Fall 2010 - College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Natural Resources & the Environment
TALLY
Chair’s Message
John Halstead
Dear NREN friends and alumni,
Greetings, current and past members of the
Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Department of Natural Resources,
Department of Forest Resources, Department of
Resource Economics and Development, Department of Resource Economics and Community
Development, Institute of Natural and Environmental Resources…yes, quite a lineage which
has evolved into the current NREN. We are now
settled into our “new” James Hall, and taking
full advantage of its LEED Gold Certified features. But much more has changed over the past
year than just our physical surroundings.
Our biggest news is that we will be adding
faculty for the first time in a long time. Dr. Rich
Smith (agroecology) has already joined us, while
Dr. Wil Wollheim (aquatic biogeochemistry) has
been lured away from the Earth, Oceans, and
Space Institute to join our department. Dr. Stuart Grandy (soil fertility and biogeochemistry)
and Dr. Heidi Asbjornsen (forest ecology) will
be arriving in January of 2011. We hope to add
a landscape ecologist to this mix as well. While
we have lost Dr. George Hurtt to the University
of Maryland (and we wish him well), it is an
exciting time with this infusion of new talent and
energy to the department. Of course, perhaps
our most interesting addition doesn’t even have
a PhD—visitors to the “garden level” of James
will be greeted by a handsome black bear,
courtesy of Dr. Pekins. While Pete obstinately
refuses to name the fellow, we may change that
in time!
FALL
2010
SHEET
Changes and growth in academic programs
have occurred as well, with a new option under
construction in conservation biology to complement wildlife ecology, a new M.S. degree option
(TIDES), and reaccreditation of our forestry
program by the Society of American Foresters.
New “J-Term” courses will introduce opportunities in winter ecology and collaboration with the
University of the Virgin Islands. The department now boasts over 500 undergraduates in our
seven majors, along with about 100 graduate
students in our various graduate programs. Our
faculty continues to provide excellent instruction
both in and out of the classroom.
Our success is not primarily measured by James’
water conservation systems or faculty grants, but
by the success of our students. The following
pages provide just a few examples of faculty and
graduate activities and careers. If you’re ever
back in James, come visit our “Wall of Fame.”
Dedicated this past year, it contains the pictures
of those faculty members who have played pivotal roles in getting this fine department to where
it is today.
Think where man’s
glory most begins
and ends
And say my glory
was I had such
friends.
-W.B. Yeats
We hope you all had
a great year and are
looking forward to
an even better one.
NATURAL RESOURCES & THE ENVIRONMENT
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
DURHAM, NH 03824
Faculty Update
landowners and the professionals who work with
them.
Good Forestry in the Granite State: Recommended Voluntary Forest Management Practices for
New Hampshire will be published soon
Karen P. Bennett, Extension Forester
Visit www.goodforestry.org or contact me at karen.
[email protected] or 862-4861 to learn more.
Dave Burdick, Research Associate Professor,
Marine Wetland Ecology and Restoration, and Ann
Smith, President of the Advocates for the North Mill
Pond spent June 2 & 3 showing New Franklin 5th
grade students how to help restore
North Mill Pond. Students planted
seaside golden rod and salt marsh
grasses and buried ribbed mussels
in the first of a two-day project
dedicated to helping repair the damaged ecosystem in a salt marsh that
borders North Mill Pond on Mill
Pond Way.
After a two-year process led by a 24-member steering
committee, the second edition of Good Forestry in
the Granite State, originally published in 1997, is
being readied for publication. Look for news about
how to order Good Forestry at www.goodforestry.
org. We are in the final phases of publishing Good
Forestry as a book, cd, and on the web and it will
“hit the streets” well before the end of the year.
As with the first edition, the purpose of the guide is to
provide landowners, and the professionals who work
with them, practical recommendations on sustainable
management practices for individual forest ownerships.
This is the second year New Franklin fifth-graders
have joined the restoration effort, a project facilitated
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the
direction of restoration specialist Greg Mannesto.
Burdick said the berm of highway fill in which nothing could grow was deposited along the marsh in an
undeveloped lot belonging to the city to create an
artificial embankment against flooding. With funds
from Mannesto’s project, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, and help from city environmental planner Peter
Britz and Dave Allen, of the city’s Department of
Public Works, the berm was removed in a single day
leaving a shadow of rocky soil. Mannesto estimates
at least three to four tons of berm was removed.
“It was like a pathway of junk, basically,” he said.
“You’d walk and there was this platform of old wood,
concrete and rusty drain covers. It’s nice to know I’m
helping to make it cleaner.”
This version will be longer than the original. We
know more about some of the topics and we added
new topics including setting objectives, management
plans, estate planning and land protection, staying
safe in the woods, choosing the right harvesting
system, stream crossings, invasive plants, temporary
openings created by forest management, wildlife
species of greatest conservation need, pine barrens,
steep slopes, forest products, maple sugaring and
ecosystem services. We also expanded some chapters, notably those related to silviculture (the art and
science of growing trees). Knowledge gained from
the N.H. Wildlife Action Plan was incorporated into
the wildlife-related chapters.
Many members of the Department of Natural
Resources and the Environment and Cooperative
Extension contributed to the project including Karen
Bennett, Kim Babbitt, Emma Carcagno, Andy Fast,
Kristina Ferrare, Chuck Hersey, Don Quigley, Steve
Roberge, Sarah Smith, Matt Tarr, Jessica Veasey, and
Dick Weyrick.
After planting rows of marsh grass, students buried
ribbed mussels in the mud. Burdick and two of his
research assistants, graduate student Jordan Mora,
and UNH research associate Chris Peter, explained
how ribbed mussels attach to cord grass and eat the
dead shoots, demonstrating a “symbiotic relationship”
in which plant and mussel benefit. Burdick added
mussels help filter water, calling them “critical” to the
pond’s restoration.
Good Forestry in the Granite State is an expression of
multiple use, sustainability, stewardship- call it what
you like. It is based on the notion that managing land
should be based on sound science, grounded in landowner objectives, responsive to the site conditions,
and based on voluntary and informed decision-making. The book provides background, considerations
and recommendations in nearly 50 chapters to aide
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John Carroll, Professor of Environmental Conservation Studies, now in his 37th year in the department, just completed the third book in a trilogy on
sustainable agriculture and local food and farming in
New England. It’s called The Real Dirt: Toward
Food Sufficiency and Farm Sustainability in New
England. Among other things, it takes a
close look at the university farms of New
England’s land grant universities, and
provides observations as well on all our
own UNH university farms. This August
John traveled to New Brunswick and
Downeast Maine continuing his research
on New England’s local food security.
