tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78918703694776109072024-03-13T16:07:28.498-04:00Squam Lakes Natural Science Center BlogAdvancing understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger302125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-58481373837390457452018-04-02T10:05:00.000-04:002018-04-02T10:05:14.118-04:00What is this squirrel doing? By Eric D'Aleo
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Gray squirrels are ubiquitous and sometimes downright annoying to homeowners. Raiding birdfeeders, chewing on siding, or getting into an attic, give these tree-loving rodents some bad publicity. Aside from frustrating humans, squirrels are intelligent, curious, resourceful, and have some interesting behaviors. One common behavior is their seasonal hoarding or burying of nuts and seeds. This allows squirrels to survive through winter, since they feed on nuts hidden earlier in the year. Look at the video below and notice this industrious behavior occurs from spring through fall. Bu watch carefully, squirrels may sometimes fake bury a nut to fool other squirrels or birds from locating the food.<br />
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Along with storing food to eat at a later time, squirrels are interesting to watch feed. They eat a variety of food items, including nuts, seeds, fruit, mushrooms (fungi), tree buds, an occasional insect, and even bird nestlings. However, the majority of their food is nuts. What two food items can you see the squirrel eating in the video below?<br />
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Some behaviors squirrels engage in leave us scratching our heads in wonder. Take a look at the final video and see if you can determine what the gray squirrel is doing.<br />
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Squirrels are territorial animals and mark their territories to let other squirrels know an area is “occupied.” This behavior benefits both the intruding animal and the resident squirrel as it sets a boundary and reduces potential conflict. Squirrels mark areas in their territories by urinating on objects or by rubbing scent on logs or other objects from glands located near the mouth. Squirrels may also mark their territory by gnawing vertical strips in a large tree to provide a visual and olfactory cue to other squirrels in the area.<br />
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These are only three squirrel behaviors caught by the trail cameras, but many of us see squirrels engaging in other behaviors around bird feeders, scolding predators from a tree, or chasing each other through the branches. Who knew that squirrels led such busy lives?
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-91552914037505346232018-03-26T10:53:00.000-04:002018-03-26T10:53:00.311-04:00Stories to Tell – Winter CluesBy Eric D'Aleo<br />
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Each trip outside to check the trail cameras is an adventure because I don’t know what I will find. Most of the time it is routine with the unexpected being the images captured by the cameras, but that is not always the case. Sometimes scat is left behind and the identification mystery begins. Questions run through my mind as I study the scat on the ground. Is the scat in a prominent location, such as a rock, log, or in the middle of a trail? How large is it and what is its shape? Are there any food items identifiable in the scat? Scat is found throughout the year, but for tracks, winter is the best time of year to look for them. I see many tracks as I move from one camera location to another. Sometimes they are fresh and easy to identify and other times they may be days or weeks old, making identification more challenging. Again, I run through a series of questions to help me identify the tracks. What’s the size of the track? How many toes are visible? How is the animal moving? Is it walking, bounding, or hopping? Where are the tracks located? Are they in a forest, in a field, or in a wetland? Do the tracks lead to a tree, a brush pile, or a burrow? The answers to these questions may provide a clue as to what animal made the tracks.<br />
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Look at the scat and tracks that were found during the past year and see what ones you can identify.<br />
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Occasionally, other unusual signs of an animal’s presence are discovered. Look at the photo below. What do you think was found on the snow this January? At the time of discovery, the snow had a hard crust and there were no foot-prints in the area. The location was near a trail camera, but was not in its line of view. When I checked the camera’s memory card I saw no evidence an animal had been in the area since the last time I had been there. The area is a mixture of conifers, mostly hemlock, and hardwood trees, beech, red maple, and oak. The object was not found near any tree. So, what was it?<br />
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The tail of a flying squirrel! My next question of course was what happened to the rest of the animal? This question was left unanswered since the hard snow crust offered no additional clues.<br />
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A similar experience happened in early March. Again, the body part from an animal was found on a hard snow crust with no animal tracks nearby. However, it was found in the snowbanks of a parking lot. Look at the photo below to identify what animal it came from.<br />
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It was the foreleg of a white-tailed deer. How had it died? Did it starve? Was it preyed upon? What animal brought the leg and left it here? Was it left there on purpose, was the amount of meat left on the leg too small to hold on to, or was the leg dropped to flee quickly from the area? More unanswered questions, but ones that keep me coming back for more, like a good mystery. What animal stories are waiting to be discovered where you live? Find out.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-46572599018135872982018-02-26T10:00:00.000-05:002018-02-26T10:00:14.593-05:00Stories to Tell - What Time is it Mr. Fox? By Eric D'Aleo<br />
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The children at Blue Heron School play a game called What Time is it Mr. Fox? A child who is the Fox calls out a time (1 o'clock - 12 o'clock). The other children take that many steps toward the fox. When the group gets close to the fox, but not past him, and asks, “What time is it?” the fox yells, "Midnight," and turns and chases the group around to tag someone. The children enjoy the game and play it often. <br />
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Watching the children play got me wondering if our trail cameras could tell us anything about red fox activity throughout a year. It turns out, they can. <br />
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By looking at the information collected from each camera from January through December, red fox were photographed or videoed over 1,600 times. We plotted the number of sightings with the time each image was captured and graphed it. The results are in the charts below.<br />
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Red fox are most active early in the morning from midnight until five o’clock in the morning and in the evening from five o’clock till midnight. The highest activity occurs at three o’clock in the morning and six o’clock in the evening. Even though activity levels drop dramatically during daylight hours, and remains low, it’s still about sixteen percent of peak activity level. So unlike in the game where midnight is the time when Mr. Fox comes out to hunt, seven o’clock at night is more accurate. The data collected here at the Science Center corroborates research defining red fox as crepuscular, active at dawn and dusk, or nocturnal, active at night. But what about monthly activity during the year, are there some months with higher activity than others?<br />
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It appears there is one time of year when the sightings peak, which is early spring. This is when red fox raise<br />
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their young. One camera was positioned near a fox den. We saw the first sightings of the pups outside the den, early in April at night. When they were young, the pups required parental supervision. An adult red fox watched over them while they ran around, played together, and investigated their surroundings. As I reviewed video footage I was reminded of a human parent watching their children play at a playground. The camera also recorded evidence of the parents bringing food to their offspring and scenes of pups fighting over feathers and woodchuck fur. As the year progressed into summer the young foxes were still around and sighted by the camera, but less often. They may have been learning how to hunt from their parents or accompanying them as they patrolled their territory. There was no need for them to return to the den on a regular basis. By autumn the sightings declined suggesting the breakup of the family and the dispersal of the pups in search of their own territories. <br />
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What I find interesting is that this information leads to asking other questions about red fox on Science Center property. Do they have a preference for a particular natural community (field or forest)? Do they use a community more at one time of the year than at another time? What other species in the area are active at the same time of day? Are they most active at the same time of the year? Do they have the same habitat preferences?
Answers to these questions may be found on line or in a library, but carrying out these observations on our property gives us a better understanding of what is happening locally. It helps us better appreciate of the land and provides an understanding of the requirements and habits of the animals living here. This information can be helpful to landowners considering how changes to a piece of property will affect local wildlife.
What time is it for the animals where you live?
