Field Trip Information
Details, including directions to meeting sites and what to bring, will be sent with confirmation of your registration.
Field Trip 1: The Glaciers & Wolves of Mount Monadnock
Mt. Monadnock, Jaffrey, NH; Friday 9:30am – 4:30pm; $60 (includes State Park Fee);
Limit: 10
Monadnock is one of the most climbed mountains in the world, second only to Mount Fuji in Japan, yet few of those who climb it know its many stories. Join noted author, musician and storyteller Steve Schuch on a unique exploration back in time. We'll be hiking the lesser-used trails up the southeast slope of Monadnock, learning about the mountain's history and geology along the way. Lunch will include solo time for journal writing. Steve will also perform his historical song trilogy, “The Wolves of Mount Monadnock” en route. This is a strenuous 6-7 hour hike, and participants must be prepared. The mountain can be very windy above treeline with weather changing rapidly.
Suggested Reading: Where the Mountain Stands Alone: Stories of Place in the Monadnock Region, edited by Howard Mansfield; A Time before New Hampshire by Michael Caduto; Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez.
Steve Schuch's credits include PBS soundtracks, five national book awards for “A Symphony of Whales,” and the Parents Choice Gold Award for his recording, “Trees of Life.” He has hiked Monadnock in every season, and three times by moonlight.
Field Trip 2: Lake Nubanusit and Spoonwood Pond Paddle - FULL
Hancock, NH; Friday 1:00pm – 4:00pm; $15; some canoe/kayak spaces available and participants are welcome to bring their own.
Paddle Nubanusit and Spoonwood with Harris Center teacher/naturalists Janet Altobello and Susie Spikol. The 715-acre, crescent-shaped Lake Nubanusit creates a loop with the smaller, 167-acre Spoonwood Pond, which is circled by conservation lands. These hidden jewels of southern New Hampshire boast remarkably clear, pristine waters. Hear the local human history and natural history stories of Nubie and Spoonwood, from nesting eagles, to ancient arrowheads, to the amazing land protection tale of the Greengate. Search the waters and shores for such local characters as loons, mergansers and bald eagles.
This field trip is FULL
Field Trip 3: Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory and Air Quality Hike
Peterborough, NH; Friday 10:30am – 2:30pm; $18 (includes State Park Fee); Limit: 15
Join local birding columnist and Audubon Society of New Hampshire trustee Francie Von Mertens in this leisurely 40-minute hike up to Miller State Park atop Pack Monadnock in Peterborough. We’ll have lunch at the top and hawk watch at NH Audubon's staffed raptor observatory. The group will also meet with NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) staff to learn about the air quality monitoring station located on the peak.
Field Trip 4: Citizen Science – Invasive Species and Old Growth
Pisgah State Park, Winchester, NH; Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm; $30, Limit: 14
Discover Pisgah, New Hampshire's largest state park, with the staff of Ashuelot Valley Environmental Observatory. AVEO links citizens with professional scientists to gather ecological data aimed at protecting and restoring the environment of southwest New Hampshire. We are conducting an invasive plant species inventory to inform a comprehensive management plan for the park, and you can try your eye at this latest citizen science effort. Come explore the diverse communities of Pisgah, including stands of old-growth forest. Moderately strenuous, 5-1/2 hour hike.
Field Trip 5: The Lost Village of Hancock - Where Place Meets Ecology, History and Mystery
Sargent Center, Hancock, NH; Friday 1:00pm - 4:00pm; $15, Limit: 25
Join The Nature Conservancy’s Eric Aldrich on a tour of a nearby "lost village” – woodlands that were cleared, settled, and later abandoned. Old foundations, stone walls and the forest itself hold many stories of the people who have influenced the land. This small collection of cellar holes holds the stories of one place’s ecological changes, and of human drama like big dreams, hard lives, poverty, alcoholism, race, sex and religious tensions. The village is now reclaimed by the forest and protected by the Harris Center for Conservation Education. Eric will discuss ways to mine rich human histories out of places that are now woods. Ten-minute drive from the Sargent Center; easy hiking.