Ted Howard, Professor of Forestry Economics,
made two trips to Asia last year for research conferences and one trip to France to examine forestry
practices. In August, he gave a
paper, Managing Forest Stands
for Biodiversity in the Northeast
United States: An Ecological
Economics Analysis, at the First
Global Forum of Ecological
Economics in Forestry, organized by the International Union of Forestry
Research Organizations
and Nanjing Forestry
University (China). In
November, he was an
invited speaker at the
Workshop on Social
Valuation in Forestry,
Mark Ducey, Professor of Forest Biometrics and
Management, spent April and May, 2010 in Oslo, as
a Visiting Scientist at the Norsk Institutt
for Skog og Landskap (Norwegian
Forest and Landscape Institute) on a
fellowship funded by the Norwegian
National Research Council. While
there, he collaborated with scientists in
the Norwegian National Forest Inventory on issues
related to carbon and bioenergy in the forestry sector.
organized by the Forestry and
Forest products Research Institute in Tsukuba, Japan. The title
of his paper was “Biodiversity
in New England’s Private Forests: A Case Study of Managing
Stands for Sustainable Provision of Ecosystem Services.”
That conference included three days of field study of
natural forests in the mountains north of Tokyo. In
the spring, Dr. Howard visited the forests of southwestern France
to examine the
management of
conifer and hardwood plantations,
natural stands,
and coppice
forests. An important conifer is
the aptly named
parasol pine. In
Montpellier, he
happened upon the home of the 18th century botanist, Magnol, whose name is associated with the tree,
magnolia.
Charlie French, Extension Associate Professor
of Community-Economic Development, worked
with Dr. Bruce Mallory (Education), Michele HoltShannon (UNH Discovery Program), Martha Parker
(Education), and Mica Stark (UNH
President’s Office) to conduct deliberative discussions in eleven cities and
towns across the state. The objective
of the discussions, conducted on behalf of the Governor’s Study Commission on Legal Gaming, was to gather public input on
the potential risks and benefits of expanding legalized
gaming in New Hampshire. Their final report, which
summarizes the outcomes of the deliberative sessions,
continues to inform policy-making on this contentious issue. Charlie also continues to publish journal
articles on the socio-economic impacts of urbancommunity gardening in Boston, Massachusetts and
Havana, Cuba in collaboration with Dr. Mimi Becker
and Dr. Bruce Lindsay.
John Halstead, Professor of Environmental and
Resource Economics and Chair, NREN participated
in the 2010 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association Meetings, Atlantic City,
NJ this summer. John served as
Moderator for Rural and Regional
Development and presented “Measuring the Effects of Social Capital
and Land Use on Quality of Life:
Two Case Studies”, co-authored by
Patricia Jarema and Shannon Rogers, NREN.
George Hurtt, Associate Professor/Chair, NRESS
Ph.D. Program accepted a new position as Professor and Research Director
in the Department of Geography at the
University of Maryland to begin Fall
2010.
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thoughts beyond the practical. We are inundated
with advice on where to travel to, but we hear little
of why and how we should go, even though the art of
travel seems naturally to sustain a number of questions neither so simple nor so trivial, and whose study
might in modest ways contribute to an understanding
of what the Greek Philosophers beautifully termed
eudaimonia, or ‘human flourishing’.” It will provide
the opportunity for the audience to comprehend the
central role of travel in national/international crosscultural understanding, and to help people understand
how travel can serve as a mechanism for cultural
understanding and personal transformation. The
goal is to help those in attendance see the vitality in
themselves and to respect the power of reflection.
What we learn together can affect eternity; there is
no telling where the influence of our shared learning
begins or ends.
Paul Johnson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources attended the Southern Forest
Insect Work Conference in Wilmington, NC in July and combined the trip
with a vacation.
Doug Morris, Associate Professor of
Environmental and Resource Economics participated in the 2010 Northeastern Agricultural and
Resource Economics Association Meetings, Atlantic
City, NJ this summer. He presented
“New England Firms’ Willingness
to Hire Retirees” co-authored by
Lyndon Goodridge, and Alberto
Manalo, NREN. Doug was active
in the Board meeting and the Annual
Business Meeting as the long-time
Secretary/Treasurer and was an active participant
as a mentor in the first Young Scholars Program
sponsored by NAREA that preceded the meetings.
From the 2010 Western Regional Science Association
Meetings, Sedona, Arizona, Doug chaired the session,
Agricultural Analysis and Policy. He also was the
discussant for the paper, Gender Mediation and Outreach Issues for National, Regional, and Local Governments in the Western Region. From Sint Maarten,
NA 2010, Doug received a new course development
grant from the UNH Discovery Program. He used it
for data gathering in Sint Maarten and Saint Martin
in March. The new Inquiry course is titled, The New
Pirates of the Caribbean and is being offered this fall
semester as an Honors course.
Professor Andy Rosenberg of the Institute for the
Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space
(EOS) and NREN was asked to
serve as an advisor for the remainder
of Fall 2009 to the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
on ocean policy and marine spatial
planning. Over the next 90 days the
CEQ, working with an interagency
ocean policy task force, was directed by President
Obama to develop a framework for effective coastal
and marine spatial planning using a comprehensive ecosystem-based approach. Prior to coming to
UNH in 2000, Rosenberg was a senior official at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and from 2001-2004 served on the U.S.
Commission on Ocean Policy.
Rob Robertson, Associate Professor of Tourism Planning and Development presented “The
Art of Zen Travel” August 23,
2010 at the Balsams Resort,
New Hampshire. The presentation was focused on travel and
learning. Not so much learning
about where to travel but rather
how to travel and how to learn
through travel. Alain de Bottom
in his book The Art of Travel
captured this idea by explaining: “If our lives are dominated by a search for
happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much
about the dynamics of this quest--in all its ardour and
paradoxes--than our travels. They express, however
inarticulately, an understanding of what life might be
about, outside the constraints of work and struggle
for survival. Yet rarely are they considered to present philosophical problems--that is, issues requiring
4
Mike Sciabarrasi, Extension Professor/Specialist,
Agricultural Business Management won the Guy L.
Paris Marketing award at the New
England Vegetable and Fruit Conference in Manchester in Fall 2009.
The Guy L. Paris Marketing award
was established by NEV&BGA in
name of Guy L. Paris who was a
marketing specialist in the Mass.
