"From Boroughs to Birches" has a new home! You can now find the NH LEAF blog directly on The Nature Conservancy's website at www.nature.org/NHLEAFblog.
Our 2016 season is underway. Come follow along!
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Day 12: Relaxing
Day 12 - Northern New Hampshire
Yay for shopping! We spent our morning in North Conway's Settler's Green shopping mall after getting to sleep in until 10am. We also got lunch at this cute underground (literally) place, where we met up with Deanna's friend Kristen again, who's chilling with us for the weekend.
We all got great deals at the outlet mall. After wandering around North Conway, we came home (after a stop at McD's) to chill out. I napped and the rest of the crew watched TV. We made dinner--chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes--and then chilled some more.
I got to know some people in the hostel: these two younglings from Germany who want to work on a farm, a couple from Canada, some rock climbers, a guy from Miami. There was a jam session during which I caught up on my journaling. It was a much-needed relaxing day.
- Nadia and the 2015 LEAF Crew
Yay for shopping! We spent our morning in North Conway's Settler's Green shopping mall after getting to sleep in until 10am. We also got lunch at this cute underground (literally) place, where we met up with Deanna's friend Kristen again, who's chilling with us for the weekend.
We all got great deals at the outlet mall. After wandering around North Conway, we came home (after a stop at McD's) to chill out. I napped and the rest of the crew watched TV. We made dinner--chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes--and then chilled some more.
I got to know some people in the hostel: these two younglings from Germany who want to work on a farm, a couple from Canada, some rock climbers, a guy from Miami. There was a jam session during which I caught up on my journaling. It was a much-needed relaxing day.
- Nadia and the 2015 LEAF Crew
Monday, July 27, 2015
Days 10 & 11: Happy Birthday, Ashley!
Day 10 - Northern New Hampshire/Maine
Hello!
Today was a very eventful day. We met our new supervisor, Jon, and his intern, Julia. We had a very fast car ride to Maine for our new job, where we hiked up Mount Tom with our tools to build a water bar. Water bars are made so that when water runs down the mountain, the bar prevents it from ruining the trails for hikers.
We were able to finish a good portion of the work and were super tired. We came home to eat very yummy burgers made by Ashley and Andrea. We fell asleep right away from how exhausted we were from all the hard work!
Your 2015 LEAF Crew
---
Day 11 - Northern New Hampshire/Maine
Hello!
Today was another great day. We woke up and drove to Maine for work. We hiked up Mount Tom again and were able to completely finish our whole water bar.
After work we headed for the beach with Wink to celebrate Ashley's birthday. Deanna made a wonderful cake and the girls (and Wink!) sang Happy Birthday. Then we all got in the water until it was time for dinner, where we were treated to the FOOD. It was delicious.
We then headed home and fell asleep, excited to sleep in the next morning.
Your 2015 LEAF Crew
Hello!
Today was a very eventful day. We met our new supervisor, Jon, and his intern, Julia. We had a very fast car ride to Maine for our new job, where we hiked up Mount Tom with our tools to build a water bar. Water bars are made so that when water runs down the mountain, the bar prevents it from ruining the trails for hikers.
We were able to finish a good portion of the work and were super tired. We came home to eat very yummy burgers made by Ashley and Andrea. We fell asleep right away from how exhausted we were from all the hard work!
Your 2015 LEAF Crew
---
Day 11 - Northern New Hampshire/Maine
Hello!
Today was another great day. We woke up and drove to Maine for work. We hiked up Mount Tom again and were able to completely finish our whole water bar.
 |
| Mmmmm... cake! |
After work we headed for the beach with Wink to celebrate Ashley's birthday. Deanna made a wonderful cake and the girls (and Wink!) sang Happy Birthday. Then we all got in the water until it was time for dinner, where we were treated to the FOOD. It was delicious.
We then headed home and fell asleep, excited to sleep in the next morning.
Your 2015 LEAF Crew
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Day 9: College Visits & Corn on the Cob
Day 9 - Northern New Hampshire
Welcome back!
Today was a great day for all the girls. Sadly we had to move out of The Pines Guest House. We are all going to miss the lovely people we met there, such as: guests staying there like Rita and her husband; the owners, Mary Margaret and her husband; the amazing people we worked for like Joanne and Michael.
However, today marks a new adventure. Today we went to a college tour at the University of New Hampshire. There we got to learn all about the school, and even got a special tour from Tom Lee, a professor there (and NH chapter trustee!) He was able to take us around the science department and talked to us about not only college, but different aspects of college that you won't get on a normal tour. He invited us to his lab and even joined us for a delicious lunch at UNH.
After an informative morning, we drove up to Conway. We were able to see our new home for the next couple of days. We quickly found out that we all had bunk beds that we had to share. But we do hope to learn from this experience. However, we do love the fact that there is a dog at this location:
After checking into our rooms, we headed out to buy groceries. Once we got home, we unpacked and Claudia and Nadia made a splendid grilled cheese with tomato soup with corn on the cob. Wink joined us for dinner too!
