108th Annual Meeting

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Lake Waukewan Golf Club, Meredith

Highlights
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.	Field trips and Workshops
3:30 p.m.	Registration and snacks, with cash bar
5:00 p.m.	Business meeting, Conservationist of the Year Award
6:00 p.m.	Dinner
7:00 p.m.	Keynote speaker

Keynote Speaker

Jerry Monkman, EcoPhotography

Perpetuity in Pictures: New England's Wild Places and Conserved Lands in Photographs

Premier nature photographer and author Jerry Monkman will take us on a photographic journey across the conserved New England landscape. Jerry and his wife Marcy are known nationwide for their photographic conservation work, having spent the last 15 years artfully documenting the mountains, forests, and coastlines that define New Hampshire and the region.

Field Trips and Workshops

Field trips begin at various locations and times and will return to Lake Waukewan Golf Club by 3:30 p.m. Space is limited, so please register early. Field trip details and directions will be mailed or e-mailed with Annual Meeting registration confirmation. Field trips and tours are free unless otherwise noted.

1. Blue Water, Big Trees…
Coolidge Tree Farm and Kusumpe Pond / Sandwich

Join Paul Doscher of the Forest Society and Don Berry of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT) on a tour of the Coolidge Tree Farm followed by a level hike around the spectacular, almost completely protected Kusumpe Pond. The Forest Society's 63-acre Coolidge Tree Farm in Sandwich is one of New Hampshire's earliest certified Tree Farms. The land features scenic views of Squam and the completely unspoiled shoreline of Kusumpe Pond.

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Difficulty: Moderate/Easy off trail walking
Hike distance: 2 miles

2. On a Clear Day…
Morse Preserve / Alton

Overlooking Alton Bay, the Evelyn H. and Albert D. Morse, Sr. Preserve on Pine Mountain is a new 431-acre permanent forest reservation owned by the Forest Society. Expansive views include the adjacent Belknap Range and Lake Winnipesaukee. Join Forest Society staff Ryan Young, Jason Teaster, and Dave Anderson on a short, steep hike to the top of the hill for a BYO picnic lunch.

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Difficulty: Moderate hike including steep terrain
Hike distance: 1.5 to 2 miles

3. Forestry, Fish, and Fuel
Martin Woodlot / Bridgewater

Forester Jon Martin and his wife Hillary manage their 245-acre woodlot for multiple uses, including wood, water, wildlife, and recreation. Join Wendy Weisiger and Brian Hotz of the Forest Society on a tour of this working forest, which features 3,700 feet of frontage on the Pemigewassett River. You will also tour the nearby Bridgewater biomass energy facility and get the inside story on the wood energy industry.

Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Difficulty: Easy, level walking
Hike distance: 1.5 miles

4. Bear Island Tour
Bear Island Forest / Meredith

Join Steve Perron and Jack Savage of the Forest Society on a rare chance to visit one of the Forest Society's less-accessible protected properties, the Bear Island Forest Reservation in Lake Winnipesaukee. We'll travel by boat, disembark, and explore the island's interior with a break for a BYO picnic lunch. This trip is weather-dependent; wind and/or rain will cancel. ADDITIONAL $20 FEE REQUIRED.

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Difficulty: Mostly level, off-trail hiking
Hike distance: Approximately 1 mile

INDOOR WORKSHOP:
5. Creating a Shared Vision for Land Conservation in the Lakes Region
Lake Waukewan Golf Club / Meredith

Learn about a new plan for strategic land conservation in the Lakes Region. This consensus-built plan involves multiple local, regional, and statewide land trusts and employs state-of-art GIS mapping and natural resources analysis to set priorities for protecting water quality and resources. Moderator: Dan Sundquist, Director of Land Conservation Planning for the Forest Society

Time: 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Registration

Space is limited, so please register early! Registration is required. Please register no later than Thursday, September 3rd.

Registration for dinner and the evening program is $40 through July 31st, $45 starting August 1st.

If you are joining us for a field trip but not dinner and the evening program, please register for just the trip on our events registration form.

To register online with a credit card, use this form.

To register by mail, print and mail this form. A registration form is also available in the Summer issue of Forest Notes.

For telephone registration or questions, contact Tina Ripley at 603-224-9945 or .

Directions

See the Waukewan Golf Club website for directions.