Department of Agriculture and
worked constantly to promote local
agricultural products. The purpose of the award is to
recognize and honor those who promote local agriculture and work with growers to improve their marketing programs. Mike was recognized because of his
long record of helping growers with their marketing
as well as financial planning and management and
his willingness to “go the extra mile”. The recipient
is chosen by the Executive Committee of the New
England Vegetable and Berry Growers’ Association.
estry - “it used to be all about board-feet, board-feet,
board-feet,” Ducey says, -- but it has shifted towards
applications like production of biomass for energy,
urban forestry, and the sustainable management of
forests for biodiversity, environmental protection and
recreation.
Feature Articles
February 10, 2010 Article from the Campus Journal
Ready for the 21st Century, UNH Forestry Program is Re-Accredited
“We expect forests to do it all, and that’s why we
expect foresters to do it all,” says Ducey.
UNH’s Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree program has received a 10-year renewal of its accreditation from the Society of American Foresters (SAF),
making the undergraduate program one of just three
in New England and only about 50 in the nation to
carry such an accreditation. Forestry is a professional degree, and accreditation ensures that forestry
students are licensed upon graduation.
In addition to understanding trees and how and why
they grow, students in UNH’s forestry program study
soil, water and wildlife; biometrics, economics and
policy; and remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Nearly 70 percent of forestry
courses have field components, and students take
advantage of the 250-acre College Woods adjacent to
campus as well as the university’s 600-plus acres of
additional woodland holdings in Durham.
“The power of earning an accredited degree is the
credibility students have when they graduate,” says
Theodore Howard, Professor of Forestry and Program
Coordinator. UNH’s forestry program has been accredited since 1959; the program and its curriculum
undergo external review at regular intervals as part of
the process.
The Forestry program’s new curriculum allows for
scheduling flexibility to let students participate in
study abroad, particularly in EcoQuest, UNH’s multidisciplinary, research-oriented field study program
in New Zealand. Ducey notes that forestry is an ideal
career for those with a travel bug: “There are forests
most everywhere in the world, and you get to work in
places where other people take their vacations,” says
Ducey.
UNH’s forestry program embraces interdisciplinary
issues like climate change, biodiversity and sustainability and is strongly connected to other natural resources degree programs at UNH, an approach which,
says Howard, was not well understood by accreditors
in earlier reviews. With this recent round of accreditation, completed late fall of 2009, the program’s
holistic view of forestry stood out as an advantage.
Kids’ Inquiry Conference - March 2010
In addition to praising the interdisciplinary structure
of the program, the SAF noted that “the forestry faculty is considered a premiere unit at UNH based on
their reputation and achievements in all areas (teaching, research, and service).”
“With our campus’s emphasis on sustainability, our
forestry program is critical for educating professionals to manage the extensive forest resources of New
Hampshire, New England, and the nation, providing society with important ecological and economic
values,” says President Mark Huddleston.
“Today’s forestry industry is different, but it hasn’t
gone away,” says Professor of Forest Biometrics and
Management Mark Ducey, noting that the chainsawsand-flannel shirt stereotype is outdated. The past
decades have seen a shift away from production for5
Sarah Andrews, Natural Resources and the Environment, NRESS Ph.D. Program, has been working with a 5th grade teacher
at Little Harbour School in
Portsmouth as part of her
Transforming Earth System
Science Education (TESSE)
Fellowship this year. They
organized a Kid’s Inquiry
Conference (KIC) where her
students presented posters of
the work they had done. The
students had about two weeks,
start to finish, to come up with
an “I wonder...,” turn it into
a testable question, run at least three trials of their
experiment, and put together
a poster to present. UNH
faculty, staff, and students
were invited to check out the
work the kids had done at the:
Kid’s Inquiry Conference held
Thursday, May 27, 2010 from 9:45 - 11:45 a.m. in the
UNH Memorial Union Building.
rotational grazing on pasture) as the cornerstone of
a new, more efficient, sustainable and productive
agriculture for our region. But Carroll’s book makes
its case by presenting the ideas and actions of alternative food and agriculture advocates and reinterpreting them in the context of present day northern New
England. Included among those whose writings and
programs Carroll cites and discusses are Joel Salatin, Fred Kirschenmann, Masanobo Fukuoka, Andre
Voisin, Sir Albert Howard, Wes Jackson, Borealis
Bread’s Jim Amaral, New Hampshire’s Trauger Groh
(one of the founders of Community Supported Agriculture), Vermont’s Bill Murphy (“It’s a lot better to
just let the live-stock go to the feed and spread their
manure themselves”) and a score of other food and ag
luminaries whose thoughts are skillfully blended in
support of Carroll’s thesis that northern New England
is ideally situated, ripe and ready for the emergence
of a new agriculture that is diverse, ethical, environmentally sound, local, mainly organic and marketed
directly to a savvy new generation of eaters who
increasingly care about how their food affects both
them and their communities.
What is KIC?
The Kid’s Inquiry Conference
(KIC) is one alternative to the
standard science fair and is
patterned after professional
science conferences. The
main goals of the student conference are to provide
children with opportunities to share the excitement of
their discoveries with others, to critically consider the
credibility of their own research, and to draw upon
the discoveries of other student-scientists. We hope
that this concept - children sharing authentic science
in a non-competitive and supportive atmosphere
- will be an inspiration to them in their future years in
education.
“A review of Pastures of Plenty: The Future of
Food, Agriculture and Environmental
Conservation in New England”
by John E. Carroll
New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station
Publication #2340 (2008)
Illustrations and book design by
Karen Busch Holman
Pastures of Plenty includes useful background on
the history of New England agriculture--how mixed
farms and livestock grazing were replaced by industrial mono-cropping and confinement production
of livestock--and includes chapters on grazing and
grasses, the soils of northern New England, the key
role Carroll sees for dairying in this part of the world,
breeds of cattle and other animals suited to northern
New England, direct marketing and “relationship
agriculture”, and the role land grant universities hopefully will play in encouraging the reorganization of
agriculture and the revival of family farming in our
region.
Reviewed by Larry Lack
John Carroll’s lively, optimistic, wide ranging and
comprehensive look at the future of agriculture in
northern New England (Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire and Vermont) makes a convincing case
that this region, now largely dependent on food
shipped in from far away, can--and soon will--produce much more of the food that is consumed here.
