Canceled on account of the nor’easter blowing in!
While many plants and a few animals are dormant in winter, the winter woods and fields are full of signs of life and activity.
On Wednesday, March 15 from 10AM-12PM, join the Chocorua Lake Conservancy for a Late Winter Wildlife & Ecology Walk. Come explore the fields, woods, and wetlands of the Charlotte C. Browne Memorial Woods with CLC Stewardship Director Debra Marnich. Our local wildlife have incredible ways of adapting to the snow, scarce food, and cold temperatures of the New Hampshire winter. We'll be discussing habitat and habitat arrangement and looking for tracks and signs to see what wildlife are there and what they are up to. We will also take a closer look under the snow to visit the subnivean zone where life is thriving in the winter. Along the way, other topics are fair game such as winter tree ID, birds and bird calls, and whatever the land has in store for us that day. We will walk down to the Chocorua River and discuss riverine and wetlands systems and the habitat they provide for wildlife, and notice late winter signs of spring, buds growing larger on trees, wildlife preparing to emerge from winter rest, maybe a glimpse of pussy willow. Storm date is Wednesday, March 22, 10AM-12PM.
Please wear warm layers, bring water and a snack, and winter footwear/gear for traveling off trail in snowy woods, including snowshoes if the snow is deep, hiking poles, or microspikes/ice grippers if conditions are icy. We will be breaking trail and the terrain will be uneven and possibly slippery. This event is free. Space is limited—please register in advance below. Parking is also limited—please carpool with a friend if possible.
CLC Stewardship Director Debra Marnich holds a BS in Zoology and an MS in Forestry. Her major interests and professional focus areas include combining wildlife and forestry practices to manage for both sound silvicultural and optimum wildlife habitat, creating early successional and bird nesting habitat, pollinator habitat creation, promoting small diverse farms local food production/agriculture, promoting land conservation and protection, environmental education, and integrating all resources concerns to create a balanced conservation system.
Banner image: Winter tracks. Photo: Rory Hallowell.