Volunteerism-A Beginning of the Return to Normal
In many ways 2020 seems like a lost year, and in fact when many of our staff say ‘last year’ we are thinking of 2019. The Research and Stewardship programs were able to continue almost as normal, and the Coastal Training Program shifted to online trainings. The Education program shifted to take-home activities and social media posts that helped educate the public and encourage outdoor exploration. But what about volunteers?
Funded! New Research on Eelgrass in Great Bay!
The Great Bay NERR is excited to be a part of a new $550,000 grant that will provide critical information about the relationship between hydrodynamics, water quality and eelgrass in Great Bay.
GBNERR welcomes Lynn Vaccaro
Our new Coastal Training Program Coordinator has arrived, and we cannot wait for you to meet her. Lynn Vaccaro grew up in the seacoast region of NH and spent the last 12 years at Michigan Sea Grant and the University of Michigan Water Center. With training as an educator and a scientist and extensive experience working with researchers, decision makers and local communities in the Great Lakes region, Lynn is a perfect fit to lead municipal outreach and technical assistance for the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Most recently, Lynn has been the collaborative research manager for the NERRS Science Collaborative. In Michigan Lynn ran research competitions, facilitated sharing between projects, organized workshops and learning opportunities, led communication efforts, and developed resources for scientists interested in connecting their work to coastal management. Please help us welcome Lynn back to the seacoast and into her new role with New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Shed Hunting
As summer and fall begin to approach this year, consider taking up the sport of “shed hunting”. Watch for that monster buck with a beautiful set of antlers and then sit back and wait…
Great Bay 175K Challenge
The completely unofficial and made up Great Bay 175K Challenge, all started with an eye roll and ended with my eyes closed. Great Bay’s annual 5K road race now boosts a new 55k option, which I thought was craziness. How many runners are thinking, let’s do a 5K race and then run it again 10 more times? Apparently a lot, as 134 runners completed the 55K race! I took it a crazy step farther, read more about my 175K challenge.
Osprey Cam
Watch the migratory osprey return to nest and rear their chicks at our Discovery Center LIVE online.
Osprey on Great Bay
The Great Bay Estuary is home to several types of birds. Some are common backyard birds while others are wading birds like the the seasonal Great Blue Heron. If you’re lucky, you might even see some larger predatory birds including the Bald Eagle or Osprey. Each year, several pair of osprey return to Great Bay to lay their eggs and start the next generation.
How Ice Forms
Love to fish, don’t have a boat? No worries, go ice fishing! The Great Bay Estuary and the freshwater lakes and rivers in the New Hampshire Seacoast are alive with delicious fish even in the dead of winter.
Nature Therapy
Keeping the mind and body happy is an essential part of leading a long and healthy life. There are many ways to stay active physically, but keeping your mind in shape is just as important.
Snow Fleas…a Winter Arthropod!
Fleas? Ewe! Just kidding….snow fleas, or springtails, are not fleas at all, and in fact are not even true insects! Never heard of them? That’s okay, you can learn about them in this blog post! When you are outside on a warm winter day, with the snow starting the melt, you may see what looks like black pepper sprinkled on the snow. Look closer, and watch for movement….these are snow fleas and they are very common!