butts on the beach

More than 11,000 pounds of garbage were collected from New Hampshire’s 18 miles of coastline in 2006, and Marine Debris research  results recently released by the University of New Hampshire revealed that between April 2005 and September 2006, more than 52,000 cigarette butts were found at Hampton Beach alone.

Since 2006, UNH has been working in conjunction with the Blue Ocean Society and New Hampshire Sea Grant to identify and target sources of beach pollution in the state.

Long neglected and abused, Portsmouth’s North Mill Pond can’t get healthy without help from the community. Not only have The Advocates for the North Mill Pond answered the call, but they’ve also teamed up with fifth grade students from New Franklin Elementary School to monitor water quality and pond cleanup.

Now the two, in conjunction with the Hodgson Brook Restoration Project, are asking local residents to attend their banquet Tuesday, April 1, at the New Franklin Elementary School in Portsmouth. The banquet will be a combination of informational messages—many of which composed by the children—and celebration, to begin at 6:30 p.m. and end around 7:30 pm.
The partnership between The Advocates and New Franklin Elementary school was forged out of the need to provide local residents with a basal level of knowledge regarding local watersheds.

this year’s season in review

As large chunks of ice break up and head out to sea, with them goes another smelt fishing season. For many Seacoast ice fishermen, the season ended in disappointment. Initially, temperatures were cold enough for a thick layer of ice to form over Seacoast rivers. But higher temperatures later in the winter caused the season to fizzle out like a poorly cast fishing line.

On a scale of one to 10, with seven being the average, Kyle Walsh gave this season a four. He works at Suds N Soda in Greenland, which seems to be the epicenter of smelt fishing on the Seacoast. Upstairs, he sells gear and licenses for hunting and fishing. His observations, however, are free of charge.

“We had ice, but you couldn’t get out on it,” he said. “It never really developed, or (it) would come and go.”

High temperatures and abundant rainfall in the last month of the season prevented the ice from fully developing.

Deep in the woods of Cape Neddick, Maine, rests a collection of unassuming buildings sheltered by thick forest. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the only sound in this remote spot came from falling snow. Life seems to move a little bit slower here. That is, until you step into The Center for Wildlife’s main office.

“This is supposed to be our slow season,” said Laura Dehler, the center’s development director and outreach coordinator. This winter has been anything but slow at the rehabilitation facility for injured animals.

Most of the victims in this latest cavalcade of misfortune have come from one species—the barred owl. As of last week, 37 owls had been brought to the Center for Wildlife since late November, including 33 barred owls. With a month of winter still remaining, the numbers have already dwarfed the center’s typical count of six to eight barred owls. Many factors are contributing to the birds’ inauspicious winter, but foremost among them is their struggle to find food.

For the New England Patriots Cheerleaders, saying goodbye to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, last April was a bittersweet moment. They were there to shoot the team’s annual swimsuit calendar, but the sunny weather was more appealing than anything New England had to offer at the time. The team members had just boarded the plane and settled into their seats when Tracy Sormanti, the Patriots Cheerleaders’ director/choreographer, cut through the plane’s continuous drone.

“You got it!” Sormanti shouted. The jubilant announcement caught cheerleader Meghan White off guard.

“Got what?” she inquired.  

In the world of mountain bike racing, the names featured at Tara Jam 2008 could not be any bigger. The event on Saturday, Feb. 23, will bring the likes of Kyle Ebbett, Aaron Chase, Jamie Goldman, Jeff Lenosky, Cam McCaul, George Ryan, Dave Smutok and Seth Lolli to Rye Airfield for a day of mountain biking with the pros.

The event has attracted many acclaimed riders and garnered much warranted enthusiasm. Beau Lambert, general manager of Rye Airfield, put the evening into perspective for the less MTB (mountain bike) inclined: “This is literally a game of hoops with K.G., Shaq and Kobe,” he said.

Each year, the New Hampshire Audubon Society, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife program, meticulously tracks the state’s bald eagle population. This year, the efforts were rewarded with a pleasant surprise. A record 59 bald eagles were spotted on survey day, and a total of 67 were seen during the two-week Mid-winter Bald Eagle Survey period. The 59 birds seen on survey day represent a 30 percent increase from the previous record of 44, set in 2006.  

Chris Martin, a senior biologist in N.H. Audubon’s Conservation Department, uses the survey to assess the bald eagle’s progress. “It is a bottom line confirmation. The eagle population is on the increase,” he said. 

There have been several sightings of an unusual creature swimming through the tidal backwaters of southern Maine and New Hampshire. People have referred to it as “creek man,” “creek monster” and “the chauncesmith monster.” The Wire caught up with the elusive creature, which turned out to be Gary Sredzienski—accordion player, host of WUNH’s Polka Party radio show and an experienced creek swimmer.

“They gotta know I’m not genetically different from anyone. I’ve worked at this and I’m totally comfortable,” he said. 
For the past six years, Sredzienski has been swimming the Seacoast’s tidal backwaters five days a week, 12 months a year. While most people are hunkering down for the winter, creek man is exposing himself to some of the most extreme elements of winter. And every time he takes the plunge, he learns something new.

latest Warren Miller ski film headed to Newburyport

With all the snow that fell in December, skiers and snowboarders have plenty to be excited about this winter. As the season progresses, riders at New England mountains will showcase sweet tail grabs, helicopters, twisters, double daffies and even spread eagles. Yes, the mighty spread eagle.

