Save the Date! OysterPALOOZA 9/23/12

The WRWC will host another children's craft during this event, come check it all out!

Summer on the Winnicut

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Invasive Plant 'Pull' on Weeks Conservation Land

The WRWC coordinated an invasive plant pull for the Weeks Brick House & Gardens (WBHG) on July 21st, made entirely possible by the volunteerism of Boy Scout Troop 158 and WBGH member Steve Pike. 

With 30+ acres of land conserved for public enjoyment, every individual pull leads towards a healthier and more diverse "little piece of heaven in Greenland."  Interested in contributing to this effort?  Join the WBHG for the next 'pull' on September 8th at 9AM by contacting the WRWC at winnicut@gmail.com

The Crew:  Many thanks to this hardworking crew!  From left to right: Joseph Riggle, Adrian Whitford, Rick Mauer, Andrew Fogarty, Will Mauer, Chris Riggle, Brian Fogarty, Debbie Fogarty, and Steve Pike.  Photos by WBHG member Amanda Nelson.

The Tool: 'Weed Wrenches' are on loan through the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for any and all to use, whether neighborhood association, non-profit, Conservation Commission, or individual!

Adrian and Andrew about to rip out some invasive glossy buckthorn!

The arrow is pointing to a stem of buckthorn clamped bewteen the wrench's teeth.  A little body weight on the lever, and out come the roots! 

Scouts Joseph, Will, Adrian and Andrew clearing invasive glossy buckthorn from conservation land.  

  

Chris Riggle joins in...

Nothing wrong with a little additional human effort!!

Steve Pike in camouflage....

Now that's a root ball!

Thanks everyone -- your help made a difference!

SAVE THE DATE! Winnicut River Restoration and Fish Pass OPEN HOUSE on JULY 21, 2012

SAVE THE DATE!  From 10-2 on Saturday, July 21st, visit the 'River Restoration and Fish Pass Open House' at the former dam site in Greenland on Rte 33!  Participating groups include:

Winnicut River Watershed Coalition
New Hampshire Rivers Council
CLF's Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper
NH Fish and Game, Marine Fisheries Division
Great Bay Trout Unlimited
NH DES Coastal Program

LOOK FOR OUR TENTS!  We'll be on the east side of the river; use the newly installed gravel driveway located on the north side of Rte 33 (left just before the Country View Restaurant heading east).  There will be a free, fun, creative activity for children, a native plant ID contest, items for sale, and loads of updates on the great work that these participating groups have been doing within the Winnicut River watershed (area of land that drains to the Winnicut River)!  Parking may be limited, so please be mindful!

FOLLOWING the Open House, the WRWC will head up to the Commons on Post Road to participate in the 22nd annual  community event from 2-6 PM!

We'll offer a fun, unique children's craft to make, a raffle on a 60-gal rotating compost bin and 60-gal rain barrel, and loads of informative handouts on all kinds of conservation efforts going on locally.  We'll also have wildflower-garden gifts to give away on a first-some first-serve basis!  See you then!

March: In like a lion (or was it really a lamb?), out like a...wobbly woodcock!

Greetings!  In our first post since wrapping up last year's sampling effort, we're pleased to provide this fantastic shot of an American woodcock that we stumbled upon while collecting data at a Greenland stormwater-outfall site last week.  Have you ever been timberdoodling and heard their unique "peent" call on the ground, or the distinct wing whistling as they fly in a spiral overhead?  As for the wobbling, they are most peculiar in the way that they rock back and forth as they step along in the underbrush.  Their wobbling is sometimes thought to be a way for uprooting worms (their primary source of food), but knowing how close we were to this little creature, it's suspected that they do so as a camouflage strategy--one that is quite amusing!  It resembled leaf litter in the wind!

As for WRWC volunteers, we, too, are a bit wobbly and needing to stretch our wings outdoors.  A perfect opportunity came along when Dr. Steve Jones from the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory approached the WRWC for help on a study to assess citizen involvement in local stormwater monitoring.  Steve is the project coordinator for the Citizen Research Volunteers program, which is based out of the Lab.  For more information, or to volunteer a couple hours once a week for the next 4-6 rounds, contact us!  Happy Spring!