This colorful and attractive publication differs significantly in format from that of most USDA research
reports. Clearly a labor of love, Pastures of Plenty
draws its inspiration from a host of alternative food,
agriculture and conservation writers and visionaries,
perhaps most of all from Aldo Leopold, whose understanding of the importance of land and exposition of
a “land ethic” helped launch what eventually evolved
into the modern conservation and environmental
movements.
Carroll’s homage to Leopold, though, is just the starting point for this eclectic compendium.
The central focus of Pastures of Plenty is on the potential for a revival of grazing (specifically, intensive,
6
Strikingly illustrated with Karen Busch Holman’s
evocative and lively watercolors of farm scenes and
animals, Carroll’s text has the feeling of a heartfelt
celebration of farming that, while obviously drawing
much from conservation biology and the agri-sciences, is also fed by insights gleaned from literary and
even musical sources including Wordsworth, Wendell
Berry, Garrison Keillor, Beethoven (specifically his
“Pastorale” Symphony) and Alan Jay Lerner’s lyrics
for a song by Kurt Weill. In addition to the threads
of alternative agriculture and food philosophy that
Carroll weaves together from his wildly inclusive
kaleidoscope of sources, Pastures of Plenty assembles
and presents important new information about our
region’s soils. It includes five pages of detailed maps
based on the soil studies of New Hampshire soil
scientist Sidney Pilgrim and his colleagues in the
Natural Resource Conservation Service. These maps,
one of each of the four states of northern New England and one of the entire four state region, indicate
by green shading which soils have “High Potential
for Grassland Agriculture”.
Professor Carroll’s optimism about the future of food
and agriculture in our region is infectious and well
justified in this unique report, and he can’t be blamed
if his most likely readers are likely to be those who
already agree, or are predisposed to agree, with what
he has to say. He may, however, want to consider
a few questions. For one, it may be useful to ask
whether his predictions about a future for farms and
food that’s focused on grazing and dairying may
be challenged by current diet trends and a younger
generation who are eating less meat and dairy and
turning in substantial numbers to vegetarian and
vegan fare.
Nearly a quarter of New Hampshire’s area is shaded
green, indicating soils that have this potential, as is
roughly half of Maine and, surprisingly, roughly half
of Massachusetts as well. Vermont, where pastures
and dairying still anchor a viable statewide family
farm based economy, leads the region for soils that
are suitable for pasture grass production: green shading covers fully 90 per cent of that state’s area.
And, perhaps more important, if, as Carroll believes,
more young people will be drawn to more holistic,
ethical and sustainable ways of farming, how will
they get access to the land they’ll need? As Carroll is
no doubt aware, secure access to productive land can
be a serious barrier to farm entry for young people
who aren’t lucky enough to inherit farmland from
their folks.
These impressive maps are supplemented by Sidney
Pilgrim’s notes on the identity and characteristics of
the various grazing-appropriate soils found in various
parts of the four northern New England states, after
which Carroll points out that Pastures of Plenty presents “what is likely the first effort, at least in modern
times, to map the (soils) of central and northern New
England for the purpose of identifying...the best and
highest potential grazing soils in the region.
Perhaps this question needs more answers before the
prediction from urban planning critic James Howard Kunstler that appears at the close of Pastures of
Plenty (and is repeated in large letters on its back
cover) can come to full fruition. “Agriculture”, Kunstler tells us, “is going to come back to the center of
American life in a way that we couldn’t imagine.”
Carroll shares some relevant information about himself, mentioning his New York City upbringing as the
son of an accountant for the International Harvester
Company. “It is truly ironic”, he says, “that my own
career and work is critical of the large scale industrial
model of agriculture”--that system that the Farmall
tractor (and the other products of his father’s employer) made possible.
This caveat aside, Pastures of Plenty certainly gives
readers many reasons for imagining the dimensions
and encouraging the emergence of a new New England agriculture, one that can and--as this book helps
us understand--must be planted on the sure foundations of our region’s fertile soils and the productive
farms and pastures these soils, if they are cared for
carefully, can sustain.
In his prologue Carroll mentions how a “prescient”
1979 New Hampshire study of food security, “Who
Will Feed New Hampshire’s Residents Five, Ten,
Fifteen Years From Now?” gathered dust on university shelves through nearly thirty years of American
consumer and academic apathy, a result, he says,
of “cheap food, fueled by cheap energy (and) full
supermarket shelves at the lowest food prices in the
world.”
There are some weaknesses, I think, in Dr. Carroll’s
thesis about the imminent renaissance of a pasturebased eco-agriculture. His approach in Pastures of
Plenty is so inclusive and enthusiastic that sometimes
he seems intent on including almost too many streams
of evidence and support. A bit of editorial tweaking
and a solid index of his varied sources might be able
to corral his wide-ranging vision without reducing the
impact of this book’s important message.
College Woods: The Intangibles
by James Barrett, Professor Emeritus
Forest Biometrics and Management
The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing
to find the place where all the beauty came from.
C.S. Lewis
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Much has been written about the value of College
Woods for education, recreation, and vital ecosystem
services (especially watershed protection and carbon
storage). Recently, Tom Lee (with advice from others) captured these values in the excellent, scholarly
document, “Conserving the College Woods.”
Our somewhat rural and woodland environment attracts students and teachers. Moreover, we are in a
University where art and music are important. Daniel
Janzen, a tropical biologist, points out that the forms
and sounds of nature are the source of art and music.
John Fowles, a British writer fears that the source
recedes from us. In
1994 he wrote, “The
threat in the coming
millennium lies in our
growing emotional and
intellectural detachment from nature...”
Fortunately, the nearby
College Woods is a
place to contemplate
the beauty of nature on
many days and in all
seasons. It’s a delightful place to stroll on a
sunny day in dappled green light, on a light rainy day
with the patter of raindrops on the leaves, and on a
snowy day when the world turns white.
The College Woods is a sanctuary where students can
relax and escape from the noise and busyness of the
campus. As one student put it, “It’s a serene place to
quiet my mind and restore my energy.”
Many teachers, artists, and scientists share the student’s perception. Ludwig von Beethoven exclaimed,
“Who can ever express the ecstasy of the woods?”
Albert Einstein said, “Look deep into nature, and then
you will understand everything better.”
When sauntering down a trail one senses that just
around the bend is the place where all the beauty
came from.