Afterwards, some of the girls played a board game called Apples to Apples, which Andrea dominated in. We quickly got tired from an exciting day, and headed to bed. Hope you all enjoy!
Ashley & Your 2015 LEAF Crew
Welcome back!
Today was a great day for all the girls. Sadly we had to move out of The Pines Guest House. We are all going to miss the lovely people we met there, such as: guests staying there like Rita and her husband; the owners, Mary Margaret and her husband; the amazing people we worked for like Joanne and Michael.
However, today marks a new adventure. Today we went to a college tour at the University of New Hampshire. There we got to learn all about the school, and even got a special tour from Tom Lee, a professor there (and NH chapter trustee!) He was able to take us around the science department and talked to us about not only college, but different aspects of college that you won't get on a normal tour. He invited us to his lab and even joined us for a delicious lunch at UNH.
After an informative morning, we drove up to Conway. We were able to see our new home for the next couple of days. We quickly found out that we all had bunk beds that we had to share. But we do hope to learn from this experience. However, we do love the fact that there is a dog at this location:
 |
| Deanna clearly loves the dog. |
After checking into our rooms, we headed out to buy groceries. Once we got home, we unpacked and Claudia and Nadia made a splendid grilled cheese with tomato soup with corn on the cob. Wink joined us for dinner too!
Afterwards, some of the girls played a board game called Apples to Apples, which Andrea dominated in. We quickly got tired from an exciting day, and headed to bed. Hope you all enjoy!
Ashley & Your 2015 LEAF Crew
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Day 8: Goodbye, Southern New Hampshire!
Day 8 - Southern New Hampshire
Friends!
Today was our last day working in southern New Hampshire. But it was a good last day. We got to work with both Joanne and Mike today! We spent the morning installing bog bridges, but on the Sweet Trail this time. A tree had fallen on a couple and some were just breaking and needed replacement. With our super muscles from Friday, we installed all four before breaking for lunch. To be fair, they were only 2x8's that were two years old instead of 2x12's, brand new. We also only had a carrying distance of a few hundred feet... but still, we did all three in like two hours.
The most difficult part was not installing the new pieces, but removing the old ones. They were not as demolished as in Manchester, so they required some serious manpower and tools: sledgehammers, grub hoes, crowbars, we had it all! We finished so early before lunch, we even did some trail clearing with loppers and did a bit of invasive species removal.
After lunch, we cleared out the area we ate in, to make it more welcoming to visitors. We just did the basic lopping and pulling where necessary. We worked our way up the trail, and then decided to wander off to go see the osprey's nest (we also heard its call!)
When we returned it started to rain, and the storm looked menacing. But we waited it out and it was totally fine. As a result, we moved on to Plan B, which was putting up signage. As a result of the installation of the Sweet Trail, a bunch of the old little loops had confusing signs. What we did was put up a main sign for one loop, and then replaced the yellow signs with blue ones on the trail in order to clear up confusion. We also added a sign telling hikers that the Sweet Trail is not a loop trail.
We headed back in, and rushed home to shower and get ready for our 6 o'clock dinner at La Festa. We had the whole southern New Hampshire gang there: Len, Joanne, Mike, Megan and all of us. We ordered five pizzas, the highlight being the pepperoni with a garlic knot crust. We had lots of leftovers... which will not go to waste! We also had dessert (there's ALWAYS room for dessert) of cinnamon knots with icing. It was a great night out, thanks to Len and all who planned it!
It's kind of sad to leave The Pines and Socks and Whiskers (their cats), and all of southern New Hampshire, which we all loved. We really enjoyed our time here, and will keep you updated while we're up north!
See you soon,
Your 2015 TNC LEAF Crew
Friends!
Today was our last day working in southern New Hampshire. But it was a good last day. We got to work with both Joanne and Mike today! We spent the morning installing bog bridges, but on the Sweet Trail this time. A tree had fallen on a couple and some were just breaking and needed replacement. With our super muscles from Friday, we installed all four before breaking for lunch. To be fair, they were only 2x8's that were two years old instead of 2x12's, brand new. We also only had a carrying distance of a few hundred feet... but still, we did all three in like two hours.
The most difficult part was not installing the new pieces, but removing the old ones. They were not as demolished as in Manchester, so they required some serious manpower and tools: sledgehammers, grub hoes, crowbars, we had it all! We finished so early before lunch, we even did some trail clearing with loppers and did a bit of invasive species removal.
 |
| Dedication stone at the end of the Sweet Trail. |
Lunch was a fantastic experience. To Joanne and Mike, thanks so much. It was a great spot. We grabbed our lunches and walked out to the end of the Sweet Trail, where there were some benches and an opening to the salt marsh, which we were looking out on. We also used lunch as a photo op. We explored and learned about the ecosystems on the salt marsh, and took some group shots.
