Bretzfelder Park Archives

Porcupine Facts and Myths at Bretzfelder Park

Join Nigel Manley, director of The Rocks, to learn about all things porcupines, including fun facts about their quills and why they have a knack for eating wood structures. You will learn about the species of porcupines that inhabit the world as well as the ones here in North America. Manley has tracked porcupines for several years at The Rocks, learning where they den and what they eat during winter months.

The program takes place at Bretzfelder Park in Bethlehem. Learn more at www.therocks.org.

The Trees of Bretzfelder Park

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests will host local naturalist David Govatski for a presentation titled “The Trees of Bretzfelder Park.” The free program is open to the public and is part of the annual summer Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series. It will begin at 7 p.m.

Learn howto identify the trees of Bretzfelder Park on this short walk at the park. You will learn the simple techniques to tell the difference between a red and sugar maple or a spruce and balsam fir. We will discuss why trees grow where they do and how to keep them healthy. We will look at the tools a forester uses for measuring the age and diameter of trees.

You will hear the story of the large white pine that is central to the Park where Charles Bretzfelder used to relax and listen to the brook and see the Tree Identification Trail which is open for use year round.

Govatski of Jefferson, NH, retired from the US Forest Service after a 33-year career as a Fire and Aviation Management Officer, Forester and Silviculturist. He worked in Colorado,Vermont, Michigan, Oregon, Maine and New Hampshire and has a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Unity College in Maine. He has a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Silviculture from the US Forest Service and has a strong interest in forest management and co-authored “Forests for the People: The Story of the Eastern National Forests.” His articles on forest history have appeared in several magazines and he is a frequent guest speaker and trip leader. He has worked as a ship naturalist in Alaska and Iceland and will be returning to Alaska in 2019 as a naturalist on the Inside Passage route.

Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org),Bretzfelder Park is managed in cooperation with the town of Bethlehem. The park,bequeathed to the Forest Society in 1984 by Helen Bretzfelder in memory of her father, Charles, houses a classroom, educational trails, a pond, and several picnic sites.

Two series of educational programs are held there each year, in winter and summer. The Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series will continue on February 20 of 2019.

For more information and a calendar of events please visit www.therocks.org,email us at [email protected], or call 603-444-6228.

“Don’t Take Rocks for Granite” at Bretzfelder Park

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and Linnea Manley will present “Don’t Take Rocks for Granite” at Bretzfelder Park.

The free program is part of the annual summer Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series. It is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m.

Have you ever gone on a hike and wondered “What type of rock is this?” Or “How did this rock form?” or “Where did this rock come from?” Join Manley as she discusses basic rock types and what rocks can tell you about the area you are hiking in. The talk will involve hands-on identification of rocks commonly found in Northern New England. Geared towards a younger audience the program is open to anyone who has ever picked up a rock and wondered “What is this?”

Manley, who grew up in Bethlehem, has her Bachelor’s degree in Geology and her Master’s in Environmental Science and Management. Her research focused mostly on ground water but her true passion is for geology. Manley is now a high school teacher in Middlebury, VT. In her free time she collects rocks, takes pictures and reads books.

Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org), Bretzfelder Park is managed in cooperation with the town of Bethlehem. The Park, bequeathed to the Forest Society in 1984 by Helen Bretzfelder in memory of her father, Charles, houses a classroom, educational trails, a pond, and several picnic sites.

Two series of educational programs are held there each year, in August and February. The Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series will continue on August 22 at 7 p.m. with a program by Dave Govatski about tree identification.

For more information and a calendar of events please visit www.therocks.org, email us at [email protected], or call 603-444-6

Squam Lakes Science Center Brings “Animal Sounds” to Bretzfelder Park

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center returns to Bretzfelder Park for a free program titled “Animal Sounds.”

Animals make sounds for a variety of reasons — to attract a mate, to defend their territory, to capture prey, or even to escape predators. Join a Squam Lakes Natural Science Center naturalist and three live animals native to New Hampshire to hear their sounds and discover the reasons behind them.

The program is part of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests’ Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series.

The program is interactive and designed to engage and educate audience members of all ages.

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (www.nhnature.org) is a non-profit organization in Holderness whose mission is to advance the understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world.