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-87532048817018849832018-02-12T10:00:00.000-05:002018-02-13T13:27:39.902-05:00Stories to Tell - Bear curiosity or Bear destruction? By Eric D'Aleo<br />
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It was the day before Halloween and the sky was gray and overcast. The area had just received a heavy storm that deposited over five inches of rain in twenty-four hours. Strong wind accompanied the rain and its remnants were still howling among the tree branches as I walked through the woods to check on some remote trail cameras. The streams were full with water and many trees in the forest had blown down, some across the trails. I discovered the trees were not the only things damaged. There had been a different kind of recurring “storm” in one location. I walked off the trail through the brush toward it. My destination was a vernal pool in a remote area of Science Center property. An unusual story had unfolded here earlier in the year involving a chicken carcass and a coyote. I had placed the chicken carcass out as bait and captured some interesting pictures over several weeks. This time nothing had been put out to draw an animal to the area, or so I thought. As I pushed through a stand of young hemlock trees I could see the rain had filled the vernal pool half full of water. I walked to the tree where the trail camera was and came to a halt. Something was wrong. The clasp to shut the camera had been opened and the batteries removed! My first thought was that someone had walked through the woods and vandalized the camera, an idea I quickly discarded. Most people photographed by the trail cameras are unaware of them or simply wave and say “hello” once they realize it’s there. I closed the camera and found my first clue; the motion detector’s plastic covering was punctured. <br />
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The second clue lay around my feet. My feet disturbed the leaves just enough to revel the batteries. I searched through the leaves and debris and found all of them. They were dirty but otherwise fine. I had unknowingly received an additional clue weeks earlier when the same camera was found on the ground and the strap that held it around the tree was found twelve feet away. That time the culprit was a black bear.<br />
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I experienced déjà vu as I stood looking at the camera on the ground and the batteries in my hand. I thought a black bear might also be responsible for the damage this time. I took the broken camera to my office and looked at the images. Sure enough, it showed a black bear yearling energetically investigating the camera. Black bears are curious and investigate novel objects. Apparently the camera interested this bear. It flashes an infrared light whenever there is nearby movement and takes a picture. Perhaps it might rouse a bear’s curiosity to investigate but the yearlings and their mother hadn’t showed much interest in the camera before September. When I looked through the images, this bear was intent on the camera and moved it back and forth triggering the camera to take distorted images of the ground, its fur, its face, its mother, and its sibling from numerous angles. <br />
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This young bear was investigating a novel object by smelling it, “manipulating” it with its paws, and finally by trying to chew on it. I thought the bear would lose interest after its first camera encounter. But how wrong I was. This behavior happened again four times during one week in October. Each time the bear would paw and wrestle with the camera anchored to the tree. The last day of images was October 21. The bear must have accidentally triggered the camera latch to open. Once opened it was only a matter of time before the yearling pawed the batteries loose causing the camera to stop taking pictures. There were no pictures of a bear’s mouth or teeth, but the puncture mark in motion sensor covering must have been another way it examined and “tested” the camera. I thought the camera could be sent off for repairs and wondered if I would have to stop gathering images from that location. I was more than just curious now. I was also feeling a bit stubborn about keeping a camera at the vernal pool. I moved a camera from a different location to the study area, but enclosed it in a protective metal case and secured it to the tree with a sturdy wire cable. Maybe this might prevent the black bears from becoming too zealous in investigating the camera and I could learn what might happen before they denned for the winter. We’ll see what the future brings.Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-51375176409921618552018-01-29T10:00:00.000-05:002018-01-29T10:00:55.094-05:00Stories to Tell - Late Night SwimBy Eric D'Aleo<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jjWlg5aLdvw/Wmo4rMeLvlI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nXlJ-h57ELo8flG8AH8C6_but-eB3srrQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jjWlg5aLdvw/Wmo4rMeLvlI/AAAAAAAAAvM/nXlJ-h57ELo8flG8AH8C6_but-eB3srrQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0036.JPG" width="320" /></a>Have you ever taken a late night swim? Maybe the sweltering summer heat was so bad one night that it was the only way you could cool off and get a good night’s sleep. Maybe you forgot to bring a bathing suit and went swimming in your skivvies or au naturel, grateful for the cloak of darkness. But what would you think about swimming in a New Hampshire pond on a late April night? Not enticing? Apparently it is to a black bear, because that is exactly what happened in a vernal pool on Science Center property.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZnOwIafPK0/Wmo4rJXXObI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/XWkz31Nk1UkBcK95BGowY8xZAUfJy_84QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kZnOwIafPK0/Wmo4rJXXObI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/XWkz31Nk1UkBcK95BGowY8xZAUfJy_84QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" width="320" /></a>The air temperature that night was 57 degrees Fahrenheit, not exactly warm, but the water must have been colder. Twelve days before the image was taken, the surface of the vernal pool was frozen, so it was probably a cold, but invigorating swim. The images show the black bear leisurely swimming around as if a cold late night bath was a routine event. I was surprised to see when I looked at the images how much the vernal pool’s depth had changed from September to April. Most vernal pools are quite shallow, ranging from several inches to a foot deep. Yet this pool was quite deep. In September the ground was completely dry. Over the winter it filled with snow and then with spring rains so that by April the pool was about four feet deep. The bear left after a few minutes, perhaps in search of food or other reasons only it knew.
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PkmChJSgjBU/Wmo4riWrH4I/AAAAAAAAAvU/JdeBGcyc3MotnCyhd_SId7ywOHpl8y_CgCLcBGAs/s1600/Ed%2Bprogram%2Buse%2Bonly%2B-%2BFairy%2Bshrimp%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1600" height="209" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PkmChJSgjBU/Wmo4riWrH4I/AAAAAAAAAvU/JdeBGcyc3MotnCyhd_SId7ywOHpl8y_CgCLcBGAs/s320/Ed%2Bprogram%2Buse%2Bonly%2B-%2BFairy%2Bshrimp%2Bphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a>Besides being a spa for bruins, vernal pools serve as important habitat for a variety of wildlife. White- tailed deer, raccoon, bobcat, red fox, grey fox, and a barred owl have been spotted by the trail camera. A number of smaller animals the camera has not seen use this vernal pool as well. Amphibians such as spotted salamanders and wood frogs breed and raise their young in these temporary water bodies each year. Invertebrates, like fairy shrimp, caddisflies, and mosquitoes also use vernal pools to live part of or their entire existence here. Each of these animals is in a race against time before the pool dries up. Amphibians need to grow and undergo metamorphosis to finish their development to survive the transition to land before the pool dries up. They will return to the same location as adults to breed each spring. The fairy shrimp operate on an even faster schedule. They complete their development in forty days, breed, lay their eggs, and die before the pool dries up. Their eggs will survive without water until the following spring, when the pool fills up, and the bruin and the shrimp share the water once more.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-57218874272464358622017-09-18T10:00:00.000-04:002017-09-18T10:00:02.589-04:00The soft hues of fall (maple leaf viburnum and hobble bush)By Eric D'Aleo, Naturalist<br />
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Walk through any forest in the northeast in the fall and you are sure to be struck by the brilliance of the colors of the foliage. Many visitors to New Hampshire look forward to mountain ranges robed in various shades of bright colors or search for scarlet-leafed maples along the back roads of small towns. When people walk the trails throughout the state their gaze is often pulled skyward to look at the gold of the aspens and birches, the orange of the oaks, and the red of the maples. However, do not forget to search beneath the brilliant colored canopy for the softer and more subtle hues of the season.<br />
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The maple leafed viburnum is a shrub often mistaken for a young red maple tree because its leaves have a similar appearance. A mature plant may reach a height of three to six feet and is often found in the shade of upland forests consisting mainly of beech and maple. In the fall this shrub’s foliage comes in various pastel shades of pale yellow, light pink or a deeper rose color. Often these colors are on several leaves of the same plant or all on the same leaf. The fruit turns a dark blue and is eaten by turkeys, robins, cedar waxwings, flickers, bluebirds, cardinals, flycatchers, thrashers, thrushes, and woodpeckers. In the spring and summer the leaves are a larval food source for the spring azure butterfly and the flowers are a nectar source for the golden-banded skipper.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5698/30701655762_b5ae55ff0d_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5698/30701655762_b5ae55ff0d_k.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maple leaf viburnum<br /><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/treegrow/30701655762/in/photolist-8LNvTW-fCKRko-nDY136-uEqK4o-PcEtJW-NM11Cs-MCw9Ec-eNHQda-f48FpP/" target="_blank">flickr/Katja Shultz</a></td></tr>
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Another understory shrub often overlooked until it “trips” you is hobble bush. Also known as witches hobble the plant is found in rich, moist, wooded areas. The shrub can grow to a height of six to twelve feet and has the ability to root when a branch bends down and touches the ground. This creates dense thickets of plants that make traveling through them difficult. Tripping hazard aside, the shrub’s leaves turn a burgundy to dark plum color in the fall. If the central portion of the leaf still remains green it reminds me of a sliced kiwi whose colors are reversed. The berries also ripen in the fall, changing color from red to dark blue and may be eaten by ruffed grouse, cedar waxwings, brown thrashers, squirrels, and chipmunks. So don’t overlook these lesser known fall color artists, look for their softer hues hidden in the forest and you will be rewarded.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hobble bush<br /><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwssoutheast/26859875600/in/photolist-9JhZ69-9MrtVD-9MrJe4-GVvTes-SVPWKF-SVPWSV-SxjJn3-SoYXGc-SacbmN-SxjJm1-RPenQJ-Sacbpy-SxcCjb-RmSeDe-SxcCkd-RmSeK6" target="_blank">flickr/US Fish & Wildlife Service</a></td></tr>
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-33319653036452964482017-08-14T10:00:00.000-04:002018-12-21T13:32:43.475-05:00Fisher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.nhnature.org/images/animal_fact_sheets/fisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://www.nhnature.org/images/animal_fact_sheets/fisher.jpg" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="351" /></a></div>
<i>Martes pennanti </i><br />
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Kingdom: Animalia<br />
Phylum: Chordata<br />
Class: Mammalia<br />
Order: Carnivora<br />
Family: Mistelidae<br />
Genus: Martes<br />
Species: M. pennanti<br />
<br />
<b>Fast Facts:</b><br />
Lifespan: 3-4 years in the wild<br />
Size: 31-47 inches in length, weight 4.5-12 pounds<br />
Offspring: 1-4 young<br />
Status: Populations have recovered from extreme lows in early to mid-1900<br />
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<b>What do fishers look like and what animals are their relatives?</b>
Dark brown to black in color with a silver tinge to the head and shoulders, fishers are medium-sized mammals similar in size to a fox. Fur tends to be softer and darker in females. Short legs bring them close the ground and they bound with hind paws landing in the place of the front paws, leaving sets of two foot prints side by side. Male fishers average about 10 to 12 pounds but definite sexual dimorphism is evident, with females being a little over half the weight of males. Fishers are members of the family Mustelidae, with relatives being weasels, martin, mink and otters.<br />
<br />
<b>What kind of habitat do fishers favor?</b>
Fishers prefer continuous forest with a thick canopy, translating in the northeast to dense lowland coniferous forests or a mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods. In distribution, fishers are found in southern Canada, New England, New York state and several other northern states. Home range varies from a little over two to 15 square miles depending on the quality of the habitat.<br />
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<b>What do fishers eat?</b>
Fisher prey upon snowshoe hare, squirrels, mice, and birds, but perhaps their most intriguing catch is the porcupine. Although not immune to porcupine quills, the fisher has a hunting technique that results in it getting few quills. Using agility to its advantage, the fisher circles the porcupine, looking for opportunities to bite at its unprotected face, while staying away from its powerful tail. Even if the porcupine tries to climb a tree, the arboreal fisher can climb above it and threaten it back to the ground. After about one-half hour, the porcupine may be weakened enough for the fisher to flip it over and attack the ventral side, which has no quills. Porcupine quills rarely cause infection in fishers and accidentally ingested quills often end up in fisher scat! Fishers will also eat carrion. It is unusual for a healthy adult fisher to become prey itself.<br />
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<b>Fun Facts! </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Do fishers eat fish? Although they will readily eat fish, individuals rarely, if ever catch them. In his comprehensive reference book, <i>The Fisher</i>, Roger A. Powell concludes that the best source of the name was early settlers who noted the similarities between the fisher and the European polecat. Other names for the polecat were fitch ferrets, fitchet, fitche and fitchew – not a big leap to the name “fisher.” </li>
<li>In New England we commonly hear this animal being called a “fisher cat”, a confusing label since fishers are not in the cat family. </li>
<li>Active day or night, fishers are more nocturnal in proximity to people. </li>
<li>What about those screams in the night? Those loud calls are probably porcupines or perhaps owls or foxes rather than fishers. </li>
<li>Now, what about fishers being responsible for the disappearance of domestic cats? Fishers can prey upon cats, but Great Horned Owls, coyotes and cars take a more significant toll. Keeping cats in at night is a good solution.</li>
</ul>
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-58532314749052914532017-07-31T12:42:00.000-04:002017-07-31T12:45:39.349-04:002017 Breeding Bird Census ResultsSince 1977, Senior Naturalist Dave Erler has conducted a census in early June of bird species that nest on the Science Center campus. The census is done primarily by ear, listening for territorial songs of male birds, indicating probable nesting. The census gives us a snapshot of the bird population by doing the review on approximately the same date each year. This year we held the census on June 10.<br />
<br />
The zones referred to below roughly correspond to:
Zone 1 – 30 acres that make up the primary use areas (buildings, exhibits, fields etc.); Zone 2 - +/- 100 acres of forests partly logged for forest management in 2016; Zone 3 - +/- 100 acres of other managed forest area.<br />
<br />
We saw a total of 46 individual species and 113 individual birds. <a href="http://www.nhnature.org/files/PDF/2017_Breeding%20Bird%20Census.pdf" target="_blank">See the full details of species and location.</a><br />
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<br />Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-31708927684813107252017-06-09T15:12:00.000-04:002017-06-09T15:15:46.128-04:00Heron of the Night <div class="MsoNormal">
By Dave Erler</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first
time I heard the call of a Black-crowned Night-Heron (<i>Nyticorax nyticorax</i>)<i> </i>I
was about eight years old. It was just after an evening of fishing for Black
Crappies on a lake in Minnesota. I remember it happened as I loitered along the
shore after my father, older sister, and younger brother had all headed back the
trail through the woods. A loud guttural “quock” sound came from overhead and
although I don’t think I was scared I do know it startled me. I had no idea
what made the call. I didn’t hear l that cry again until some 14 years later,
but I knew immediately I had heard it before. At that time I was working for
the University of Minnesota Extension Service at a summer youth camp near a Minnesota
lake. I was with a group 10 to 14-year-old farm kids. The sound scared the
bejesus out of some of the kids. They, of course, immediately wanted to know
what it. Being the “nature specialist” I suddenly felt pressure to supply an
answer. I have to admit I still didn’t know what it was. I knew it wasn’t an
owl and I knew it wasn’t the low-pitched “croak croak” of the Great Blue Heron.
