Wetlands in the Spring! Presentation coming March 24th

YOU are invited! - December 16, 2013

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!

WRWC at EPA OSV Bold "Open Boat" day

While hot and humid on Sunday, many people visited the OSV Bold.  Guests to the WRWC table received fun stickers, Iams dog bones, and doggie waste baggies for pledging to pick up after their pet!

Lots of new hands were added to the 'Just One Hand' board, with more than 40 new pledges collected by day's end.

We were welcomed aboard in the truest of gracious hosting.  Chef Amanda knocked out a luncheon buffet to suit all dietary requirements, and her dessert table--complete with tartlets and cheesecakes and cupcakes--was scrumptious!

Winnicut Coalition to participate in EPA OSV Bold open house

The Ocean Survey Vessel Bold (The Bold) is EPA's only ocean and coastal monitoring vessel.

On September 4th, from 10AM to 4PM, numerous organizations and state agencies from around the Great Bay/Piscataqua region, including the Winnicut River Watershed Coalition, will set up displays and host outreach efforts--both on the ship and state pier at which it will be docked--for a public open house.  Look at the size of this boat!  Pack up the family and come take a tour of this incredible research vessel, and learn first-hand how ocean habitat protection efforts are being conducted all over the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico!  Just what are they finding?  Read more here.

Winnicut Coalition at Portsmouth Open Market

The Winnicut Coalition was the featured watershed group at this Sunday's Gundalow tent during the Portsmouth Open Market at Strawbery Banke.  Rain and overcast skies kept attendance low, but there were still as many as a couple dozen visitors to the tent. 

Click on photo to enlarge, and then click again to zoom in on your watershed!

Piscataqua Waterfront Festival 2011

The WRWC info table pre-start time at the 3rd annual Piscataqua Waterfront Festival in Portsmouth, NH.

It was a fantastically sunny and upbeat day yesterday down on the Ceres Street Wharf.  Folks from all around the region visited Portsmouth to partake in the 27th annual WOKQ Chowder Festival at Prescott Park, and the 3rd annual Piscataqua Waterfront Festival hosted by the historical Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden.

The Moffatt-Ladd Waterfront Festival is a celebration of Piscataqua River maritime history and contemporary water quality issues surrounding Great Bay.  The Winnicut River is a main tributary to Great Bay, and thus we were asked to participate in the celebration.  But of course!

The 'With Just One Hand' board was a successful attraction, and more than two dozen visitors pledged to support the 'Scoop the Poop' campaign!  Here, the green hands for writing pets' names have already started accumulating.

Interested folks scoping out the abundant information on many ways to help improve water quality (regardless of where one lives!).  For pledging to 'Scoop the Poop', visitors were given special poop bags tied around IAMs dog bones and an info tag.  As a NH Coverts Project volunteer, I also included lots of ways to protect wildlife and their habitat, and offered fun pocket guides to identifying wildlife tracks in NH. 

Public Meeting Presentation Sept. 2010

Click on the 'Full Screen' option for best viewing. 


WRWC_Public_Sept2010.ppt

Tri-town Public Meetings Planned

All dates and times are listed in the green bars.

Click on the picture to enlarge it for better viewing

WRWC Kick-off Event A Success!

More than 50 people from local communities, organizations and groups participated in the Winnicut River Watershed Coalition's first outreach event on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

While the wind tried hard to dampen spirits, it was an enjoyable, social afternoon with much networking.  Many thanks to the following exhibitors for participating in this successful first event:

Joshua Cline, NH Rivers Council

Amanda Nelson, Weeks Brick House

Jean Eno, Greenland Conservation Commission

NH DOT Stormwater Pollution Outreach Program

Great Bay Stewards

Cheri Patterson, NH Fish & Game

Rick Mauer & sons, and Barry Gendron, Boy Scout Troop 158

Artist Hal Kirby

Artist Anthony D'Allesandro

Greg Tillman, NH Audubon (riverwalk guide)

NH Coastal Protection Partnership

Eco Movement Consulting

Thanks to the following individuals for their contributions to our raffle, and congratulations to their winners:

Suds N' Soda Sports Outlet: rod & reel, $60 value - Anthony D'Allesandro

Photographer Ann Reid: photograph of "Horseshoe Crabs," $85 value - John Meyer

Artist Hal Kirby: pastel print of "Old Ironsides," $30 value - Gordon Hislop
                          pastel print of "Prescott Park Fountains," $40 value - Bill Bilodeau

Artist Anthony D'Allesandro: pastel print of "Marsh at Sunset," $90 value - Tim Farrell

Big thanks to the following individuals for their help, without which things would have been a lot more hectic:

Paul Eno - parking, and pre/post grunt work

Tim Farrell & Friends - grilling, food delivery

Chip Hussey -  post grunt work

Joshua Cline, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Rivers Council, addresses participants at the Winnicut River Watershed Coalition kick-off event held at the Weeks Brick House in Greenland, NH