Trail Maintenance Leadership, Monadnock Conservancy & Eastern Mountain Sports, Peterborough, NH

Peterborough, NH is the home of Eastern Mountain Sports which employs hundreds of folks enthusiastic about the outdoors. This source of hearty volunteers came in handy in 2008 when the Monadnock Conservancy sought help for cleaning up their trail on a piece if land they own in Peterborough. The Conservancy requested the involvement of Preserve Land Works in organizing and leading the cleanup and repair of the short trail, which with the help of 20 people went real quick. With time to spare, we moved north to the Walcott Preserve in Hancock, NH, where we cleaned the trail through this town conservation land. EMS generously allowed their employees the day off for this volunteering, and they gave us all a great bar-b-que after!

Hiking Trail, Spectacle Pond, Roxbury, NH

Nothing brings the land to life more than a well designed and crafted trail. It should come as no surprise to most of us in New England that the forest is a bit dense in places, and downright difficult to bushwhack through if you're not in the mood. This 1/2 mile footpath on a 17.5 acre lot in Roxbury allows the owners to silently and easily pass through very old hemlock forest nearing old-growth stature; rich shrub communities with hobblebush, witchhazel, blueberries, native honeysuckles, dogwoods, pepperbush, huckleberry, shadbush, and others; vernal pools; and the highlight, more than 1500 feet of shoreline on Spectacle Pond.

An old hemlock along the trail at Spectacle Pond. The scar was caused by a fire decades ago, which may have escaped from a burning field. Well-designed trails 'connect the dots', or move the user from one interesting feature to the next, whether it's a large tree, a view, a mossy log, or any other feature that stands out. Not only does this make the trail more visually enticing, but also serves as an educational tool.

What's involved in establishing a long-lasting and enjoyable trail like this?

-It's critical that the land is thoroughly inventoried for unique natural features, suitable topography, natural contours, and wet & sensitive areas to avoid.

-A potential path should be plotted on a map to see how it utilizes the shape and features of the lot. This should then be reviewed with the landowner.

-The path is then flagged out and walked to assure that the course follows the best natural features and contours, and possibilities for losing the trail are minimized. Make changes if necessary.

-Construction begins! Clearing the debris, cutting necessary trees, and pruning all branches that are in the trailspace now and might be in the future. Opening a broad vertical space creates a feeling of a high forest canopy even in dense young forest. It's also important to drag the brush far enough off the trail that it is not an eyesore or a safety hazard.

-Final touches; raking the thick duff off the path, contouring corners, filling low spots, cutting stumps low, building bridges, and opening/accenting natural views of scenic features.

A well designed and built trail can last for a long time and provide years of enjoyment. For this particular landowner, it opened their eyes to their own land in a way they couldn't have anticipated, allowing them to access special spots that formerly required a serious undertaking to get to.

Forest Ecosystem Management Plan, Beard Brook, Hillsborough, NH

Every piece of land is different, and every landowners approach to managing their land is different. This particular piece of land, while only 17.5 acres, has tremendous potential for wildlife habitat enhancement, watershed protection, and recreation for the owners who live on-site. The land is bound along one edge by the beautiful Beard Brook, just above the popular and stunning Gleason Falls. Remarkable 150-200 year old dry-laid stone bridges cross the brook in several places in this part of Hillsborough; some of which there is no record of who built them.

Dry-laid stone bridge over Beard Brook

This property features a stunning riparian floodplain corridor rich with ferns, forbs, shrubs, and grasses. The upland oak-pine forest represents a transition from pasture to mature forest, and our focus will be create small canopy gaps and allow varied regeneration to establish that will move the stand towards a multi-aged forest of diverse tree species and ages. Tending the regeneration following a timber harvest 10 years ago will enhance this age class and ensure development of a high-quality cohort of trees. Establishing trails and water crossings for the homeowner to use for firewood harvesting is another management objective. It is true that small lots are a challenge in forestry, but as fragmentation, development, and parcelization continue, we will learn to overcome this and maximize the often high potential of these parcels. Cost-share agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service facilitate this work, as does our general approach to helping people see whats right in front of them, and working together to make the forest work for them.

Pisgah Old-Growth Field Tour with the Forest Guild

The Forest Guild is a national forestry organization comprised of varied members from government, private, academic, and non-profit backgrounds. The Guild's mission, in short, is to promote and practice excellent forestry. Part of the process of practicing excellent forestry is to spend time with fellow professionals in the field observing some of what nature does without human influence. To this end, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Forest Guild members convened at Pisgah State Park in southwestern New Hampshire to see first-hand relict old-growth oak, pine, and hemlock stands that survived the immense hurricane of 1938. Leaders Amber Fields and Joe Trudeau took the small but dedicated group on a 7 mile hike through mature forest patches, and ultimately, to visit the notorious "Harvard Tract". This ~25 acre parcel, owned by Harvard University, was in 1938 an old-growth pine forest that established in the mid 1600's. The hurricane blew down most of the stand, and a hemlock-hardwood forest now grows there. Several remaining 400 year old white pines and hemlocks still stand, which were the highlight of a day filled with good conversation, great insights into natural disturbance, and camaraderie among peers of many generations.

Environmental History of the Kane & Two Mile Ranches, Arizona

The Grand Canyon Trust , one of the Southwest's premier conservation organizations, manages nearly one million acres of rangeland and forest across federal, state, and private lands north of the Grand Canyon. This is one of the first instances of a conservation organization purchasing grazing leases from the government with the intent of not shutting down operations, but improving them through sound science, public participation, and an historical ecological approach. In 2005, I was a member of the 8-person team who inventoried over 600 plots across the project area, encompassing the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon National Park, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and other 'Canyon Country' treasures. Visit the Grand Canyon Trust website to read about this incredible project.

Old growth ponderosa pine stand at Fire Point, Grand Canyon North Rim

Following this period of rigorous field work in extremely remote areas, I was retained to research and write a comprehensive environmental history of the area. My research brought me back 40,000 years into pollen records and paleo-ecological studies that portrayed a much different ecosystem. I included detailed assessments of Native American land use, early settler accounts, fire history chronologies, and much more. Investigations of scientific and popular literature were critical to this research, as were interviews, visits to regional, local, and university libraries, and a perspective only gained by spending so much time on the ground.

For a really interesting read, download the report here.