I responded that it was just the call of a “water bird,” which seemed to
reassure the kids that it wasn’t anything too dangerous. That incident gave me
incentive to find my set of Peterson birdsong tape cassettes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since both
times I had heard the sound it was at night, near a lake, clearly came from
above, and was similar to the call of Great Blue Herons I’d heard when they
were flying overhead, I figured I should start there. Sure enough, the guide
with my Peterson tapes listed my options. I picked the cassette with bird calls
from Loons and other water birds and slipped it into the tape player. I pushed
the button to fast forward, randomly stopped it, and pushed the play button.
Low and behold by pure luck the very same call I had heard came from the
speaker. I hit the stop button, put it into rewind for two seconds, and the
monotone voice identifying the calls put a name to the mystery call. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Black-crowned Night-Herons are small,
squat, chubby herons with thick necks, rather large heads and heavy pointed
bills. As their name suggests, the adults have distinct well-defined black
crowns as well as black backs with contrasting white undersides. Their legs are
shorter than the larger Great Blue Herons’ are.
In flight their short legs barely reach the end of the tail. While in
the air they hold their heads back against their bodies making them appear to
have no neck. Like most herons, they have a rather slow, steady wing beat on
broad, rounded wings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Black-crowned Night-Herons are found
across much of North America and on every continent except Australia and
Antarctica. Although not as commonly seen as the more familiar Great Blue
Herons, Black-crowned Night-Herons are probably the second most common heron in
North America. Due to their nocturnal habits they are not often seen. During
the day they usually find shelter by perching in trees, hidden among the
foliage, often in groups. In the evening and night they forage in marshes or
along the edges of lakes and streams. Their dagger-like pointed beaks are
serrated, allowing them to snatch and hold slippery prey including fish,
crawfish, frogs, tadpoles, and water snails. Once they catch their prey they
swallow it whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.8pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When you visit the Science Center this
year make sure to visit the Celebrate Birds Exhibit. The attached aviary will
be a “heronry” displaying several species of herons, including an immature
Black-crowned Night-Heron. If you visit over the course of the summer you will
notice a change as it molts from its immature brownish, streaked feathers to
its very different adult plumage. Like most of the birds that live here, this
bird is non-releasable. It (he or she – it’s hard to tell) arrived from a
wildlife rehabilitation center in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where it was treated,
but deemed non-releasable due to a wing injury limiting its flight ability.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the years
since I first heard those guttural “quock” calls, I still have only seen Black-crowned
Night Herons perhaps a half dozen times. But to this day I have yet to hear
another one call, but rest assured if I do, I will know what made that sound in
the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-22443260308815305602017-05-10T10:44:00.000-04:002017-05-10T10:44:04.878-04:00Stories to Tell – Guess Who Came to Dinner?By Eric D'Aleo, Naturalist<br />
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We’ve all experienced it. A fresh set of tracks in the snow. The first question you ask yourself is… <i>Whose track is this?</i> This leads to a number of other questions. <i>Where did it come from? Where was it going? What happened here?</i> These questions often remain unanswered unless we can track the animal, we have a camera in the location, and we’re lucky. This is one such occasion with an amazing answer.<br />
<br />
It was a cold, late winter morning and a light snow was falling as I plodded through the woods. Occasionally my feet broke through the snow’s crust and I’d sink in up to my calves. “Not a day to skip wearing snowshoes,” I chided myself, but I was more than halfway to my destination. I was eager to check the final trail camera of the day and see what it had recorded over the past month.<br />
<br />
I hiked over the last rise and saw the log where I had secured a chicken carcass in February. The location was 15 feet from the camera. I was surprised to find there was no sign of the chicken. It was completely gone. “What took it?” I wondered. I walked over and looked around. No visible signs of feathers or bones, although they might have been covered by the recent snow. The only clues were obscured footprints and marks in the snow I could not identify. It was obvious there had been recent activity but it seemed that the camera might be the only witness. The snow continued to fall as I changed the camera card and headed back to my office to upload the information to the computer.<br />
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Once at my desk, the story of the missing chicken and the disturbance in the snow played itself out on my computer screen. The first animals to investigate the chicken carcass were a pair of raccoons. They arrived at dawn two days after I had put the bird out. They sniffed and pawed at the feathers before one took some bites and claimed the chicken as its own. It stood on the frozen body keeping the other raccoon at a distance. This lasted for 30 minutes until they left, perhaps because the morning sun was too bright.<br />
<br />
Twelve hours later the two raccoons returned. Again only one animal fed; apparently the larger one was dominant. The second raccoon circled and wandered just out of reach looking for an opportunity to find something to eat. This behavior lasted for an hour before they left. I found this surprising since the time stamp on the last image of the raccoons read 7:20 p.m. They should have had plenty of time for them to continue feeding. The next image held the answer. A coyote came into view 50 minutes later. <br />
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The coyote was interested in the chicken but hesitated because of the infrared flash from the trail camera. It paced back and forth and circled the area maintaining a distance of 10 to 25 feet from the bird but never came closer. Then the coyote suddenly left. I stopped advancing the images. This seemed strange. Why didn’t the coyote feed? It seemed rather odd but I had read that coyotes are cautious when exposed to a new or unfamiliar food situation. But what animal was responsible for the missing chicken?<br />
<br />
The next images answered my question. Thirty minutes after the first coyote left a second coyote entered the area. This animal was much larger and more confident. It walked directly to the chicken and assessed the situation. In less than two minutes, it determined the camera was no threat, sniffed the chicken, and set to work. It made quick progress severing the chicken from the anchors holding it to the log. Forty five minutes after it arrived, the coyote carried its frozen prize off into the night. I was amazed at how quickly the coyote removed the bird. I was excited to have an answer. But as I looked at the image I realized I had only a partial answer. I now knew what had taken the chicken, but I had no idea what animal left all the tracks and marks in the snow when I checked on the camera. All the images up until this point occurred on ice and a small patch of snow under the logs. When I removed the camera card in the morning, the entire area was blanketed with snow except for the slowly filling tracks. I was so immersed in what was happening I forgot to consider the surroundings. I thought I had an answer to my original questions, but now I realized I had only half the story. So I continued looking through the images.<br />
<br />
An hour after the large coyote left with the chicken, a smaller coyote cautiously approached and circled the site from a distance of 30 feet or more. I assumed that it was the first coyote as it seemed to be the same size and exhibited the same behavior as before. It continued in this manner for five minutes and then left. It returned an hour later but only for a minute before it left again.<br />
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<br />
Four hours later, at 6 am a barred owl landed among the feathery remains. It pecked at the ground for a moment or two and then departed into the early morning darkness. The entire visit took a little more than one minute.<br />
<br />
It was now three days after the chicken was initially placed, according to the time stamp on the progression of images, but even though the bird was gone, the site continued to be visited over the next 18 days. Several coyotes, two raccoons, and a gray fox all looked to see if there were any remains worth eating, but all left shortly after arriving.<br />
<br />
I paused realizing I still did not have an answer to my second question. How were the markings left in the snow? As I continued looking at the images I noticed snow had covered the ice three days prior. Then the day before I arrived to switch the camera cards the puzzle was solved. Early in the morning a coyote visited the site. It seemed nervous by the infrared flash of the camera but seemed intent on approaching the location where the chicken had been. The ground was covered by several new inches of snow and there were no obvious signs to draw the animal in. Yet the coyote continued to warily approach. I thought that this must be the same coyote that had showed up the first night. It spent 12 minutes trying to overcome its anxiety. The coyote paced back and forth, dug at the snow behind one of the logs, bounded to one side, went back to dig some more, bounded away again, dug a third time, backed away, bit a low hanging branch in displaced frustration, and dug again until it finally came up with a small scrap of food. It took a few steps away, fed, and went back to anxiously digging and backing away for several minutes longer before it eventually left.<br />