Natural Resources & the
Environment 2010
Banquet Awards Ceremony
The following scholarships were awarded to grad and
undergrad students at the 6 May 2010 Department
Banquet Awards Ceremony
Clark Stevens: Megan Baker
Futh E. Farrington: James Airey, Chris Dorich,
Janet Gorman, Henry Jones, (TSAS) Audrey Perkins,
Kevin Robbitts, (TSAS) Brianna Watson
Lloyd W. Hawkensen: Emily Bowers, Chris Dorich
Cass Adams: Jill Bartolotta
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Richard B. Johnston Award: Kaitlyn Allen
Class of 1974: Emily Cooper
Alumni Scholarship Award: Emily Hepding, Henry
Jones, Amanda Close, Jacqueline Amante
George “Curly” Frick Fellowship: Patricia Jarema,
Matthew Smith, Jeremy Tomkiewicz
College Woods Scholarship: Emily Bowers,
Amanda Close, Audrey Perkins, Laura Storch, Jessica
Veysey
Richard A. Andrews Memorial Award:
Brendan Callahan
Outstanding Student Awards went to the following
undergrads:
Environmental Science: Valerie Schoepfer
Environmental Conservation Studies: Emily Bowers, Andrew Middleton, Kerry White
Forestry: Brett Clark
Wildlife: Wesley Smith
Tourism: Brinnan Chartier
CEP: Lucy Corwin
Nancy Coutu Scholarship: Taylor Phillips
Paul Bruns Award: Michael Simmons
Faculty and Alumna Awards:
Teacher of the Year Award: Dr. Doug Morris
Distinguished Alumni Award: Shanna Saunders
Students in the News
Derek Broman (M.S. Wildlife) received a scholarship from the New England Outdoor Writers Association.
Granite State Division Society of American Foresters
Student of the Year - Amy Keith
Alexandra Contosta (NRESS PhD Program) won
a Graduate School Summer TA Fellowship and a
Graduate School TA Award.
Jordan Mora (M.S. WARM) received a TA Summer
Fellowship from the Grad School
Sarah Andrews (NRESS PhD Program) was
awarded a NH Federation of Garden Clubs Scholarship.
Meghan MacLean (NRESS PhD Program)
received a TA Summer Fellowship from the Grad
School.
Joyce Massicotte (RAM) received a TA Summer
Fellowship from the Grad School.
Gabe Roxby (M.S. FOR) received a TA Summer
Fellowship from the Grad School.
Henry Jones (Wild Junior) traveled to Norway this
summer on an IROP to work with capercaillie - the
largest grouse in the world.
Marshall
Dr. John Halstead
Adrienne Miller (Wild Senior) and her student colleagues wom “best poster” and a $500 award at the
URC Conference.
Dr. Kim Babbitt and
Friend
Wes Smith and Ian Hanley, graduating seniors,
completed their Honors-in-Major in Wildlife Ecology.
Kit Block (Wild Sr. - SURF 2009), Sophie Ellis
(Wild Sr. - Round River Research), and Henry Jones
(SURF 2009) presented research posters at URC and/
or the COLSA Undergraduate Research Conference.
Commencement Breakfast ~ 2010
Commencement Breakfast Spread
Graduate Research
Natural Resources and the Environment Seniors and
their parents and families enjoyed “Commencement
Breakfast” Sponsored by Xi Sigma Pi and NREN on
a sunny Saturday morning, May 22 from 6:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. in the Courtyard of James Hall. There was
hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, bagels, muffins,
donuts, cheese and fresh grapes and strawberries for
everyone.
Evaluating the Sustainability of Whole-tree Harvesting in the Northern Forest
Gabe Roxby
M.S. Natural Resources Forestry
Advisor: Dr. Ted
Howard
Dr. John Carroll
Dr. Mimi Becker and
Dr. Arthur Powers
Dr. Mary Friedman &
Dr. Kelly Cullen
Tourism Seniors
9
The burning of
wood chips for
energy at biomass
plants has become
more important as
we move toward
a self-sufficient,
sustainable energy economy. Whole tree harvesting
(WTH) is increasingly used to meet the demand for
these chips. In a typical whole tree harvesting operation, the trunk of the tree is used for traditional products (lumber, construction materials, etc.) while the
branches and fine twigs are sold to a biomass energy
plant. Conventional harvesting (CH), in contrast,
leaves the branches and twigs on site to decompose.
Thus, the landowner can earn more money from
harvesting the same area of land while at the same
time helping generate power from renewable sources.
However, there is concern that the additional removal
of the nutrient-rich plant biomass might impair forest
productivity, leaving a forest that regenerates trees
slower and which are shorter or of lesser quality.
This would clearly be undesirable, as the short-term
gains from the sale of extra biomass may be offset
by long-term financial reductions due to lowered
productivity. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate
the effects, if any, whole-tree harvesting has on future
site productivity, and how universal these effects are.
can cause psychological and
physiological defects. Blood
and feather samples are
taken every year from loons
on various lakes throughout New Hampshire (NH)
to monitor the levels of
mercury in the water. Loons
are also important to monitor for public relations. In
general, people like loons and want to see them on
the lake at their summer cottage. The public interest
is good not only for the loon, but all other organisms
in their environment.
My study aims to compare stand productivity (height,
diameter and biomass) resulting from WTH to that
of CH in naturally regenerating Northern Hardwood
forests. Stand composition and productivity of four
ten-year old patch cuts (two of each harvest method)
in the Bartlett Experimental Forest were measured in
the summer of 2010. Height, diameter, and species
of each tree >2m tall were recorded within 2m radius
plots in each patch cut. In addition, understory herb
and saplings were measured in order to give a more
complete picture about the ecological effects of the
two harvest treatments. Additional sites in the Northern Forest will be selected based on their similarity
to the Bartlett sites, and will give an idea of how
universal any initial findings are.
In the state of NH, common loons have been monitored by the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC),
part of the National Audubon Society, located in
Moultonborough, NH for over thirty years. This longterm monitoring program provides for the analysis of
loon distribution in the state of NH. LPC recruits field
biologists
every year
for the summer season
of May to
August. With
the help of
an extensive
and dedicated
volunteer
network, these field biologists track loons on various
lakes in NH throughout the summer. The data that
they collected over thirty years makes up the longterm dataset for LPC. This dataset has been used by
various people in order to create habitat suitability
models to track loon distribution in NH.
Whole tree harvesting has the potential to supply the
Northeast with renewable energy, but is no longer
practiced in the White Mountain National Forest due
to concerns about future site productivity. Other
studies have looked at changes in nutrient concentrations, linking any losses to potential productivity
decline. This is an indirect method of measuring
productivity, and has yielded discrepant results. My
research focuses on directly measuring any productivity differences that may arise and will hopefully give
a clearer picture of the effects of WTH on naturally
regenerated Northern Hardwood sites.