After lunch, we cleared out the area we ate in, to make it more welcoming to visitors. We just did the basic lopping and pulling where necessary. We worked our way up the trail, and then decided to wander off to go see the osprey's nest (we also heard its call!)
 |
| Check out that view! |
When we returned it started to rain, and the storm looked menacing. But we waited it out and it was totally fine. As a result, we moved on to Plan B, which was putting up signage. As a result of the installation of the Sweet Trail, a bunch of the old little loops had confusing signs. What we did was put up a main sign for one loop, and then replaced the yellow signs with blue ones on the trail in order to clear up confusion. We also added a sign telling hikers that the Sweet Trail is not a loop trail.
We headed back in, and rushed home to shower and get ready for our 6 o'clock dinner at La Festa. We had the whole southern New Hampshire gang there: Len, Joanne, Mike, Megan and all of us. We ordered five pizzas, the highlight being the pepperoni with a garlic knot crust. We had lots of leftovers... which will not go to waste! We also had dessert (there's ALWAYS room for dessert) of cinnamon knots with icing. It was a great night out, thanks to Len and all who planned it!
It's kind of sad to leave The Pines and Socks and Whiskers (their cats), and all of southern New Hampshire, which we all loved. We really enjoyed our time here, and will keep you updated while we're up north!
See you soon,
Your 2015 TNC LEAF Crew
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Day 7: Cable Gates
Day 7 - Southern New Hampshire
Lovely Readers,
Hey guys! Today was our last day down in Manchester. We spent the morning installing two cable gates along a newly acquired parcel of land. These gates are put up to prevent ATV usage along the trails, as consistent usage of ATVs leads to problems like erosion. We used a cable wire which we attached to two trees running perpendicular to the path. In the middle there was a piece of PVC we slid on, which we then covered with reflective tape and spray paint to make more visible. We also put up caution signs on the area near the gate.
We broke for lunch, learning how to identify blueberries on the way back (and picking some to snack on). For our afternoon, we toured Southern New Hampshire University with Mike, who graduated this spring. We talked to the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and all loved it!
Tomorrow we're installing bog bridges. We'll update you then.
Sincerely,
Your TNC LEAF Team
Lovely Readers,
Hey guys! Today was our last day down in Manchester. We spent the morning installing two cable gates along a newly acquired parcel of land. These gates are put up to prevent ATV usage along the trails, as consistent usage of ATVs leads to problems like erosion. We used a cable wire which we attached to two trees running perpendicular to the path. In the middle there was a piece of PVC we slid on, which we then covered with reflective tape and spray paint to make more visible. We also put up caution signs on the area near the gate.
 |
| A fern at Manchester Cedar Swamp. Pretty! Photo by Eric Aldrich. |
We broke for lunch, learning how to identify blueberries on the way back (and picking some to snack on). For our afternoon, we toured Southern New Hampshire University with Mike, who graduated this spring. We talked to the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and all loved it!
Tomorrow we're installing bog bridges. We'll update you then.
Sincerely,
Your TNC LEAF Team
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Day 6: Some Time Off
Day 6 - Southern New Hampshire
Hello TNC Readers,
Today was our lovely Sunday off. We ventured out to Hampton Beach, but it was absolutely packed (and parking was exuberant... $30 a day!), so we ended up at Rye State Park, which was just as beautiful. It has this nice grassy area and a beach with a sandbar that goes out for what seems like forever. We waded, tanned, read, ate, slept, talked, and had a great day. We were joined by our mentor Deanna's friend, Kristen, who drove three hours from Vermont to visit.
We came home and did grocery shopping, then had dinner and some one-on-one check-ins with Deanna about work and life. The highlight of our night was a group movie, quite the chick-flick, Twilight: New Moon.
We're off to Manchester tomorrow. We'll keep you updated!
Sincerely, Your 2015 LEAF Crew
Hello TNC Readers,
Today was our lovely Sunday off. We ventured out to Hampton Beach, but it was absolutely packed (and parking was exuberant... $30 a day!), so we ended up at Rye State Park, which was just as beautiful. It has this nice grassy area and a beach with a sandbar that goes out for what seems like forever. We waded, tanned, read, ate, slept, talked, and had a great day. We were joined by our mentor Deanna's friend, Kristen, who drove three hours from Vermont to visit.
 |
| Rye Beach. This nice photo is by Flickr user Chris Luczkow via Creative Commons. |
We came home and did grocery shopping, then had dinner and some one-on-one check-ins with Deanna about work and life. The highlight of our night was a group movie, quite the chick-flick, Twilight: New Moon.
We're off to Manchester tomorrow. We'll keep you updated!
Sincerely, Your 2015 LEAF Crew
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