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I looked at the final camera image of me as I stood at the site, looked at the marks in the snow and wondered what had happened here over the past month. I had to smile at the image of myself as I sat at the computers. I had no idea then of what story the camera would reveal to me that day.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-15958108757842582452017-04-24T14:35:00.000-04:002017-04-24T14:35:09.915-04:00Tick Season Has BegunGetting outdoors is something many in New England look forward to in those first beautiful days of spring. We enjoy the long awaited sunshine and warmer temperatures that we missed through the winter. However, spring also brings the dreaded tick season. When spending time outdoors during the warmer months there are several precautions you can take to avoid tick bites and safely enjoy your time outdoors.<br />
<ul>
<li>Stay on trails outdoors; avoid areas of overgrown brush and tall grasses. (The Live Animal Exhibit trail at the Science Center is wide, so it makes it easy to avoid brushy and grassy areas. You are not at increased risk for tick exposure walking on our trails compared to any other natural area.) </li>
<li>Wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily seen. </li>
<li>Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, and a hat. Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants. </li>
<li>Check yourself, your children, and your pets often for ticks, shower after returning indoors.</li>
<li>Use insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin (always follow directions). </li>
<li>After returning indoors, run clothes in the dryer on high heat to kill any ticks that may be on the clothing.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/American_Dog_Tick_(Dermacentor_variabilis).jpg/729px-American_Dog_Tick_(Dermacentor_variabilis).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/American_Dog_Tick_(Dermacentor_variabilis).jpg/729px-American_Dog_Tick_(Dermacentor_variabilis).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American dog tick (<i>Dermacentor variabilis</i>)<br />
Wikimedia/ Jerry Kirkhart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Science Center sees a surge in the wood tick (also known as the American dog tick) population in spring, causing some concern among students, parents, and teachers. The good news is that by remaining on marked trails you run little risk of encountering ticks. Ticks cannot (and do not) jump off branches and shrubs. They instead cling to tall plants and wait for some creature to brush them off when walking by. Therefore, only students enrolled in off-trail programs are likely to find ticks. More good news!! Deer ticks (which are Lyme Disease carriers and are sometimes called black-legged ticks) are not typically found at the Science Center. If a careful body check is done within 24 hours of being outdoors and all ticks are removed, there is little cause for concern.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Adult_deer_tick.jpg/534px-Adult_deer_tick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Adult_deer_tick.jpg/534px-Adult_deer_tick.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-legged tick (deer tick) -<i> Ixodes scapularis</i><br />
Wikimedia/USDA</td></tr>
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<i>Are wood ticks (American dog ticks) dangerous? </i>The American Dog Tick has been known to<br />
carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia. To transmit the disease to you, the tick has<br />
to be biting you for over two hours. If you do a thorough body check when you get home there<br />
is no need to worry.<br />
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<i>How do I know if it is a wood tick or a deer tick?</i> Not all ticks carry Lyme Disease. Deer ticks<br />
are known to carry Lyme Disease but wood ticks are not. Wood ticks are quite a bit bigger than<br />
deer ticks. Deer ticks are usually only the size of a head of a pin, while the wood tick can get to<br />
the size of a small raisin when engorged with blood. If you are in doubt of what species of tick<br />
you see, ask one of our naturalists!<br />
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Here are a few more helpful links:<br />
<a href="https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000528_Rep1451.pdf?org=785&lvl=100&ite=1955&lea=12100&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0W0f00000P2G35EAF" target="_blank">Biology and Management of Ticks in New Hampshire - UNH Cooperative Extension</a><br />
<a href="https://extension.unh.edu/articles/Tick-Tips-Information-and-Best-Practices-Keep-You-and-Your-Family-Safe-and-Healthy?org=785&lvl=100&ite=1955&lea=12100&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0W0f00000P2G35EAF" target="_blank">Tick Tips - UNH Cooperative Extension</a><br />
<a href="https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/resource000963_rep1073.pdf?org=785&lvl=100&ite=1955&lea=12100&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0W0f00000P2G35EAF" target="_blank">Insect Repellents - UNH Cooperative Extension</a><br />
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html </a><a href="https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/lyme/documents/tickbites.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/lyme/documents/tickbites.pdf </a><br />
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We're looking forward to seeing you on the trail this season!Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-62127714993658653942017-04-10T09:11:00.000-04:002017-04-10T09:11:03.760-04:00Stories to Tell - Hello KittyBy Eric D'Aleo, Naturalist<br />
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We’ve had a few sightings of a new visitor to the Science Center’s property over the past several months. A stealthy, elusive bobcat has been around but we were unaware of it. The first sighting that came from our trail cameras was last fall when a series of three photos were taken. It was late at night and the bobcat was walking through the brush, resulting in a blurry, black and white image, but it was definitely a bobcat! <br />
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This was exciting, since it was the first recorded image of the feline since we put up the cameras in January 2016. The second photo capture occurred in early December. The images were still blurry but they were in color! The animal had been out late in the afternoon in the same brushy ecotone area where it had been spotted earlier that fall. Once again, it was an exciting discovery but one that seemed unlikely to repeat itself. Then this past January, the cameras recorded a third sighting of a bobcat deep in the woods on our property.<br />
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The animal looked to be the same size as the animals in the previous photos, but there were no easily identifiable markings on its body to match it with the previous sightings. Again the sighting was during the day, late in the afternoon. Bobcats, it seems, are most active about three hours before sunset until about midnight and then just before dawn until three hours after sunrise. This fit the pattern of the animals in the photos. The animal was definitely on the move. I assume it was in search of prey. Our most recent camera record is from a March evening but from a different forest location. It seems our property may be part of a resident bobcat’s territory, which can range from 1 to 12 square miles. The size of the territory depends on food availability, the season, and if the animal is male or female. Male bobcats tend to have larger territories than females.<br />
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Our property and the surrounding area provide habitat a bobcat uses with brushy areas, old fields, forests, rocky areas, and wetlands. It will be interesting to see if the animal(s) continue to visit during spring and summer or only show up in the colder months. We will have to wait and see.Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-16518621060539362312017-04-03T10:00:00.000-04:002017-04-03T10:00:30.408-04:00The lesser known New Hampshire heralds of springBy Eric D'Aleo<br />
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April proclaims the beginning of spring on the calendar but is not always evident here in New Hampshire. Although southern New England may have green shoots poking through the soil and the hint of warm temperatures, further north there may still be snow on the ground and ice on ponds and lakes. However, there are still signs of spring. One I look for is the return of two small diving ducks: the hooded merganser and the common goldeneye.<br />
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The hooded merganser is a small but striking duck. Males have high contrast markings of black and white on their head, back, and chest, a brown scalloping pattern along its sides, a bright golden eye, and a slender black bill. Females are more subdued in their coloration, consisting mainly of browns and tans, with a red eye, and yellow bill similar in appearance to the male’s bill. Both males and females have a high crest on their head that looks like a Mohawk and can be raised and lowered at will. This species of duck prefers to feed in ponds and quiet waters of lakes and rivers. Once the ice opens up to reveal the water the mergansers return shortly afterwards. I have spotted them on the Squam River in Ashland during winter thaws only to disappear when it gets cold again and the ice reforms. Yet by March and April, the temperatures are warm enough to keep a permanent channel of water open, although the shoreline may still have ice. Then hooded mergansers are seen in pairs or small flocks as the males begin courting the females with their white, sail-like crests raised. Occasionally a male will make a low, gravely, groaning call advertising his fitness and interest in breeding. These small ducks also often dive beneath the surface in search for crayfish, aquatic insects, tadpoles, snails, and other mollusks on the river bottom.<br />
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Common Goldeneyes may also be seen briefly at this time as they pause on their spring migration north. The male has a black head with a white cheek spot next to its bill and a black back and tail. The chest and sides of the bird are white, while the female has a brown head with a gray body and wings. Both sexes have a bright yellow eye. These birds spend the winter along the New Hampshire coast and on large inland lakes or rivers where the water remains open. The goldeneye, like the hooded merganser, is a diving duck, using its back feet to propel it underwater. The diet of the goldeneye is similar to the hooded merganser, consisting of crayfish, mollusks, aquatic insects, and fish eggs on aquatic vegetation. Both species are very wary and best observed from a distance with binoculars.