An Evaluation of Habitat Models for the Common
Loon (Gavia immer)
Alexis Rudko
M.S. Natural Resources
Advisor: Dr. Russ Congalton
The common loon (Gavia immer) is a large water bird
that lives throughout northern North America. These
birds are important to monitor because they are considered a bio-indicator species for the environment. A
bio-indicator species is an animal that is sensitive to
environmental changes or pressures and we can measure their success in breeding as a measure of health
for an ecosystem. Loons are a special case of bio-indicator species because they are particularly sensitive
to the presence of mercury and lead in freshwater
lakes. Both lead and mercury are toxic to humans and
Dr. Mark Brennan, who conducted his dissertation
research on loon distribution, converted the long-term
dataset from LPC into digital format. This conversion
allowed him to create a habitat suitability model to
predict where future loon occupancy may occur based
on parameters determined to be statistically significant. The model was then applied to lakes throughout
NH to indicate where to monitor future loon activity
on lakes not yet occupied by loons.
10
The project described here uses the data from
Brennan’s model and adds in new field data that were
collected after the completion of Brennan’s dissertation. It also re-evaluates the parameters of his original
model to see if significant factors have changed.
A series of error matrices were generated to evaluate Brennan’s model and retest it for accuracy by
comparing more current loon occupancy data to lakes
predicted to be occupied.
duced preferred early regeneration habitat in much of
northern New Hampshire that is principally commercial forest. However, moose can negatively impact
both hardwood and softwood regeneration at high
population density. Repeated browsing of buds and
branches by moose can kill or suppress growth of tree
saplings. As both moose and commercial forestry
are important economic and cultural resources in
northern New Hampshire, a challenging management
situation exists.
New field data were collected after Brennan completed his model. These data were used to create and test
two new models. The results were applied to lakes
throughout NH to give a rating of how likely a loon
was to occupy a lake. This duel index of Brennan’s
model, plus the new model, will help the Loon Preservation Committee determine which lakes to monitor
more and which to monitor less to make the most
efficient use of field biologists’ time.
My research
is designed to
evaluate 3 different methods
for use as a
possible index
of winter tick
abundance,
which the New
Hampshire
Fish and Game Department can use to estimate the
impacts of winter ticks on its northern moose population, and to assess temporally the impacts of moose
browsing on regeneration of northern forests.
Assessing Relationships Among Moose Populations, Winter Ticks, and Forest Regeneration in
Northern New Hampshire
Dan Bergeron
M.S. Natural Resources
Wildlife
Advisor: Dr. Peter Pekins
Winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) have been
associated with large moose
(Alces alces) die-offs and
may substantially affect moose population dynamics
in northern New Hampshire. Recently, substantial
calf mortality occurred in New Hampshire in 2002
that was attributed to the impact of winter ticks (Scarpitti et al. 2005, Musante et al. 2007). Winter ticks
can have dramatic impacts on moose populations because they can occur in high density, and develop all
life-stages
on a single
host moose.
Moose can
harbor large
quantities
of ticks;
in Alberta
the average
number of
ticks on a single moose was approximately 32,000
with a maximum of about 150,000. These massive
tick loads can cause anemia (blood loss), restlessness,
increased time spent grooming, decreased time spent
feeding, hair-loss, hypothermia, and even death.
There is also a direct relationship between commercial forest management and the health and density
of New Hampshire’s moose herd. Moose numbers
increased rapidly in the 1970-1990s, in part, to an
increase in timber harvesting due to an outbreak of
spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) that pro-
We used clear-cuts to sample for winter tick larvae
in the fall when ticks are questing (looking for a
host). Transects were dragged with white flannel
sheets to collect larvae. Ticks were then counted in
the lab. Winter ticks were also counted on harvested
moose brought to check stations in northern New
Hampshire.
Ticks were
counted on
transects in
4 areas of
the moose’s
hide. Hide
samples of
these areas
were also
taken and
digested in the lab to obtain full counts to compare
with transect counts. Hair-loss surveys were conducted in the spring along roadside saltlicks to track
hair-loss caused by grooming against winter ticks.
Moose were categorized into 1 of 5 hair-loss categories (none-worst case) then a hair-loss severity index
number was calculated.
11
Regeneration surveys were conducted in 4 different age classes (0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20 years) of
clear-cuts in northern New Hampshire. Stocking of
Bobcats Increasing in New Hampshire; UNH Researchers Probe Why
story by UNH Media Relations
commercial and non-commercial trees was measured
along with a qualitative assessment of browse damage. This data was used to assess the relative impact
of moose browsing on the long-term regeneration of
commercial tree species in northern New Hampshire.
Preliminary results suggest that all 3 methods are
effective in identifying large-scale fluctuations in
winter tick abundance from year to year. All 3
methods detected a decrease in winter tick numbers
from 2008-2009. However, further analysis is needed
to distinguish differences in tick numbers between
moose management regions.
DURHAM, N.H. -- Although their tufted ears and
charming spots belie their ferocity, bobcats put the
“wild” into wildcat.
Now, as sightings of these elusive creatures become
more common in New Hampshire, researchers at the
University of New Hampshire - home of the Wildcats - are working to understand them better. UNH
professor of wildlife ecology John Litvaitis leads a
team of UNH scientists that has partnered with New
Hampshire Fish & Game Department on a four-year
study to learn how many bobcats the state has and
where they’re roaming.
Regeneration surveys indicated that moose browsing has a small impact on forest regeneration at the
landscape scale. However, there did appear to be
significant damage at a more localized scale. Stocking levels of undamaged commercial trees were
high and increased with cut age class. Only 2.6%
of all clear-cuts sampled were considered severely
browsed. This intense browsing may be a function
of distance of the cuts to possible moose wintering
areas. Two of the heavily browsed cuts were within
1 mile of high-elevation spruce-fir forests, while the
most heavily browsed cut was adjacent to this forest
type. This heavy browsing may have the ability to
shift local species composition in favor of softwood
species. There was a slight positive correlation between moose density and browse damage, however,
browse damage was low in each region at all moose
densities.
Derek Broman (M.S. WL) with the first collared bobcat of
the study, a 30-pound male captured November 22, 2009 in
Gilsum. Credit: Greg Elizondo
For the full story see:
http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2010/apr/bp14bobcats.cfm
Additional analyses are still taking place. Results
from this study will be used by the New Hampshire
Fish and Game Department to more effectively manage the state’s northern moose population.
