Dover holds Local Gardening and Energy Fair

The average meal travels about 1,500 miles before it lands on a Seacoast resident’s plate. All that transportation equates to loads of fuel, packaging and carbon emissions, leaving a nasty footprint on the environment.

But that kind of waste is largely unnecessary. Area residents can grow much of their own food in backyard gardens or buy it from local farms. The first ever Local Gardening and Energy Fair in Dover will teach guests how to grow healthy foods and reduce energy consumption. The fair takes place on Saturday, April 18, at the McConnell Center at 61 Locust St.

Sponsored by Dover’s Cassily Community Garden and the Dover Energy Advisory Committee, along with Seacoast Eat Local, the fair will feature a number of workshops on gardening and energy efficiency from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. University of New Hampshire professor of natural resources John Carroll will deliver a keynote talk on the connection between energy and agriculture at noon. 

Eric Stelzer, chair of the Dover Energy Advisory Committee, said the idea for the fair emerged after discussions with former committee member Eric Kelsey, chair of Cassily Community Garden.

“With the success that they’ve had with their own group as well as ours, we were just chitchatting a little bit about how both of them are very complementary to each other,” Steltzer said. The two began discussing ways to collaborate and decided to host a day-long event that would address both agricultural issues and energy efficiency in homes and businesses.

Local experts will lead workshops on a total of nine different topics, including healthy soils, pests and diseases, biofuels, beekeeping, renewable energy sources, EnergyStar appliances, energy tax credits and rebates, and residential energy audits. Between 10 and 15 energy-related vendors and organizations will offer displays and answer questions at the fair. Organic food will be available throughout the day at Green Bean restaurant in the McConnell Center.

“The highlight of all of this is going to be a presentation by Dr. John Carroll of the University of New Hampshire, who’s done years of work on the connection between energy and agriculture,” Steltzer said. A question and answer session will follow Carroll’s speech at 12:30 p.m.

The Dover City Council created the Energy Advisory Committee three years ago and voted to make it a permanent committee last summer. “We were initially formed by the City Council to come up with an energy action plan for the city, which we did,” Steltzer said. Since then, the committee has been coming up with ways to improve energy efficiency within the city.

The City Council will soon vote on whether to hire an energy service company called Johnson Controls to conduct a number of energy improvements to the city’s buildings and infrastructure. The improvements would total around $2.5 million. Steltzer supports the resolution. 

“In my opinion, it’s the biggest vote of the year for the term of the City Council,” he said, noting that the improvements would provide $260,000 in savings for taxpayers in the first year alone. Long-term savings would eventually pay off the initial bond, he said, while the improvements would also keep tons of carbon dioxide out of the environment. He added that the agreement would stipulate that if Johnson Controls does not meet certain levels of energy efficiency, the company must pay the difference.

Steltzer said more and more New Hampshire communities are prioritizing energy efficiency. There are now more than 90 energy committees across the state. Portsmouth is preparing to hold its second annual Sustainability Fair in May, and many other communities hold similar events.

“This issue, as far as energy and community grassroots investment, is spreading rapidly throughout the state,” Steltzer said. “We just want to expand on that and have a little bit more informative workshops on specific topics.”

Earth Day weekend brings volunteer opportunities

There are several ways Seacoast residents can help take care of the planet over the weekend before Earth Day on April 22.

Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation is hosting cleanups in Portsmouth on Saturday, April 18, and in Rye on Sunday, April 19.
Saturday’s events begin at 10 a.m. at Peirce Island in Portsmouth with conservation demonstrations and a visit from Blue Ocean Society’s touch tank, followed by the annual cleanup of Peirce Island. Free refreshments will be provided by Starbucks Coffee and Flatbread Company. There will be a children’s scavenger hunt and information on the nonprofit’s marine conservation efforts.

Sunday is the Society’s second Annual Earth Day Cleanup and Celebration at Rye Harbor State Park and Foss Beach. There will be a cleanup at Rye Harbor State Park starting at 10 a.m., followed by lunch and an afternoon cleanup at Foss Beach starting at 1 p.m. There will also be information tables, free Capt’n Eli’s soda, the touch tank, and marine biologists to answer questions about marine life and environmental conservation.

During the cleanup, volunteers will record their findings as part of the Society’s long-term study on marine pollution. To participate, call 603-431-0260 or visit www.blueoceansociety.org.

In Hampton, an Earth Day Awareness Fair on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be held at the Centre School, 53 Winnacunnet Rd. The event includes ways to reduce, reuse and recycle with presentations by eco-friendly vendors. Also, an Earth Pledge Walk is planned for Sunday, April 19, from 1 to 3 p.m., beginning at Bicentennial Park on North Beach. Bags and gloves will be provided for a cleanup. Participants meet at the municipal parking lot on High Street.