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<br />Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-8045048545891465982017-03-27T09:43:00.000-04:002017-03-27T09:43:10.724-04:00Press Release: Squam Lakes Natural Science Center Celebrates Selection as Hannaford Cause Bag Program Beneficiary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Holderness, NH</i> – Squam Lakes Natural Science Center has been selected as a beneficiary of the Hannaford Cause Bag program at the Meredith Hannaford during the month of April.<br />
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This exciting program has been designed to support local nonprofits like the Science Center. For every Hannaford Helps reusable bag with the good karma message purchased at the Hannaford located at Route 25 in Meredith, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will receive a $1 donation in order to help fulfill its mission to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world. <br />
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“We are very excited to be chosen for the Hannaford Cause Bag program,” said Amanda Gillen, Marketing Manager at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. “It’s a great way for people to do something small to help support the mission of the Science Center.”<br />
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Learn more about Squam Lakes Natural Science Center at nhnature.org. For more information on the Hannaford Cause Bag program, visit www.hannaford.bags4mycause.com or www.facebook.com/hhbagprogram. <br />
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<b>About Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
</b>The mission of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire's natural world. Through spectacular live animal exhibits, natural science education programs, an informal public garden, and lake cruises, the Science Center has educated and enlightened visitors since 1966 about the importance of our natural world. Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is located on Route 113 in Holderness, an easy drive from exit 24 off I-93, and is open daily from May 1 through November 1. The Science Center is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the only AZA-accredited institution in all of northern New England. For further information about the Science Center, call 603-968-7194 or visit www.nhnature.org.<br />
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-28495302674856569642017-03-23T12:11:00.001-04:002017-03-23T12:11:41.608-04:00Stories to Tell – Nature’s ScavengersBy Eric D'Aleo, Naturalist<br />
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One thing is certain; nothing ever goes to waste in nature. This seems especially true in the winter when food is scarce. Something that was once passed over by an animal when food was abundant may now be an important source of nutrition even if it is carrion. However, some wildlife never turns away from this free meal. These animals we call scavengers. When we think of scavengers several species may come to mind -- turkey vultures, carrion beetles, and fly larvae to name a few. However, many predatory animals may scavenge for food at some time during the year, particularly in winter. Here in New Hampshire scavengers may include fox, skunk, raccoon, opossum, bobcat, coyote, and eagles. Two additional birds often seen scavenging on Science Center property in the winter are ravens and crows. Both of these opportunists feed on a variety of food during the summer including fruit, grain, small invertebrates, bird eggs, nestlings, mice, and carrion. But during winter their diet is more limited and they scavenge more often.<br />
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Both ravens and crows have been seen scavenging through the Science Center's compost pile searching for food. They seem to prefer to visit the area at different times with the ravens most often seen earlier in the morning than the crows. When looking at images from the same location of the two birds it’s easier to see the difference in their physical appearance.<br />
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The raven is clearly larger than the crow and has a thicker, sturdier bill. The crow’s bill is more slender, which makes it more challenging for it to feed on carrion since it’s harder for it to puncture the skin of a dead animal, squirrel sized or larger. The raven’s bill, being larger and heavier, is better able to handle the force needed to feed on an animal carcass.
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The raven has a shaggy ruff of feathers sometimes visible around its throat and on its legs that the crow does not have. This gives ravens a rougher and stockier appearance. There is also a difference between their tail feathers. A crow’s tail feathers are all the same length so that when they are spread it appears fan-shaped. A raven’s tail feathers are longer in the center of the tail than on the edges, giving its tail a wedge shape when the feathers are spread.<br />
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Both species are social, but ravens are most often seen in pairs while crows are more likely to be seen in family groups.<br />
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Look at the two images below and see if you can identify which bird is the crow and which one is the raven. Keep an eye out for these intelligent birds during the rest of the winter to observe their scavenging strategy for survival firsthand.<br />
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-40064076868699202012017-02-24T08:59:00.000-05:002017-02-24T09:32:07.519-05:00Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteering at the Science Center is enriching and fun. Learn something new and meet interesting people while sharing your talents and skills. Come explore with us and share your enthusiasm. We have a number of upcoming volunteer training opportunities. Learn more and see below for dates. For more information please contact <a href="mailto:carol.raymond@nhnature.org" target="_blank">Carol Raymond</a>, Volunteer Manager, at 603-968-7194 x 22.<br />
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<b>National Association of Interpreters Certified Interpretive Guide Training: April 6 through 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily</b><br />
Interpreters are storytellers. They are tour guides, museum docents, zoo docents, park rangers, naturalists, and more. In this four-day course offered by the Science Center and National Association for Interpretation you will learn techniques to make connections with an audience, give meaningful and enjoyable presentations, and create thought provoking and relevant interpretive programs. Become a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation. Visit <a href="http://interpnet.com/">interpnet.com</a> to register or contact Certified Interpretive Trainer <a href="mailto:audrey.eisenhauer@nhnature.org" target="_blank">Audrey Eisenhauer</a> for more information.<br />
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<b>Lake Education Assistant Training and Refresher: April 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.</b><br />
Lake Education Assistants assist naturalists by leading lake testing activities aboard pontoon boats. Lake Education Assistants are at least 18 years old, enjoy boating in various types of weather, and leading educational activities. No prior experience is necessary. Lake Education Assistants are most active in May and June, and less so in July, August, September and October. <br />
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<b>School Group Greeter Training and Refresher: April 25 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. </b><br />
School Group Greeters are the first “face” school children see when arriving at the Science Center. Greeters board buses as they arrive, welcoming students, and helping them get started on their Science Center adventure. Greeters like to share a positive, welcoming demeanor, and their sense of organization. They are most active weekdays in May, June, September, and October. No prior experience is necessary.<br />
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<b>Volunteer Instructor Training: April 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. </b><br />
Volunteer Instructors are trained to lead school groups in several ecology classes that include fun activities on site. The training on April 27 is an introduction to the classes. Trainees continue their instruction through observation and team teaching experiences before scheduling time to lead classes on their own. Volunteer Instructors are at least 18 years old and enjoy sharing knowledge and activities with school-aged children. No prior experience is required. Volunteer Instructors are most active weekdays in May and June, and less so in September and October. The training session is also open to previously trained Volunteer Instructors who would like attend as a refresher.<br />
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<b>Water Matters Pavilion Host Training: May 1 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. </b><br />
Hosts are trained to introduce visitors to the exhibits in the Water Matters Pavilion. One exhibit – the Watershed Table – may be opened to visitors to shape and create digital “watersheds” in sand. Other exhibits include live animal displays, animal video cameras, and other interactive activities. Water Matter Pavilion Hosts match their schedules with available time slots. No prior experience is necessary.<br />
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<b>Docent Training (for adults): June 19, 21, 21, 22 - 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. </b><br />
Docents are volunteers trained to interact with guests on the live animal exhibit trail using educational props and live animals. Docents represent the Science Center at off-site events and also travel to assist naturalists with educational outreach programs. Docents must commit to 40 hours of training in their first year and 16 hours annually subsequently.
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<i>Cost: $50 (financial aid available) </i><br />
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<b>First Guides Training (for ages 14 to 17): June 28, 29, 30 - 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. </b><br />
First Guides is a teen volunteer program based on our adult docent program. Teens learn how to be a welcoming and informative presence for visitors, often demonstrating animal artifacts alongside adult docent mentors with live animals.<br />
<i>Cost: $50 (financial aid available) </i>Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-56956578843548236322017-01-31T10:00:00.000-05:002017-01-31T10:00:06.000-05:00Stories to Tell - November RutBy Eric D'Aleo, Naturalist<br />
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It’s amazing how much animal activity there is in the woods during the fall. Many hunters are aware of the movement of animals at this time, especially white-tailed deer, as they get ready for winter. The deer are busy feeding on the remaining green foliage in November and acorns to put on as much body fat as possible. It’s exciting to watch the changes that have occurred over the past few months on our trail cameras. Gone are the deer’s red coats of summer covered over by dark brown guard hairs of their winter coat which help them survive the cold weather. Fawns that once had spotted coats have grown and lost all trace of their baby coloration. The most noticeable change in the deer are the male’s antlers which have lost the velvet appearance revealing hard bone underneath to advertise their fitness to does and other males. All in time for the white-tailed deer’s breeding season, also known as the rut. <br />
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There was a lot of deer activity on our trail cameras from October through November. Most of it occurred late at night but there were times during the day when deer were active. It seems that several does and their offspring continued to routinely visit different locations on our property like they had during the summer. Yet one location, a crossing of two well-travelled paths, seemed to be visited by them most often. There was also evidence of more males on our property this fall than over the summer. There may have been as many as five bucks moving throughout the property. Some of them were young with small antlers but two were large bucks who spent a lot of time roaming around the woods looking for a doe that was ready to breed. Occasionally there would be a close up view of an antler on our camera, either because a buck was interested in it or was possibly choosing to investigate a young tree or sapling nearby where it could take out aggression by rubbing its antlers on the trees. Take a look the photos below. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Notice the difference in the color of the fur in the