To view the NH Bobcat Project visit “Understanding
Bobcats in the Granite
State: A Cooperative Project Led by the
University of New
Hampshire and the New
Hampshire Fish & Game
Department
http://www.nre.unh.
edu/faculty/litvaitis/Research/BobcatWeb/bobcats.htm
12
Alumni News
1973
Tom Neff (M.S. FOR) and Pat Neff, COLSA (1967-2004) recently placed a conservation easement on their 37
acre Peterborough, NH woodlot. The Neff’s managed woodlot borders some 700 feet of a high priority stream
and abuts a block of more than 4,000 other permanently protected woodlands and fields. The 37-acre woodlot
was, from 1954 – 2002, part of the homestead property of Walter Peterson who was an advocate of Current Use
while serving as New Hampshire’s governor, 1968-1972, as well as an interim president of UNH during the
1990s… Pat is now enjoying full-time retirement and quality time with her chocolate lab, Lydia, while Tom is
restoring a 1955 Chevrolet and enjoying the car cruise circuit.
1975
Richard Calnan (BS FOR and a minor in Plant Science) upon graduating from UNH, served as a Peace
Corps Volunteer in Nepal, building nurseries and planting trees. There he ran into Tom Hammett (FOR 74),
who was also a PCV in Nepal. Rich’s career has been primarily international since then, including 21 years
with the USDA Forest Service and 10 years with the
US Geological Survey. His current job is to manage the
Secretariat for an international Science NGO called the
International Union for Geological Sciences (IUGS),
which falls under the umbrella of a larger global science
organization called ICSU, based in Paris (International
Consortium of Scientific Unions). Rich has evolved into
an international science bureaucrat and it has taken him
to interesting places, like Kabul and Kathmandu. He had
the pleasure of meeting Prof. Barry Rock last Spring in
Walpole, NH and he occasionally sees both Tom Hammett
and Jon Beekman (FOR ’74). Tom is at Virginia Tech and
Rich Calnan and his wife riding in
Jon has recently moved to Maine. Rich resides in Rockport, MA
the Pan Mass Challenge
with his wife, Rita.
Deborah Rudis (BS WL) for the past few years has been working on assessing contaminant issues on some of
the Aleutian Islands for the Alaska Maritime NWR. Travel to these remote islands
is via the USFWS vessel the M/V Tiglax- a great way to experience the Aleutian
summers. Other recent work involves contaminants in storm-petrels. Deb reports
that Kim Titus (BS WL ) is Chief Wildlife Scientist for the Alaska Department
of Fish & Game – Wildlife Conservation Division.
Deb Rudis on Kiska Island with a
Japanese WWII gun.
1982
David Lindbo (BS EC, MS SOIL ’84) went on for a PhD in pedology at UMass.
He is now Associate Professor at North Carolina State University and has just been
named as one of this year’s recipients of Soil Science Society of America Fellow.
1985
Karen Dudley (BS SOIL) writes: In July, the Society of Soil Scientists of Northern New England members got
a first-hand look at the James Hall renovations thanks to Serita Frey and the Natural Resources and the Environment Department. Many of the SSSNNE members had graduated from or attended classes at UNH in years’
13
past. Most members had specifically attended classes in James Hall (one member had mentioned taking an
organic chemistry class in 1954) and all were happily impressed with the new look.
UNH Alumni attendees were: Sandra Sears (BS SOIL ‘03), Ray Lobdell (MS SOIL’75), David Allain (BS
SOIL ‘70), Gary Flaherty (Geology ‘79, ‘83), James McMahon III (Civil Engineering ’07), Joseph Noel (MS SOIL
‘87), Karen Dudley (BS Soil ’85, MS SOIL ’01), and Marc
Jacobs (BS SOIL ’84).
Notable quotes from the alumni about the “new” James Hall
are: “the renovations look great!”; “rather swank”; “a great
facelift for the UNH community”; “glad to see that they did
not get too politically correct and kept the moose mount”; “I
applaud the upgrades over the uncomfortable wood stadium
seats and musty chalk smell”; “it’s a great facility for students
– an upbeat atmosphere and environment in contrast to the
old”; and “James Hall – much improved!”.
SSSNE Summer Workshop (July 23, 2010) - “Men at
Work”. The group examines a reclaimed portion of a sand
pit in Lee, NH while Karen Dudley digs.
The SSSNNE Workshop focused on human disturbed soils.
The group toured three sand and gravel sites in Lee – one site
is where the town of Lee is reclaiming for recreation use, another
site has been used to restore wetlands and wetland habitats and the last is an active sand pit.
1989
John Jastrzembski (M.S. FOR) Professor of Forestry at Allegany College of Maryland (ACM), has been
elected to the board of governors of the Maryland Forests Association (MFA). At ACM he teaches nine unique
courses annually on forestry subjects ranging from migratory bird protection to timber tax investment, as well
as planning strategies, logging, and land development planning. His colleagues have elected him to the Faculty
Status Committee and the Faculty Senate, and he currently serves on ACM’s Academic Standards Committee
and has been named outstanding faculty member twice during his 14-year ACM career. He is the recipient of
several academic grants, including a National Science Foundation Geographic Information Laboratory Award, a
US Department of Agriculture student mentoring grant, and a Sustainable Ecosystem Curriculum grant. Before
he became a forestry educator, John held natural resources stewardship positions in Maryland, New York City,
New Hampshire, and Arizona. He joined the SAF in 1986.
John Campbell (BS EC, MS NR ’96) began working for the US Forest Service in 1986 as an undergraduate
work study student at UNH. After completing a B.S. degree in Environmental Conservation, he worked several
years for an environmental consulting firm in New Jersey and Texas. He returned to the Forest Service in 1993
and earned a M.S. degree in Natural Resources at UNH. He completed his Ph.D. in 2006 at the State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. He now works for the Forest
Service in a research group that manages the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. His research focuses on
biogeochemical cycles with an emphasis on linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
1996
Kirsten Martin (BS WL) recently completed a doctoral degree in environmental studies from Antioch University New England. Her research focused on the impact of riverbanks on emergent dragonfly nymphs. She
currently teaches environmental and life science courses at a small college in southern Massachusetts, and also
serves as the aquatic biologist for a local conservation group.
