On Thursday August 16,2015, Umbagog Lake State Park hosted a New Hampshire Fish and Game’s “Lets go Fishing” event. Every summer, New Hampshire Fish and Game, the Umbagog Wildlife Refuge, as well as NH State Parks, work hard to plan and organize a full day of activities that encourages folks to get out and go […]
Author: Discover Power of Parks SCA Interpreters
Tired of being bitten by bugs? Hire a bat.
Ah, summer. Sun, sand, vacations, and millions of mosquitoes. The quest to combat these pesky bugs (and thousands of others) can take up a good portion of your summer. A simple solution, however, is to enlist the help of a member of the animal kingdom. Bats. Bats? Yes, bats. Bats might not be the first […]
Trekking through Time
Before Pawtuckaway’s woods belonged to the state park, the lands were privately owned by families who hoped to make a prosperous life. Living in the mountains is not an easy feat, and many of the families struggled immensely. The soil of New England is very rocky and acidic which is not ideal for growing crops. Farmers […]
A Hidden Gem in the Notch
In the shadow of Cannon Mountain, lies a resident of Franconia Notch State Park that is hidden away. It doesn’t get all the glitz and glory of the Flume Gorge. It doesn’t have an aerial tram leading up to its majestic beauty. It doesn’t even have a museum that talks about its past. But still, […]
Happy Campers
Each weekend I wonder who I’m going to meet around the Bear Brook campground, how many people are going to come to my programs, and then I cross my fingers for beautiful weather. One of the many things I love about this job is interacting with so many friendly people, and gaining a slight glimpse […]
A Magical Time of Year for the Loon Fanatics
“Have you heard the loons yet?” This was a question that I had been asked by so many people after moving to New Hampshire. I thought maybe it was just coincidence, or a topic of small talk familiar among the northerners in the spring. It wasn’t until I experienced the Common Loon for the first […]
Monadnock Walks: Alternatives to Summiting
Mount Monadnock is known for its summit: the bare schist boulders and breathtaking 360 views that reach to Boston. To get to the summit, however, can be a daunting task. A minimum four-mile trek with boulders, smoothed rock, and steep scrambles might be too challenging of a hike for some visitors – especially on rainy […]
A Feast in our Forest
As the Interpretive Ranger at Pawtuckaway State Park, I have the pleasure of living in the woods all season. My cozy campsite offers many appealing features; nighttime calls from my Barred Owl neighbor, a view of a misty wetland, sights and sounds from Pileated Woodpeckers, and the simple pleasures of cooking over a propane burner. […]
Curiosity and Imagination leads to discoveries
When I first drove through Franconia Notch State Park, my first thought was how stunningly beautiful this place was. My second thought was how cool it would be to ride a dragon through the Notch! You see, when I’m hiking alone in the park, I let my imagination and curiosity run wild. Many of the […]
Wondrous White Lake Walk
They take a deep breath in. It’s controlled and elated, with each inhale they bring themselves further away from the distant memory of stress, and soothed into a nubile state of complacency. As the air leaves their lungs, consumed of its oxygen it becomes a carbon slurry. The breath lofts up, bounding straight for the […]