summer and the fall.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--F0deO7Xxzo/WIkJVEHodfI/AAAAAAAAArc/1Z2ExuE1qakubGqNSxZ1s1JuSTGX5lwwACLcB/s1600/IMG_0501-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--F0deO7Xxzo/WIkJVEHodfI/AAAAAAAAArc/1Z2ExuE1qakubGqNSxZ1s1JuSTGX5lwwACLcB/s320/IMG_0501-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall coloring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2q6t4MEN9U/WIkJUP_gJ2I/AAAAAAAAArY/OsUcZ5zAe-0c7gdefAE4VDIj_qIHnoGEQCLcB/s320/IMG_0888-Wtdeer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer coloring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2q6t4MEN9U/WIkJUP_gJ2I/AAAAAAAAArY/OsUcZ5zAe-0c7gdefAE4VDIj_qIHnoGEQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0888-Wtdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2q6t4MEN9U/WIkJUP_gJ2I/AAAAAAAAArY/OsUcZ5zAe-0c7gdefAE4VDIj_qIHnoGEQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0888-Wtdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although the fawn is not the same distance from the
camera in each photograph, notice the disappearance of the spots by the fall.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tC9w-Mb-p-w/WIkJTAYGn-I/AAAAAAAAArU/x2vMCOIQpWAp1MJ9Knug4cA9Ndn5gyaJQCEw/s1600/IMG_0130-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tC9w-Mb-p-w/WIkJTAYGn-I/AAAAAAAAArU/x2vMCOIQpWAp1MJ9Knug4cA9Ndn5gyaJQCEw/s320/IMG_0130-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lZQ6jTJ34_E/WIkJM4kXxII/AAAAAAAAArQ/pHHGCBUkaj8c12yAHRVpexP5GRNWpDF1ACEw/s1600/IMG_0178-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lZQ6jTJ34_E/WIkJM4kXxII/AAAAAAAAArQ/pHHGCBUkaj8c12yAHRVpexP5GRNWpDF1ACEw/s320/IMG_0178-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are images of two different bucks from the same
location. Can you tell which one is more
likely to be the dominant male?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqMXCBMw_N0/WIkJLODoUII/AAAAAAAAArE/OEWptAr1Av4HA_RFPmSTINLX_XZvk7ZjACEw/s1600/IMG_0158-Wtdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqMXCBMw_N0/WIkJLODoUII/AAAAAAAAArE/OEWptAr1Av4HA_RFPmSTINLX_XZvk7ZjACEw/s320/IMG_0158-Wtdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vFU2T2Sqnng/WIkJJhSncxI/AAAAAAAAAq4/bduoSpO7ED4BqjeWMmbJyuVWcI9--BQOACEw/s1600/IMG_0006-Wtdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vFU2T2Sqnng/WIkJJhSncxI/AAAAAAAAAq4/bduoSpO7ED4BqjeWMmbJyuVWcI9--BQOACEw/s320/IMG_0006-Wtdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here are the two bucks again at different locations
but exhibiting the same behavior. They
are smelling the ground for evidence of a female that is ready to breed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMnzT4GSapA/WIkJJq75otI/AAAAAAAAAq8/bivJE8AzkGUjhkvcuOtdi5NDSPqSEHbKQCEw/s1600/IMG_0076-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMnzT4GSapA/WIkJJq75otI/AAAAAAAAAq8/bivJE8AzkGUjhkvcuOtdi5NDSPqSEHbKQCEw/s320/IMG_0076-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdpTWmPc9uQ/WIkJMu4vP2I/AAAAAAAAArM/w7Fj8imboxM2ZMjwkQiuaNBfaGUxzV9RACEw/s1600/IMG_0249-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdpTWmPc9uQ/WIkJMu4vP2I/AAAAAAAAArM/w7Fj8imboxM2ZMjwkQiuaNBfaGUxzV9RACEw/s320/IMG_0249-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This location proved to be a good spot for the does
and their offspring to visit throughout the summer and into the fall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3Lz2qUKrXI/WIkJJo1Eg2I/AAAAAAAAArA/wcmfE__HLLoXIFY8ToCgmKpl9Z7oABhUgCEw/s1600/IMG_0090-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3Lz2qUKrXI/WIkJJo1Eg2I/AAAAAAAAArA/wcmfE__HLLoXIFY8ToCgmKpl9Z7oABhUgCEw/s320/IMG_0090-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rZIbsOHTI80/WIkJyNmadTI/AAAAAAAAArg/nd7XcfNjEAMiIul41q4zbyrhbEgl2Pt6QCEw/s1600/IMG_0286-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rZIbsOHTI80/WIkJyNmadTI/AAAAAAAAArg/nd7XcfNjEAMiIul41q4zbyrhbEgl2Pt6QCEw/s320/IMG_0286-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This image was taken in early December. Now with the breeding season over, the long
winter begins. When more snow
accumulates, this area will be abandoned for stands of conifers that provide
more protection for the deer from the elements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pe-YGp3rYQ/WIkJLf67DKI/AAAAAAAAArI/T7m66KKmiDobBrjQEmrbmKK7YiK2UpaHwCEw/s1600/IMG_0145-WTdeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9pe-YGp3rYQ/WIkJLf67DKI/AAAAAAAAArI/T7m66KKmiDobBrjQEmrbmKK7YiK2UpaHwCEw/s320/IMG_0145-WTdeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-551800281529273062017-01-25T11:28:00.000-05:002017-01-25T11:28:00.177-05:00Volunteers Give Generously to Science CenterPRESS RELEASE:<br />
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 25, 2017<br />
<br />
<i>Holderness, NH </i>– Each year volunteers at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center donate their time and energy to support an organization near and dear to their hearts. Volunteers help in various capacities and areas including education docents; development and marketing; special events; office; Kirkwood Gardens; volunteer instructor; educator assistant; greeters; animal care; exhibits and maintenance; and First Guides teen volunteer program.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qSoY84GmVvA/WId_7pDxwgI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/uDJ2i1_CFzkwqAQBhShob_CWqOmyjytcACLcB/s1600/cockroach_docent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qSoY84GmVvA/WId_7pDxwgI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/uDJ2i1_CFzkwqAQBhShob_CWqOmyjytcACLcB/s320/cockroach_docent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center announced a total of 354 volunteers donated over 8,700 hours of service to the Science Center in 2016. According to the Independent Sector, a nonprofit organization that calculates the value of volunteer hour state by state, the Science Center 2016 volunteer service hours have a monetary value of over $206,000 for the year. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-euqF0tQ_3wg/WIeAF7nY7KI/AAAAAAAAAqc/MynWqBGBqmQ9tebx63l1d6MqCRVjBsBOgCLcB/s1600/docentpefa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-euqF0tQ_3wg/WIeAF7nY7KI/AAAAAAAAAqc/MynWqBGBqmQ9tebx63l1d6MqCRVjBsBOgCLcB/s320/docentpefa.jpg" width="320" /></a>Approximately 62 million American adults volunteer annually in some way, with nearly 8 billion hours of service. Volunteering at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is personally rewarding but also offers benefits for the volunteer including monthly luncheons and educational programs, a gift shop discount, a membership discount, free trail admission on the days a volunteer is volunteering, use of the education library, volunteer newsletter, and an invitation to the annual Parsons Volunteer Recognition Dinner. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uZDdH_uIiUI/WId_609pysI/AAAAAAAAAqM/kARuIzfOSywifXPSYdFgdSZoa8Dp3RTtQCLcB/s1600/docentphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uZDdH_uIiUI/WId_609pysI/AAAAAAAAAqM/kARuIzfOSywifXPSYdFgdSZoa8Dp3RTtQCLcB/s320/docentphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a>“We are so fortunate to have such an incredible group of volunteers supporting the Science Center,” said Carol Raymond, Volunteer Manager at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. “There are so many wonderful stories and experiences that our volunteers provide for our visitors. We wouldn’t be the same organization today without our amazing volunteers.”<br />
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The Science Center offers Docent and First Guide teen volunteer training in June and July. Full details and dates will be available at nhnature.org.<br />
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To learn more about volunteering at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center please visit <a href="http://www.nhnature.org/who/volunteer.php">www.nhnature.org/who/volunteer.php</a>.<br />
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<br />Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-7751247363100139182017-01-04T14:18:00.000-05:002017-01-05T14:40:53.140-05:00Chickadee 2200-79973By Dave Erler, Senior Naturalist<br />
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Black-capped Chickadees with their distinctive black, white, and gray plumage are a familiar bird in New England. Yet to most of us, when we see one Chickadee it looks just like another. Occasionally one stands out such as the one that comes to the feeders at my home. This individual is easy to identify due to its several white tail feathers, meaning it is piebald or partially albino. Rarely you might see one with several colored plastic bands attached to one leg. This means a local researcher, authorized by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, marked it to help identify the different birds in that local population.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpmQsZ8ojjc/WG1I7ssAHsI/AAAAAAAAAps/_EHewbKi2o4DYRPMiiq2sTk9jdCd-bErACLcB/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZpmQsZ8ojjc/WG1I7ssAHsI/AAAAAAAAAps/_EHewbKi2o4DYRPMiiq2sTk9jdCd-bErACLcB/s400/IMG_0148.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
As a permitted bird bander myself, I have the opportunity to meet up close and personal many Chickadees through annual banding activities here at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. But lacking authorization to place colored bands on birds’ legs, I only use small standard US Fish & Wildlife Service aluminum leg bands. Although each of these bands has a unique series of numbers etched in the aluminum, the numbers are far too small to read unless the bird is in hand. Once released you might be able to see a bird that has a band on its leg, but you really have to recapture the bird to actually identify it as a particular individual. <br />
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Over the past forty years I have banded well over a thousand Chickadees and recaptured nearly as many. You might think that after a bird has gone through the trauma of being captured once it would try to avoid being captured again. With Chickadees that doesn’t seem to be the case. A number of years ago I banded one Chickadee and recaptured it a dozen times in the same day it was banded! Still most of the Chickadees are only recaptured infrequently and usually within one to two years of having been banded. Indeed the average Chickadee only lives one to two years, but a few individuals survive much longer. That brings us to Chickadee 2200-79973.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SLxmUPvS5EQ/WG1JUGrfMQI/AAAAAAAAApw/iQJwtuwjYl8bl8ywAypeV1xVa3WnDyRkwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9998adj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SLxmUPvS5EQ/WG1JUGrfMQI/AAAAAAAAApw/iQJwtuwjYl8bl8ywAypeV1xVa3WnDyRkwCLcB/s320/IMG_9998adj.jpg" width="215" /></a>I first “met” Chickadee 2200-79973 on February 9, 2005. I don’t know if this individual was a male or female as both sexes look alike for most of the year. The sexes can only be determined for a brief time during the breeding season, and then only while in the hand by peeking beneath the underside feathers. (Females have a brood patch on their bellies and males a distinct swelling at their rear end opening called a cloacal protuberance.) At the time of banding Chickadee 2200-79973 was an average Black-capped Chickadee with a 65 millimeter wing chord (wrist to longest feather), 63 mm tail, 10 mm bill, and a weight of 11 grams (there are 28.35 grams/ounce). This Chickadee was banded that day during a school program. The students not only got see this little guy or gal but had the opportunity to record the data, place the band on its leg, and release it. All agreed it was a special little bird, although I didn’t realize how special at the time.<br />
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The next time 2200-79973 was encountered was on January 7, 2006. Other than the tail feathers being 3 mm longer than the year before it seemed to be just the same. We didn’t see this feisty little character again until March 20, 2008. At that age it had it had already beaten the odds living much longer than 95% of Chickadees. On March 4, 2011, it was captured again making it the oldest surviving Chickadee I had ever banded. Then on February 28, 2014, I was really surprised, as you have probably guessed by now, 2200-79973 was waiting in one of the traps. I don’t know when this bird actually hatched, but the fact that it was banded in the winter of 2005 meant its minimum age was at least 10 years. Although the North American longevity record for a Black-capped Chickadee is twelve years, five months, this incredible little bird had survived three years longer than the next oldest Chickadee I have banded. It is going on nearly three years since 2200-79973 was last encountered, but you can bet that every time I take a Chickadee from one of the traps, I haven’t given up hope that he or she might just prove to be the ultimate Chickadee survivor. Or maybe after getting caught five times in ten years he or she might just have figured out how not to get caught!<br />
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If you would like to find out firsthand how we catch, measure, and band Chickadees and other birds that visit our feeding station, you can join us on the following weekends this winter, on January 7 and 21, February 4, 18, and 23, and March 1 and 4. See full details and schedule at <a href="http://www.nhnature.org/programs/calendar.php">http://www.nhnature.org/programs/calendar.php</a>.Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-73616554471903002492016-12-24T12:00:00.000-05:002016-12-24T12:00:18.199-05:00Happy Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">At this time of year we send happiest of holiday greetings to you and yours. May peace and nature fill your heart!