1999
Jon Martin (BS FOR), Patrick Kenney (BS FOR) and Sarah Smith (BS FOR ‘78) are featured in the following article, “Save the Forest, Cut the Trees: How Logging and Conservation Intersect in New Hampshire”
by Jeff Mucciarone, Hippo Press, July 8 – 14, 2010, pg 12. The article begins, “What is strikingly visible in a
recently harvested section of Jon Martin’s wood lot in New Hampton is the trees, lots of them. Sure, there are
stumps strewn about as well, but the harvested area looks substantially like a forest. That’s the idea.
14
“It’s all about the big picture of the forest,” said Martin, a forester with the company Foreco. “What’s best in
the short and long terms.”
About 84 percent of New Hampshire is forested, with 80 percent of the forested lands privately owned and 20
percent government-owned. The state didn’t always have the forests it has today….. See complete story
http://www.hippopress.com/index_july8_2010.html
2001
John Tierney (M.S. EC) writes that 2010 is going mighty fine for him and his family in the great Pacific
Northwest. In November John will celebrate five years working with Ducks Unlimited (DU). His position as
Regional Director for Western Washington State has proven very rewarding. With forty-five DU Chapters in his
area, their mission of wetlands conservation continues in earnest. One of the chapters (Seattle DU) ranked #1 in
the country in 2010, raising over $250,000 for critical habitat work. Since 1937, Ducks Unlimited has proven
itself as a world leader in conservation and John is proud to be part of that legacy.
2002
Mike Speltz (MS EC) is a land agent at the Society for the Protection of New
Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) executing conservation transactions which covers
the gamut from deed preparation to property inspection and assessment, as well
as grant seeking and negotiating with land owners. In his eight years at the Forest Society, Mike has completed about 35 projects with many “in Process.” His
largest project was 2,000+ acres in the Moose Mountains in Middleton and New
Durham. He has helped protect about six miles of frontage on the Merrimack
and two miles on the Salmon Falls rivers.
Mike Speltz leading a hike on a
property recently protected in New
Durham, NH
2005
Andrew Fast (MS FOR) is the Extension Educator, Forest Resources (county forester) in Belknap County with
UNH Cooperative Extension. As such he works with landowners, towns, natural resource professionals, and
community groups to help them make informed decisions related to forestry, wildlife management and conservation.
2010
Will Bailey (EREC) started law school at Hofstra University in Fall 2010.
Celis Brisbin (TOUR/CEP) writes from the Honduras:
“Peace Corps has placed me in a medium sized municipality in Honduras
called Santa Ana de Yusquare. It is a humble community of 16,000 people,
with a myriad of needs. This past week the Municipality and I have been
working on plans to pave the 5km road to the 5th largest city in the country,
Choluteca, working with Plan International (NGO) with family planning,
nutritional education and AIDS prevention. (Honduras has the second highest
AIDS population in the Western Hemisphere) and working to obtain the GIS
maps made by the USGS a couple of years back.
Earlier this summer large rains hit Honduras (rains this year are more that 45’’
over annual averages). There were a few landslides. One landslide took out a
house with a family of 5. I worked with the community on local food drives
and worked with the father of the house to fix his bicycle so he could get to work (30 km away) the next day.
An NGO will have a house built for him in the upcoming weeks. Until then the mayor is renting a house for him
and his family. I talk to him every once in a while for support and guidance.
I have also been working on Improved Stove projects in our community. These stoves are on average 70% more
15
efficient when compared to traditional stoves. This lowers the environmental stress namely deforestation which
is a very big issue in Honduras. These stoves are
healthier because they do not leak as much smoke as
the traditional stoves.
I also have been working with the community to
grow trees to create natural buffer zones for water
supplies. In doing so I am also teaching local business practice to children at a local school. We are
growing tree nurseries which the students will sell as
a fundraiser for school supplies.
In the upcoming months I hope to work with NGO’s
to help our impoverished rural communities, train
the land use department to retire hand drawn maps for a GIS mapping program,
work with the local Eco-Park on Tourism Development, develop an after school kids
soccer league and to be prepared for the paving of the road to Choluteca.
There is just so much work to be done here.
There are two other UNH Alumni in Peace
Corps Honduras, Lisa Lavasso 10’ and Erica
Brien 10’, they are both great people and
I feel great whenever any aspect of UNH
comes to mind. AND to all of my CEP/ TPD
friends in the world, keep up the great work
and feel free to say hi - [email protected].”
Predictions
by James Barrett, Forestry Professor Emeritus
People have a tendency to stretch things: controlling acid rain will cause a depression and loss of jobs, requiring air bags might price a car out of the reach of the average consumer, and we could have run out of oil by the
past turn of the past century. Still, we ought not ignore or even scoff at all predictions, especially those based on
careful scientific studies. Rather, we need to give them critical appraisals.
In 1970 Gaylord Nelsen, the founder of Earth Day, predicted that, unless we change our ways, we would seriously degrade the quality of life on the earth. Since many predictions Nelson made did not come true, a recent
commentator on ABC news (fair and balanced?) took the opportunity to ridicule Nelson’s predictions.
The 1970’s, however, proved to be an age of enlightenment when it came to protecting the environment.
Among the many laws passed included the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
In addition, we established the Environmental Protection Agency. Many of us might believe that we did not
do enough, but at least, we took steps in the right direction. At least (perhaps unfortunately) the commentator
did not choke on air pollution, and we all can enjoy the flight of the national bird of the United States, the Bald
Eagle.
No one knows the future, but we ought to take carefully thought out predictions -- and the loss that will occur if
the prediction comes true. Suppose, for example, a fire inspector points out that stuff in your basement poses a
fire hazard. If you ignore the inspector, you might get lucky and not have the house burn down. Still, it would
be prudent to clean up the basement.
The threat of global warming is equivalent to having paper and oily rages stacked together in the basement with
perhaps frayed electrical wires strung nearby. Do we want to risk scorching the earth, the home for all known
life?
16
DETACH THIS PAGE AND RETURN TO:
University of New Hampshire, Natural Resources & the Environment, 114 James Hall,
56 College Road, Durham, NH 03824 or use our online form page at
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Name___________________________________________ Class__________ Major__________
Note whether change of address is required:
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Please visit our newly designed
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You can also respond to the Alumni Newsletter section on our form page at
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Please check it out--we’d love to hear from you.
Become a Supporter of the College Woods Coalition
The College Woods Coalition seeks a large membership in order to demonstrate broad support for the permanent
protection of College Woods. Your one-time membership contribution of $10 will be used for further outreach
by the Coalition. If you provide your email address, we will keep you up-to-date on our progress and activities;
your addresses will be neither shared nor overused.
Name_______________________________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________________
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University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824.
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