As it turns out, you don’t have to spend $40 on gas and $80 on a lift ticket to slide down some good slopes this winter. With lots of fluffy white stuff spiraling from the sky in December, there are a number of local hills—some better known than others—where sledding, snowboarding and skiing are welcome. The key is keeping your eyes peeled for a snowy slope with a steep grade.

Madbury purchases two conservation easements

Madbury’s Conservation Commission has been saving up to buy conservation land for years. So, when two families came forward offering to sell easements on their farms, the town was able to make an offer. Chalk it up to good fiscal planning. Pending the results of a public hearing and a federal review, Madbury will complete the purchase of easements on 91 acres at the Hayes Farm on Mill Hill Road and 68 acres at the Roselawn Farm, which is south of Perkins Road. The Roselawn Farm straddles the Madbury-Durham town line, with 48 acres in Durham and 20 acres in Madbury.   

46 acres added to land trust

A conservation easement granted to the York Land Trust guarantees that a 46-acre property in York will be protected from development in perpetuity. Mary-Leigh Smart committed her property to the Land Trust, provided it be protected from development and transformed into an artists’ colony after her death. The successful transfer of her land marks the completion of 40 projects in the Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative, which represents the protection of more than 1,800 acres in that corridor.

Seacoast beaches are permeated with dog poop.

A new dog waste outreach program from the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation encourages pet owners to clean up after their dogs. With funding and technical assistance from the N.H. Department of Environmental Services, the Blue Ocean Society and its volunteers hope to clear the state’s shoreline of unsightly and environmentally detrimental detritus.

moose season opens for a lucky few

This past weekend kicked off nine days of legal moose hunting in New Hampshire. The state distributed 675 permits through a lottery system that allows moose hunters to prowl the woods in search of big game through Oct. 28. The lottery was held this past June and elicited more than 16,750 applicants.

New Hampshire is divided into 22 wildlife management units, which helps N.H. Fish and Game monitor the moose population. The management of each unit depends on several factors, including moose population and available habitat.
“For example, in the Pittsburgh (N.H.) area, they’re going to have to manage the moose population differently than they would on the Seacoast,” said Linda Verville, of N.H. Fish and Game. 

The impending cold season is enough to make some people cringe, but there are others out there who relish the thought of another long winter. For skiers and snowboarders, the best season of the year is right around the corner. To help kick off the season, Fire on the Mountain Ski and Sport in Dover and Matchstick Productions will present the east coast film premiere of “Seven Sunny Days: Short Stories From a Long Winter.”

Apple Harvest Day takes over Dover

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what can you fend off with 100,000 apples? The 23rd annual Apple Harvest Day celebration in Dover will feature enough apple-based products to satisfy the Seacoast’s sweet tooth for an entire year. But the daylong event on Saturday will offer more than fruit. A diverse array of musicians, handcrafters and animals will provide entertainment for around 25,000 visitors in downtown Dover.

No need to pimp these rides; they came pimped.

Strawbery Banke will hold its annual Vintage & Vine fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 29 from 5 to 10 p.m. A number of vintage and classic automobiles will be on display from car collections across the state, including a wine red 1966 Maserati Ghibli Spider, a red 1948 British MG-TC Roadster, a red 1948 Kurtis-Mayer-Drake midget Racer, a 1937 classic Packard V12 coupe roadster, a green 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Henley roadster, a 1929 Schafer Buick Indianapolis Racer and other vehicles.

There’s a reason they call it the Iron Butt. Riding 11,000 miles in 11 days on a motorcycle requires exceptionally firm buttocks, and that’s exactly what the Iron Butt Rally entails. Held every two years, the rally sends motorcyclists on a marathon mission across the United States and Canada, challenging participants to obtain bonus points with various detours along the way.

a look at our changing landscape

an amateur angler reports back from Colorado

Standing knee deep in fast moving, freezing cold water is not the time to lose patience. Fly fishing is supposed to be a calming, contemplative hobby, and, at moments, it is. But, for someone picking up the sport for the first time, those tranquil moments are cloistered by frustration and failure. So long as patience prevails, fly fishing can catch your enthusiasm—and your dinner.

rain and mild temperatures create obstacles for summer businesses

endangered birds hatch at Hampton Beach

Two weeks ago, Hampton Beach State Park witnessed a rare event: the hatching of four piping plover chicks. The birds are more significant than their small size suggests.

New Hampshire battles invasive plant species

Six months ago, Dave Kellem was wading through a colony of tall wetland reeds called phragmites. He reached down and cracked open one of the long stems and found that it was a perfect tube, ideally suited to form the body of a pen. On that fateful day, Kellem decided to start a business manufacturing and selling pens made from the stems of the invasive plants. He calls them Phragwrites. “The name is what sold me into starting the company. So, Phragwrites, it’s hard to go wrong with that,” Kellem said.