Tag: The Rocks

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.”

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 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.

Mountain Bike Tour at Washburn Family Forest

The Washburn Family Forest in Clarksville is a 2,128 acre property with 6 miles of frontage along the Connecticut River.  Protected in 2008, this property boasts 17 miles of well maintained gravel woods roads just waiting to be explored on mountain bikes!  Come and enjoy an easy mountain bike ride (no single track or technical sections) through some beautiful forest.  Bring your own bike and gear, snacks/lunch and plenty of water.  Meet at the Washburn Family Forest Parking area on Route 3 in Clarksville (on the east side of Route 3 just before the bridge that enters Pittsburg).  No RSVP necessary; questions should be directed to Nigel Manley at [email protected].

The Rocks to Host Author Tom Ryan & Dogs Samwise & Emily

Hikers and animal lovers, mark your calendars! Writer Tom Ryan and his canine companions Samwise and Emily visit The Rocks Estate to discuss their adventures, and some of the stories from “Will’s Red Coat,” his new book.

An admission fee of $10 per person will be earmarked for improvements to the events room in the main building at The Rocks. Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, The Rocks serves as the Society’s North Country Conservation & Education Center.

Tom Ryan lives in Jackson, N.H., and is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, “Following Atticus.” During the winter of 2007, Ryan and his dog, Atticus M. Finch, climbed 81 4,000-foot peaks, raising several thousand dollars for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute along the way. The following winter, the pair climbed 66 4,000-foot peaks and raised funds for the Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain, Mass. Their fundraising efforts garnered Ryan and Atticus induction to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Hall of Fame as recipients of the organization’s “Human Hero of the Year Award.” Ryan and Atticus also received the “Humane-itarian Award” from the Massachusetts School of Law.

Tom and Atticus adopted an elderly, special needs dog named William Lloyd Garrison – “Will,” for short. Will thrived in the companionship of Tom and Atticus, leading to their receipt of the Massachusetts School of Law Humanitarian Award. Ryan’s second book was “Will’s Red Coat: The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again.”

The Rocks is the North Country Conservation & Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org). The Forest Society is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its natural resources. The landmark 1,400-acre property The Rocks includes numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers Agri- and Eco-tourism opportunities throughout the year. For more information please visit www.therocks.org For reservations and other inquiries e-mail [email protected] or call 603-444-6228.

Wildflower & History Walk at The Rocks Estate

The Rocks kicks off the summer season with a Wildflower Walk on June 3. The walk, from 9 – 11:30 a.m. will feature the intriguing history of The Rocks and the flora growing around the Historic Mile Path.

The guided tour at The Rocks will take place on the Historic Mile Path, an area normally off-limits to visitors. Led by Rocks Director and farmer Nigel Manley and wildflower enthusiast Ginny Jeffryes, the tour will include discussion of the property’s storied history, the array of plants growing there, and the forestry work done as part of the property’s long-range forest management plan.

“Guests will get to see some of the favorite places of the Glessner family, who built The Rocks and spent many summers here,” said Manley. “We’ll also explain the forestry work done the past few winters as part of our ongoing effort to protect the cultural sites here and to enhance wildlife habitat on the property.”

Manley recommends reserving a spot for the morning tour. The tour allows only 15 people, and they generally fill quickly. The walk will begin from the parking lot behind the barn at The Rocks. For more information, program times and to reserve a place on the tour, please visit www.therocks.org, e-mail [email protected], or call 603-444-6228.

The Rocks is the North Country Conservation & Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org). The Forest Society is non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its natural resources.

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.