for the vernal pools if the snow direction of the NH 4-H program. The teen leaders for Sarah Huckman, Kailey Deighan & melts! Carroll County are Sarah Huckman, Helen Larowe, and Helen Larowe are 4H girls with YLT. FMI please call GMCG Kailey Deighan. at 539-1859.

4 The Watershed News Winter youth programs focus on TROUT and inspire Quilt Project

GMCG Education Coordinator, creates quilt squares and writes a Karen Deighan, is working with letter about the wonderful qualities two schools in the Watershed with of their watershed. This year the the national program, Trout in the theme is, adaptations. Classroom (TIC.) The letters and squares are Karen visited the Berlin Fish exchanged with schools from across Hatchery in early January. She the country. This gives students an picked up two batches of 400 fish opportunity to learn about different eggs and delivered one batch to the watersheds across the USA. When the program is over, the schools will each have 25 quilt squares from across the country and will be able to sew them together to make a quilt commemorating this experience.

Quilt Project in Local Schools to Student from Pennsylvania depicts celebrate GMCG’s 20th Birthday trout eating macroinvertebrate.

The Trout in the Classroom quilt What do you love about the project inspired GMCG to do another Ossipee Watershed? quilt project to celebrate their 20th GMCG 18-Month Calendar birthday. GMCG visited 5th grade GMCG is collecting original artwork from folks across the Tamworth student removes covering to watershed for use in an upcoming check on trout eggs. 18-month calendar. The calendar will be available for sale in August. Madison Elementary School and All ages are welcome to submit one batch to the KA Brett School in art pieces to GMCG. The artwork Tamworth. can be created on any size paper, The students have been caring using any medium. The theme is for the eggs, monitoring the water the Ossipee Watershed. Participants quality and temperature, and are invited to create anything to do watching the eggs develop into with water resources. Alevins. The next stage is trout. Quilt square by student from Pennsylvania Later this spring the students will classrooms across the watershed and release the trout in local streams. students created water themed quilt As part of TIC, students from squares. The squares will be sewn both schools are participating in a together as wall hangings for the new national program involving letter headquarters, Blue Heron House. writing and quilting. Each school

World Water Day artist Leigha Holzrichter shares her love of turtles.

The artwork can be turned in at any GMCG event. Visit gmcg.org for a listing of upcoming events. The deadline for submitting art is June 30th. You can also submit art via Student artist from Alaska shows bear by the Hatched trout eggs in the classroom. stream catching trout. email to [email protected].

5 The Watershed News Conservation Conversations

Editor’s Note: Conversations is Barry Conservation Camp in Berlin, welcome back Adam Weeks for his intended to provide a forum for the seven NH. Barry Camp is operated by the NH third year as program director. towns of the Ossipee Watershed to share Fish and Game Department. Two other news of their conservation and planning students will attend programs at the Tin Effingham activities and an opportunity to find The Effingham Conservation creative solutions to challenges. Mountain Conservation Center in Albany. TCC is also planning a vernal Commission is hosting “Keep Ossipee pool exploration in April, led by Effingham Litter Free.” This event The Ossipee Conservation Stephanie Doyle and Chris Conrad. will be held on Saturday, April 21 Commission (OCC) has coordinated from 8am to noon. This event is a with representatives from road side clean up and will end with the Towns of Freedom and a BBQ luncheon at the Municipal Effingham, in conjunction with NH Office at noon. Gloves and blue Lakes Association, to place a bags are available at the Effingham minimum of two Lake Hosts at lake Public Library and the Municipal boat launching ramps, on Route 25, Office. Special arrangements have Ossipee Lake as seen from Freedom been made at the Transfer Station and at Ossipee Lake Marina. If any looking towards Mt. Chocorua. GMCG Members, (or volunteers), for the collection of filled blue bags know of anyone who may be and accessories collected from interested in being a lake host, please Sandwich roadside. contact Tim Otterbach at The Sandwich Conservation ECC is sponsoring, once again, [email protected]. OCC is Commission is working to raise citizen the Earth Day Poster Contest. The also working on signage, parking, awareness of non-native invasive plant Earth Day Poster Contest is and maps for trails in Ossipee. species, particularly Japanese designed for all Effingham Knotweed, in the town. Under Elementary School (EES) Tamworth Commission sponsorship, Douglas students. This year’s topic is - The Tamworth Conservation Cynan, Invasive Species Coordinator “Trees are important to us and Commission (TCC) is pleased to for the NH Department of Agriculture, the Earth.” The completion date welcome Kit Morgan to the presented a well-attended talk about is the week of the Earth day. The board. Initially, Kit will serve as an invasive plants last spring. Commission ECC members judge the alternate member. They are pleased members distributed information about outstanding poster for each to have his experience, knowledge of the characteristics and control of several grade at their May meeting. the area, and a direct connection to invasive species at the 2018 Sandwich Each winner will receive a book GMCG. Town Meeting. award. The contest is an annual In other news, the TCC will Looking ahead to summer, the Earth Day EES event that has sponsor outdoor learning experiences Commission-sponsored and been sponsored by the ECC for for three local students this environmentally-focused Five Days of over two decades. summer. One student will attend the Sandwich program is pleased to GMCG partners with Chocorua Library for WORLD WATER DAY Every year, World Water Day Chocorua Library. Folks gathered at only .002% is drinkable. As (WWD) is celebrated on March 22 Runnells Hall for interactive GMCG’s mission states: across the world. WWD is about educational displays, music, and a “Healthy Water, focusing attention on the importance viewing of the documentary STRAWS. Healthy Communities.” of water. The theme for this year’s The documentary outlines how plastic WWD was Nature for Water. The straws contribute to water pollution idea is to encourage folks to explore particularly in the oceans and what nature-based solutions to the water consumers can do about it. challenges faced in the 21st century. Another activity unveiled at this Today 2.1 billion people live event was the announcement of the without safe drinking water. That is upcoming GMCG 18 month calendar. one in nine people. This affects their It is not too late for people to submit health, education, and livelihood. artwork. To learn more about this This year, GMCG celebrated the project please visit gmcg.org. Foster-Carbone Girls creating images event by partnering with the Water covers 2/3 of the Earth but for the GMCG calendar.