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pk0nkGBTb5k/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pk0nkGBTb5k?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<i>- From all of us at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
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<br />Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-27657998425628778852016-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:002016-12-19T10:00:03.092-05:00Please Support the Annual FundThe trails, classrooms, and exhibits were often busy with families, children, and school groups this year when more
than 60,000 people visited the live animal exhibit trail from May 1 to November 1. No matter your age or when you visit, you can always have fun and learn something new at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.<br />
<br />
To maintain the excellence and educational joy of the hands-on
visitor experience we ask you to make a donation to the
Annual Fund. Your contributions help us to care for and
feed our live animals, to maintain our buildings, trails, and
exhibits, to provide support to our volunteers and staff, and
to offer high quality natural science programs for all ages.
Your gift – no matter its size or how
you choose to give it – will help
us fulfill our mission to advance
understanding of ecology by
exploring New Hampshire’s natural world. And if your
employer matches contributions, you might even double
your gift. Your donation, large or small, is much needed and
will be much appreciated.<br />
<br />
If you have already made a gift this year, thank you. If not,
please consider doing so now. You can <a href="http://www.nhnature.org/support/annual_fund.php" target="_blank">donate online</a> or mail a check to SLNSC, PO Box 173, Holderness, NH 03245><br />
<br />
Thank you
for your support!<br />
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-42805553513207250072016-12-05T10:00:00.000-05:002016-12-05T10:00:13.658-05:00Homeschool Programs <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Calibri, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center holds monthly homeschool programs for ages 4 to 6 and ages 7 to 10. Programs are held on the first Thursday of the month through April. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;">Get HAPI!<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />Ages 7 to 10</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" /><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;">Thursdays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. </strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />January 5: Interrelationships<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />February 2: Populations<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />March 2: Habitats<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />April 6: Ecosystems<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />The primary interpretive focus of the Science Center's programs and exhibits is community ecology, which has four major concepts: Habitats, Adaptations, Populations, and Interrelationships (HAPI). Join us with your child to investigate these topics in depth.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;">All About Series<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />Ages 4 to 6<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />Thursdays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />January 5: Skunks<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />February 2: Groundhogs<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />March 2: Owls<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />April 6: Turtles<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />Join us with your homeschooled child to learn all about New Hampshire wildlife. Ecah session considers a different group of living things through activities, hands-on experiences, and a meeting with a live animal.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;">Cost: $9/member child per session; $11/non-member child per session<br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1em;" />An adult must participate with children at no additional cost. Each additional adult pays child fee. </em></div>
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All Homeschool Programs align with the <a href="http://www.nhnature.org/teachers/resource_NHscienceframework.php" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; outline: 0px; transition: box-shadow 0.5s, border 0.5s, background 0.5s; word-wrap: break-word !important;">New Hampshire Science Framework</a>.</div>
Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-38971608792311651552016-10-17T12:03:00.003-04:002016-10-17T12:04:58.751-04:00Golden MemoriesTo celebrate our fiftieth anniversary we have been hearing from our past staff, volunteers, guests, and others who have shared their golden memories. Here are a few:<br />
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"I was introduced to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center when my children were young. It was a special place to visit with them, and with friends and family. Seeing the animals in their natural habitat, playing learning games at exhibits, and attending various summer camp weeks helped my children to learn about our natural world. I can't wait to bring my grandchildren to the Science Center in the near future!" -Barbara Laverack<br />
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"Boy, it would be difficult to narrow it down to just one memory. I enjoyed programs and field trips as a kid, which no doubt contributed to my continued interest in wildlife. I remember very vividly the snowy owl and of course the crooked-nosed doe from those elementary field trips. I have incredible memories from my time as an intern, guided discoveries instructor, and assistant naturalist (2003-2006). From taking baby bats and woodchucks home overnight to giving programs with raptors and small mammals, every day working with animals and kids was different, fun and exciting. I also had a lot of fun designing the 40th Anniversary timeline in the Webster Building. It's hard to believe that 10 years has passed since then! I am incredibly grateful to all of my mentors/co-workers/friends at the center from that time. The things I learned from you are deeply woven into my career as a science teacher and curriculum writer today! Happy 50th!" -Sarah Benton Feitlinger<br />
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"I have so many wonderful memories of being a "Future Naturalist" in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was such an amazing program and I feel very fortunate to have had those summers to spend working with and caring for NH wildlife at the Science Center. Those experiences and the memories of the individual animals I fed and cared for so many years ago continue to inspire my creative work today as a wood carver. Thank you to everyone who made this memorable part of my youth possible!" -Lisa Laughy <br />
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"The first time I remember going to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center was in 1992. I took my Dad and four year old my daughter. We walked the trails as far as Kirkwood garden, and then stopped in the shop that was there at that time. My daughter decided to get a brightly flowered umbrella. We started back towards the welcome center, but just before we got to the field, a thunderstorm blew through. We took shelter (probably at the raptors area) until the wind died down. She was so pleased to be able to use her umbrella for the rest of our walk. Little did I know then that less than ten years later I would be working at the Science Center and renting their pontoon boats to get married on Church Island. Now I am taking my grandson to the Science Center each year. Some places just become family." -Nancy Durgin<br />
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"Our son worked at the Science Center when he was a student at Holderness Central. He really looked forward to going to the Science Center on his 'work days' and came home pretty excited about what he had seen and done that day. He has since gone on to get his PhD in Forest Ecology at the University of California-Berkeley, and although his time at the Science Center is not totally responsible for that outcome, I know that his time at the Science Center was seminal to his interest in the natural sciences. As a side note, our daughters also baby sat for the children of one of the first directors of the Science Center, an experience that made us realize that Holderness and the Squam Lakes region had a wonderful establishment." -Larry Spencer
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-77484921754046304112016-09-20T15:29:00.000-04:002016-09-20T15:29:03.619-04:00Squam Lakes Natural Science Center Receives Accreditation from Association of Zoos and AquariumsSquam Lakes Natural Science Center announces it has been granted accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) independent Accreditation Commission.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wdmW6l85cEs/V-GN5IGckdI/AAAAAAAAAow/ZTXoS6pbYC8H4YxNCxlanVZ8u0avvyJgQCLcB/s1600/AZA_rgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wdmW6l85cEs/V-GN5IGckdI/AAAAAAAAAow/ZTXoS6pbYC8H4YxNCxlanVZ8u0avvyJgQCLcB/s320/AZA_rgb.jpg" width="320" /></a>To be accredited, the Science Center underwent a thorough review to assure it has and will continue to meet rising standards, which include animal care and welfare, veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete the rigorous accreditation process every five years in order to be members of the Association. <br />
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The accreditation process includes a detailed application and a meticulous on-site inspection by a team of trained zoo and aquariums professionals. The Science Center’s on-site inspection took place in May. The inspecting team observed all aspects of operations, including animal care and welfare; keeper training; safety for visitors, staff, and animals; educational programs; conservation efforts; veterinary programs; financial stability; risk management; visitor services; and other areas. Science Center Executive Director Iain MacLeod attended a formal hearing of AZA’s independent Accreditation Commission on September 8 in San Diego, where he found out the Science Center has been granted accreditation for a third five-year period. <br />
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“The Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredits only those zoos and aquariums that meet the highest standards. By achieving AZA-accreditation, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center demonstrates that it is dedicated to protecting species and educating its visitors about the natural world,” said AZA Interim President and CEO Kris Vehrs. “The community can take great pride in knowing that the Science Center is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of conservationists.”<br />
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Center first received accreditation in 2006 and applied for and was granted accreditation again in 2011. They continue to be the only institution in northern New England to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. <br />
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2016 has been a big year for Squam Lakes Natural Science Center with celebrations throughout the year for its fiftieth anniversary; publication of two nature books; the opening of the new Water Matters Pavilion, which includes 18 water-related exhibits and live animals; and more visitors learning about New Hampshire nature than ever before.<br />