Through spectacular live animal exhibits, natural science education programs, and lake cruises, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center has educated and enlightened visitors for over 40 years about the natural world. The Science Center is the only institution in northern New England nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org),Bretzfelder Park is managed in cooperation with the town of Bethlehem. The Park, bequeathed to the Forest Society in 1984 by Helen Bretzfelder in memory of her father, Charles, houses a classroom, educational trails, a pond, and several picnic sites.

Two series of educational programs are held there each year, one in August and the other in February. The Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series continues Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. with a presentation by Linnea Manley, educator and geologist presenting “Don’t Take Rocks for Granite.” For more information and a calendar of events please visit www.therocks.org, email us at [email protected], or call 603-444-6228.

Live Music, Farm-to-Table Food at BretzfelderPark

Put on your dancing shoes and bring your appetite to Bretzfelder Park on August 1, when the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests will join forces with local favorites the Barnyard Pimps and Farm to Fire pizza for a fun-filled kick-off to the Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series.

The event begins at 6 p.m. and is free and open to all ages.

Formed in 2012 by local musicians,the Barnyard Pimps plays a mix of superbly danceable music, from rock and funk to soul and R&B. The group puts its own spin on cover songs from Led Zeppelin to Lucinda Williams and the Scissor Sisters to Alabama Shakes. The band includes vocalist Lindsay Adams, bassist Caleb Brooks, Sean Monahan on harmonica, Al Resta on drums, Chris Cote on trumpet and vocals, and Kevin Dickinson on guitar and vocals.

Joining the celebration – and feeding hungry dancers – will be Farm to Fire with its delicious wood-fired pizzas crafted with locally-sourced food. Monroe-based traveling pizza makers Jeff and Paula Geil and their crew will fire up the oven and offer a variety of Neapolitan-style pizzas, including their signature Maple Bacon pie: garlic and herb base, cheddar, bacon, caramelized onion, mozzarella, sliced apple, spinach and maple syrup.

“Pizza goes great with music and fun social gatherings,” said Paula Geil. “We’re proud to partner with the Forest Society and Bretzfelder Park to bring our delicious wood-fired pizza to their outdoor music venue.”

The music is free, and pizzas range in price from $10 to$15.

“This will be a great way to open the summer session of our Bretzfelder Series,” said Nigel Manley, director of North Country properties for the Forest Society. “The band is fantastically fun, and the Farm to Fire pizza always receives rave reviews. Everyone will have a great time.”

Two series of educational programs are held there each year, one in August and the other in February. The Bretzfelder Park Family Educational Series continues August 8 at 7 p.m. with a presentation on Animal Sounds by the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

For more information and a calendar of events please visit www.therocks.org, emailus at [email protected], or call 603-444-6228.

Tracking in South Africa: Presentation at Bretzfelder Park

Join us as a NH wildlife specialist shares tales of her South African tracking expedition in this wonderful evening presentation!

Black bear specialist Nancy Comeau has spent a lifetime tracking animals and trying to fit together wildlife puzzles from the hints animals leave in their travels. On May 16, Nancy and Karen Gordon, her partner in adventuring, will share photos and stories of a distinctly different tracking experience: a two-week expedition through South Africa.

The free presentation will begin at7 p.m. at Bretzfelder Park in Bethlehem.

“I started following my dad through the woods at an age when I could barely see over the ferns. He had a great appreciation for wildlife, which he shared with me, so it was a natural progression for me to pursue a career in wildlife,” says Comeau, who is a black bear technician with the USDA Wildlife Services. “I have always enjoyed trying to figure out animal tracks and sign.”

Always open to learning more, Comeau and Gordon completed a nine-month tracking apprenticeship through White Pine Programs in Maine. When White Pine assembled a 14-day tracking and trailing expedition to South Africa in 2016, Comeau and Gordon immediately signed on.

“Led by two of South Africa’s leading trackers and guides, we traveled through three different diverse and amazing habitats and lodged in private bush camps,” Comeau said. “We spent our days tracking and trailing lions, leopards, elephants, both white and black rhino, and many other species. We definitely had a couple of what I like to call ‘exhilarating moments.’”

They will share some of those moments with participants in the May 16 discussion at Bretzfelder Park.

Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org), Bretzfelder Park is managed in cooperation with the town of Bethlehem. The park, bequeathed to the Forest Society in 1984 by Helen Bretzfelder in memory of herf ather, Charles, houses a classroom, educational trails, a pond, and several picnic sites.

For more information and a calendar of events, please visit www.therocks.org,e-mail [email protected], or call603-444-6228.