Field Trips and Events
Come explore New Hampshire and rediscover what makes living here so special! The Forest Society offers a full program of fun, educational field trips, workshops and events designed to meet your interests and celebrate the people and places of this great state.
Choose from a wide range of activities – for all ability levels – held throughout the state.
Saturday, February 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Snow date Sunday, February 14
Bound Tree Forest, Warner
Join the Warner Conservation Commission and the Forest Society on a naturalist-led snowshoe trek to celebrate the recent conservation of the 374-acre Bound Tree Forest in the Mink Hills. Valentine's Day is reliable for deep snow, and love is in the air as foxes, coyotes, bobcats, fishers, weasels, mink, otter, squirrels, and skunks begin breeding as the days grow longer. This moderate snowshoe excursion will follow snowmobile trails and skid roads and includes off-trail exploration to provide a midwinter snowshoe adventure. Along the way, we'll discuss winter wildlife ecology. BYO lunch, cocoa, and snowshoes.
Saturday February 27, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Snow date Sunday, February 28
Canterbury
Once proposed as the site for a regional solid waste landfill, this 294-acre property is now proposed for permanent conservation. With two miles of frontage on the Merrimack River, 26 acres of wetlands, and rare sand plain, floodplain and river bluff communities, the land is full of interesting natural and cultural assets. We'll hike down old floodplain terraces to the river, and, with the right amount of snow, the abundant riparian wildlife will make for great tracking as well. This moderate, 2-3 mile hike is co-sponsored by the Canterbury Conservation Commission.
| Field Trip Difficulty Ratings |
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Easy, level walking |
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Moderately strenuous terrain with some hills |
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Strenuous; Uphill climb or bushwacking involved |
January, February, and March
Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Rocks Estate, Bethlehem
Sled dog tours are a great way to see the trail system at The Rocks Estate, which meanders above an apple orchard, skirts a beaver pond, and runs past several of the estate's historic buildings. Led by Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, each provides opportunities to interact with the dogs and learn the history and culture of dog sledding. Additional days offered during the last two weeks of February. Cost: $225-$275 for a 90-minute tour for two. Advance reservations required; call 603-444-6228.
March 13, 20, 21, 27, 28 and April 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Rocks Estate, Bethlehem
Maple sugaring marks the end of a long New Hampshire winter and brings bright thoughts of spring. Join us to hear the legend of how maple sugaring began, discover why sap flows, and find out how to identify a tree. Enjoy a horse-drawn wagon, help tap a maple tree, and learn the process of how sap changes to syrup. Tour includes a donut, sour pickles, and maple syrup.
New this year is the New Hampshire Maple Museum, which is included in the cost of entry. This rotating exhibit of maple artifacts can be viewed throughout the year in the newly renovated Sawmill-Pigpen building.
Cost: Adults $10; children $7. Reservations recommended. For information call The Rocks Estate at 603-444-6228.
Sunday, March 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Conservation Center, Concord
Rocks Estate Manager Nigel Manley will give a basic introduction to releasing and pruning wild apple trees during an indoor classroom session followed by outdoor field practice. Bring a bag lunch and dress appropriately for the weather. Pruning tools provided, but feel free to bring your own hand saws, pruners or loppers if you have them!
Saturday, April 10
John Stark Regional High School, Weare
Saving Special Places 2010 will be held on Saturday, April 10 at John Stark Regional High School in Weare, NH.
Watch the CLCA website for details as they become available.
Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Bretzfelder Park is managed in cooperation with the town of Bethlehem. Bequeathed to the Forest Society in 1984 by Helen Bretzfelder in memory of her father Charles, the park houses a classroom, educational trails, a pond, and several picnic sites. Two series of free public educational programs are held there each year in August and February. For more information, visit www.therocks.org or call 603-444-6228.
Wednesday, February 10
Many Bethlehem residents made their living by providing goods and services to the visiting summer people during an era that lasted into the 1930s. Bethlehem native and Heritage Society Historian Paul Hudson will take participants back to an era of great prosperity and serenity in this little town nestled in the White Mountains.
Wednesday, February 17
One of the region's largest hawks is making a comeback in the forests of New Hampshire. Wildlife biologist Chris Costello will lead a discussion on the natural history of this forest-dwelling raptor, which preys on animals as small as squirrels and as large as woodchucks.
Wednesday, February 24
Tanya Tellman, a Forest Society member and volunteer at The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, will present a photo essay on the 2,128-acre Washburn Family Forest, the Forest Society's largest North Country property. Tellman will explore the forest's diverse habitat, multi-use trail system, and wildlife enhancement efforts.
Exhibits are open for viewing weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A percentage of
sales will benefit the work of the Forest Society.
Please call 603-224-9945 before visiting as the
exhibit room may be in use. It also serves as a meeting space.
Monday, December 21 through Friday, February 12
Focusing upon the natural world and landscape, Linda Maloney's photographs include a watercolor edge and an uncommon viewpoint. Maloney's digital photography encourages the viewer to see the many layers that a simple landscape can hold. Using minimal editing, the artist works to capture what she sees and represent it in a way that makes the viewer work harder to understand the subject.
Wednesday, February 17 through Friday, April 16
Eddie Durrett's Painted New England: Digital Brushes exhibit will be on display from Wednesday, February 17 through Friday, April 16 at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests' Conservation Center in Concord, NH. These digital oil paintings are from original photographs and capture the essence of scenic New Hampshire and New England as if oil paintings on board and canvas.