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Squam Lakes Natural Science Center has added many improvements and expansions over the past few years at the culmination of the Nature Matters capital campaign, which raised $4 million to help secure the future of the Science Center. The campaign funded new exhibits including Wood Energy, the Gordon Interactive Playscape, and Water Matters Pavilion, in addition to improving the behind-the-scenes living quarters for program raptors. The campaign also raised money to maintain facilities and exhibits in the future, and added to reserve funds. <br />
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“We are thrilled to have this recognition of our hard work and devotion to the highest possible industry standards,” said Iain MacLeod, Executive Director. “It is a testament to our staff, volunteers, and visitors, who throughout our history, have helped make the Science Center into the impressive institution it is today.”<br />
<br />Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7891870369477610907.post-5343854807987395362016-09-07T13:04:00.000-04:002016-09-19T11:59:56.508-04:00Visiting a historical hearth - the Piper HomesteadBy Danica Melone, Marketing Intern<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dqd3bhuz3G8/V9BH1tgwujI/AAAAAAAAAoI/yfOm71qeD5YUxjWhQelOLHWINpG0PJUCQCLcB/s1600/homesteadsignboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dqd3bhuz3G8/V9BH1tgwujI/AAAAAAAAAoI/yfOm71qeD5YUxjWhQelOLHWINpG0PJUCQCLcB/s320/homesteadsignboard.jpg" width="320" /></a>About two-thirds of the way up the Forest Trail, a cove of pine trees opens to reveal a small cellar hole just off the path. Nearby, a large placard describes the scene with artifacts: fragments of dinnerware, a silver spoon, colonial coins, and other pieces left by the inhabitants of a family farmhouse built on the property. Opposite the cellar hole, on the other side of the trail, is the site of the barn that once stood before all was lost in a fire. The cellar hole and barn belonged to James and Sophronia Piper and their children; built in 1847 “between the Peak of Fayal and the Minister's Lott... a homestead on a narrow plateau tucked into a steep slope." (doc. 105.) <br />
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At this point, you might be wondering about how the Piper family came to be, or what the Minister's Lott is. The land that the Science Center sprawls out on is entrenched in a rich history dating back to the very beginning of Holderness. Its history is more impressive than simply serving as a small livestock and agricultural plot for the Piper family. In fact, the grounds were home to more than just one family; the Science Center grounds were originally owned by the Reverend Robert Fowle. (As a note, this was the beginning of European settlers continuing their dispersion outward from the East coast. Thus, this historical account does not reference any prior inhabitants, but it is critical to remember that Native Americans were present on and around Squam Lake at the time.) <br />
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Just prior to his settling in 1804, Robert Fowle, a reverend of the Episcopal church, was entitled to a plot of land called the Minister's Lott by "the town's eighteenth century charter" (doc. 400). The entitlement allowed Reverend Fowle to essentially "choose" where his Minister's Lott would lie, keeping in mind that by 1803, sections of the Minister's Lott must be portioned off for the Episcopal Church and cemetery. Reverened Fowle choose a nice plot of land right on "the North shore of Little Squam" lake, which he would eventually begin to section off and sell "for economic gain" (doc. 400). <br />
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Sparse census data from the 18th century tells us that Reverend Fowle began selling pieces of his property as early as 1804, with James Piper showing up in census records in 1847 as a neighbor abutting the north-side of the Reverend's property. In September of 1847, records show that the Revered Robert Fowle passed away, leaving the the property to his only heir; his nephew Robert True. Widow of Reverend Fowle, Martha Fowle, eventually sold the property to her son-in-law, Henry True later that year. Robert True, in the meantime, was schooling at the New Hampton Institute, St. Johnsbury Academy, and the Bangor Theological Seminary where he was classified "as a Congregationalists who was ordained an evangelist in 1881" (doc. 401). <br />
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Meanwhile, James Piper was buying up tracts of land and selling them; one plot was near White Oak Pond while were others scattered inland. Eventually, James Piper purchased the land “below the Peak of [Mt.] Fayal” by 1847 and quickly built the family homestead (doc.402). Sparse records from this time allude to a trail, most likely a Native American-used path, which was the only sign of inhabitance on this property prior to the Piper’s arrival. As the years passed, James Piper’s son, George, came into the land records as a new constituent of the property. In June of 1876, land records show a $1000 transaction ultimately giving half of everything owned on the Piper property to George Piper. This included an “undivided half of [the] homestead” and “one half of the stock of every sort” (doc.402).<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2cgAlIlfQbE/V9BH4gSLiHI/AAAAAAAAAoM/XZAz5m54UUQXfwKhwfe9aIB_NNFndbQGwCLcB/s1600/homestead%25C2%25A3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2cgAlIlfQbE/V9BH4gSLiHI/AAAAAAAAAoM/XZAz5m54UUQXfwKhwfe9aIB_NNFndbQGwCLcB/s320/homestead%25C2%25A3.jpg" width="320" /></a>Robert True ended up not returning to the homestead, allowing Henry True and his wife Martha True, one of three daughters to Reverend Robert and Martha Fowle, to continue to inhabitant the space. At this time, Henry and Martha True “rented” half of their property to Martha’s unwed sisters, Mary and Margaret, at the rate of $40/year. This was most likely a simple legal transaction for the sake of record keeping, yet still helps paint a picture of the economic hardships during the era. In 1875, the property would be sold to John Davison who was married to the daughter of James and Sophronia Piper, Betsy. By this point in 1875, James and Sophronia Piper were getting older and so John and Betsy Davison’s decision to reside “on the Southern boundary of the Piper Homestead made sound economic sense for the Davison/Piper family unit” (doc.403). Less than a decade later, James Piper passed away leaving Sophronia and their unwed daughter, Latitia, to finally sell the property in 1888 from the economic burden. Thankfully, the property was purchased by John and Betsy Davison, marking the official “joining of the two properties” (doc.403).<br />
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The Davison family thrived on the property for many years; as they realized their agricultural prospects were not well-suited for the region, so they began mixing “tourism with agriculture and forestry” (doc. 403). In the beginning, the Davisons used the “old Fowle parsonage as a summer boarding house” to accommodate the increasing presence of tourists (doc.403). As their niche industry grew, the Davison’s replaced the boarding house “with a more ambitious structure, the Central House,” which was later re-built after a fire, and renamed again as the Holderness Inn (doc.403). Though historical records do not provide the exact date, sometime after 1888, The Piper Homestead burned down leaving only a cellar hole along the path which is seen today on one of the Science Center’s hiking trails. <br />
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Our historical record recounts a day in 1977 when the great-grandson of James and Sophronia Piper, John Davison, walked the trail with the second Science Center director (then called the Science Center of New Hampshire), Robert Nichols. The great-grandson of these two historical figures, remembered the past uses of the land: thriving gardens and agricultural patches with timber lots nearby provided the family with many basic needs. Incredibly, John Davison recalled at one time being able to see the expanse of Squam Lake from the cellar-hole site, which was also used by the Piper family as a favorite family picnic spot. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrfwh5Uqmr0/V9BHosnP09I/AAAAAAAAAn8/YXzj5IYojG8RazEHra0NmDufAg_yauouwCLcB/s1600/homestead2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vrfwh5Uqmr0/V9BHosnP09I/AAAAAAAAAn8/YXzj5IYojG8RazEHra0NmDufAg_yauouwCLcB/s320/homestead2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today, the remaining sites of this history include the Piper cellar hole, the Holderness Inn, and the Bridge Cemetery in Holderness. The Piper cellar hole and its artefactual remains may be visited via a short hike from the Science Center at the junction of the Forest and Mount Fayal hiking trails; a peaceful spot where you may look back in time by standing in what was once the side yard between the Piper’s homestead and barn. The Holderness Inn has seen various uses from the Science Center over the past century and now serves as beautiful, historic structure housing the Squam Lakes Artisans shop and Kirkwood Café, all on the same floor. In addition, the Holderness Inn represents the last of the “grand hotels” to still be standing while the others, built around the lakes in a similar grandiose fashion, have since burned down and were never rebuilt. Reverend Robert Fowle’s Episcopal Church burned down before his own death, though the date is unknown. Reverend Fowle’s second task as the first Holderness minister was to develop a plot of land for the cemetery, eventually named Bridge Cemetery. Legend has it that the location of Reverened Fowle’s headstone in Bridge Cemetery marks where his pulpit once stood in the church. <br />
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With all of that new information regarding historic land use at the Science Center, I’ll leave you with this [sorry, lengthy] excerpt from our historical account:
“The Minister’s Lott represented the first phase of Holderness settlement, reserved for the first settled minister of the township, Massachusetts-born Robert Fowle of the Episcopal Church. The Piper Homestead reflected the second phase, used by a native-born son to provide a home for his family, his father’s lands already burned by other demands. However, by the end of the nineteenth-century, changing economic strategies forced the consolidation of the two properties” (doc.403.) <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qrz8AV7MhN8/V9BHyIidOZI/AAAAAAAAAoA/GtLKjtECoxEPQpVWgWCoyriYNsdOwYR_QCLcB/s1600/homestead4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qrz8AV7MhN8/V9BHyIidOZI/AAAAAAAAAoA/GtLKjtECoxEPQpVWgWCoyriYNsdOwYR_QCLcB/s320/homestead4.jpg" width="320" /></a>Thankfully, you are able to visit three of these historic locations in Holderness, with two being located right on the Science Center property. Enjoy a fresh, locally-made lunch on the terrace of Kirkwood Gardens from Kirkwood Café (open during July and August), and visit the incredibly creative Squam Lakes Artisans shop inside. If you have a few extra hours (we suggest a 90-minute minimum), take the easy hike up to the Piper cellar hole on our Forest Trail. The site of the cellar hole and it’s artifacts rests just below where the trail becomes “narrow, steep, and winding, [yet] it serves as a reminder that hill farms existed in isolated sites and yet still maintained fragile links to a larger world” (journ. 005).
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<i>Excerpts in this blog are from a report written by Blake Allen, Director of the Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute (PELI), College of Graduate Studies at Plymouth State University) and the Holderness Historical Society.</i>Squam Lakes Natural Science Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10348385740251302210noreply@blogger.com0