Be prepared in case of an oil spill involving wildlife with training on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. N.H. Dept. of Environmental Services, N.H. Dept. of Fish and Game, Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research and Enpro Services are partnering to offer training, hosted by the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

The Oiled Wildlife Volunteer Training workshop will introduce all aspects of oiled wildlife response including safety, medical protocols and cleaning techniques as well as the rehabilitation needs of animals before and after cleaning. Attendance is limited for the free workshop and registration is required. Contact Rebecca Dunne at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 302-737-9543, ext. 109.

On Wednesday, April 22, Clay Hill Farm in Cape Neddick, Maine, will host Clay Hill Unplugged, an Earth Day celebration of local eco-friendly initiatives. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with local music and food. Jonathan Blakeslee and Joelle Guerard, who won Clay Hill’s 2009 Green Wedding Giveaway, will meet and greet attendees, and Blakeslee will be among the musical performers. Other performers include The Sea Captains and Pat Keane. Michelle Moon of Slow Food Seacoast, Sarah Brown of The Green Alliance and John Forti of Strawbery Banke will lead eco-friendly chats.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door. Clay Hill Farm is at 220 Clay Hill Road. Visit www.clayhillfarm.com or call 207-361-2272.

night hike leads to vernal pools

Members of the York Land Trust and naturalist Frank Dehler of York County Audubon invite the public to vernal pools at Mt. Agamenticus in Maine to spot glow-in-the-dark spotted salamanders and other spring creatures on Saturday, April 18, from 6 to 8 p.m.  
“Vernal pools are the jewels of our woodlands; microcosms of wonder. Fragile and dynamic, they play an immense role in the ecology of the surrounding forest community,” Dehler said in a press release.

Reservations are required and limited to 25 people. Participants will meet at the Mt. A parking area, across from the summit entrance on Mountain Road. Admission is $5 or $10 per family as a requested donation from non-members. To register, call 207-363-7400 or visit www.yorklandtrust.org.

officials stress spring hiking safety

With crocuses blooming and warmer temperatures harkening the arrival of spring, many area residents look forward to lacing up their hiking boots. But officials at N.H. Fish and Game and the N.H. Outdoor Council are reminding residents that winter conditions still exist in the White Mountains.

“The nature of the mountain environment is that it can be a dangerous place,” said Lt. Todd Bogardus, of N.H. Fish and Game. “Visitors who are looking forward to a mountain adventure have to realize that spring is very slow in coming, and winter conditions will persist here long after springtime appears further south, and at lower elevations.”

According to Bogardus, the mountains could have deep snow cover and icy surfaces well into May. He advises hikers to equip themselves with snowshoes, crampons or other winter footing apparel.

As snow melts, other spring hiking challenges arise, including difficult stream crossings and high water levels. “With the extra water of snowmelt, plus more water from time to time due to spring rains, some stream crossings may be very difficult or even impossible to negotiate safely,” Bogardus said. “Hikers definitely need to be ready to change their plans if such obstacles present themselves.”

Spring weather can reach nasty extremes in the mountains, with temperatures dipping below zero even in May, while strong winds and low clouds create additional hazards. Even snowstorms are possible in mid to late spring, and weak snow covers can cause avalanches. Hikers should dress in layers and have raingear, and climbers should receive training and bring an ice ax.

Other safety tips for hikers include traveling in groups, letting others know your plans, being prepared for emergencies, knowing when to turn back, and carrying appropriate gear. For more hiking safety information, visit www.hikesafe.com or www.nhoutdoorcouncil.org.

volunteers wanted for the Gundalow

Seasonal volunteers are needed on the Captain Edward H. Adams, a replica of the sailing barges that once plied the region’s waters, carrying cargo and connecting towns.

The Gundalow Company in Portsmouth is offering a variety of positions, including guides, greeters, educators and deckhands, in several waterfront locations beginning in May. The crew works in the tidewater towns of the Piscataqua Region.

Gundalows were once the primary mode of transporting cargo in the region, and now the Captain Adams is used as a dockside platform for maritime heritage and environmental education in those same towns. Programs are designed to heighten awareness of the Piscataqua region’s maritime heritage, contemporary water quality issues and stewardship.

Volunteers are needed to work on board with public visitors and community groups, to staff exhibits at local festivals and events, and to serve as deckhands during the season.

Training will be held in April at the John Hancock Wharf, Old York Historical Society. On Wednesday, April 15 at 4:30 p.m., training will be held for volunteer bosuns. Training for volunteers in outreach is on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m. and Tuesday, April 28 at 1 p.m. For more information, call 603-433-9505 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it