6 The Watershed News Save the Date! 2018 Spring Calendar Thursday, March 29, 2018 Ossipee Aquifer Advisory Committee meeting at 7:00pm at the Freight House, 1 Moultonville Road, Center Ossipee, NH. The public is invited to come to the meeting to learn more about how they can preserve the aquifer. The committee is seeking interested people to serve on the board.

Sunday, April 22, 2018, Earth Day from 1:00 to 4:00pm at Green Mountain Conservation Group, 196 Huntress Bridge Road, Effingham, NH. Join GMCG and the 4-H Youth Leadership Team for Earth Day Activities. There will be roadside and trail clean-up, a celebration of cabbage, games for teens, and social time for adults. A light lunch will be served. Join us for some earthy fun– you may want to bring some gloves.

Saturday, May 5, 2018, Meet and Greet Breakfast featuring speaker Steve Whitman at 8:30am at the Ossipee Town Hall, Ossipee, NH. Municipal officials and other stakeholders from Ossipee, Freedom, Tamworth, Madison, Eaton, Effingham, and Sandwich are invited to this pancake breakfast to meet one another and learn how everyone can work together to preserve water resources particularly the Ossipee aquifer.

Saturday, May 12, 2018, Blue Heron House Benefit concert featuring David Mallett from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Little White Church, Eaton Village, NH. Tickets are $25.00 and are on sale at all GMCG events, The Other Store in Tamworth, Mountain Top Music in Conway and at the GMCG office. FMI call GMCG at 539-1859.

Saturday, May 19, 2018, Dandelion Festival from 11am to 3pm at the Remick Museum in Tamworth, NH. This event is open to the public to learn about the lovely dandelion. GMCG will have an educational exhibit at this festival. The Remick Museum is charging for this event. Please visit remickmuseum.org for more information.

Monday, June 11, 2018, Woodland Discovery Series at 10:00 am (part one) at the Blue Heron House, 236 Huntress Bridge Road, Effingham, NH. Join GMCG staff and Natural Resources Field Specialist, Wendy Scribner for a nature walk to learn about native ferns. Other dates for this program are: Monday, July 1st at 10:00 for a mushroom walk and Monday, August 6th for an edible plants walk. FMI call GMCG at 539-1859.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018, Homeschool Day at the Blue Heron House from 10am to 12pm at 236 Huntress Bridge Road, Effingham, NH. For $2 homeschoolers are invited to enjoy 2 hours of nature. There will be science and art activities and self-guided nature trails. Individuals and groups are asked to RSVP at [email protected].

Wednesday, June 27th through Friday, June 29th, from 9 am to 3 pm, Blue Heron Science Day Camp, at the Blue Heron House, 236 Huntress Bridge Road, Effingham, NH. Integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and math, Students will make, build, and create around the theme: nature and water. This is a day camp for students age 8 to 12 and has a maximum capacity of 12. The cost is $150/$140 for members. Visit gmcg.org to register and hold your spot.

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, July 21st , Blue Heron House Ribbon Cutting and BBQ!

PLEASE! Renew your membership today! Every drop counts! Thank you!

(Please make checks payable to Green Mountain Conservation Group Box 95, Effingham, NH 03882) You may also donate online at www.gmcg.org/we-need-your-help/

Vernal Pool $25 Stream $50 River $75 Pond $100 Bay $250 Lake $500 Aquifer $1000 Other

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GMCG is a non-profit 501 (C)3 tax-exempt organization funded by grants, memberships, and donations.

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7 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Effingham, NH Permit No. 10

P.O. Box 95 196 Huntress Bridge Road Effingham, NH 03882 (603) 539-1859 The Watershed News www.gmcg.org Save the date!

MAY 12 David Mallett Benefit Concert Little White Church EATON

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