Educational Programs
Third Annual Branch River Paddle
Paddling the Branch River
The Third Annual Branch River Paddle was hosted by Branch Hill Farm on Saturday, June 9th . The event was a collaboration between Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Dept. of Environmental Services, and NH Fish & Game. The newly formed Milton Three Ponds Association and Cocheco River Watershed Coalition also participated in hosting the event. This is the third year that Branch Hill Farm has offered to host and coordinate the paddle which heads down the Branch River and then up the Salmon Falls River around Branch Hill Farm’s Conservation Lands. The paddle is approximately 4 miles long, and everyone disembarks at Sandy Beach for a picnic lunch, courtesy of Branch Hill Farm. The Paddle began with talks by Educators from NH Fish & Game, the NH DES, UNH Cooperative Extension, addressing important topics such as invasive species, the importance of regular water testing, and types of wildlife along the riparian corridor. The paddlers gathered several times along the way for educational highlights.
Fourth Annual Woods, Water, Wildlife Festival
NH Fish & Game talks about Wildlife on Branch River
The Fourth Annual Woods, Water, Wildlife Festival was held at Branch Hill Farm on Saturday, August 18th. This event is underwritten by The Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust (Branch Hill Farm) and the Siemon Company. Both organizations pledged to donate to MMRG provided that matching funds are raised by local businesses and citizens to support the conservation mission of Moose Mountains Regional Greenways. Ten local businesses signed up to sponsor one of the many educational events that are organized for the day with donations to MMRG. Managing Trustee Cynthia Wyatt contracted Joyce El Kouarti to help organize the educational events, to set up the educational booths, and to help the day of the Festival. Approximately 300 people attended the event during the course of the day.
The following were the sponsored educational events that took place at the WWW Festival:
Natural Science Center Wildlife Presentation
- Hayrides to the Salmon Falls River - riders are greeted by Dave Kellum of the NH Estuaries Project. Dave catches fish and wildlife from and along the river, and talks about the importance of safeguarding our rivers with vegetated buffers;
- Identify Trees and Shrubs in the Field - Phil Auger from UNH Cooperative Extension lead a walk through the woods and fields.
- Have to Have a Habitat - Squam Lakes Natural Science Center presented a variety of live wild animals;
- Working Your Wood Lot - demonstrated by UNH Cooperative Extension Educators Don Black and Peter Pohl;
- Explore Wildlife Habitat in the Field - Matt Tarr from UNH Cooperative Extension lead participants across field and forest, describing the habitat that each environment provides to area wildlife.
- Hands-On GPS Field Workshop - Sam Stoddard and Karen Bennett from UNH Cooperative Extension teach participants how to use Global Positioning System receivers to navigate through the landscape and plot features.
- Down on the Farm - NH Farm Museum and UNHCE 4-H brought live farm animals, including baby steers trained to pull by yoke;
Water Resource Expert educates about Salmon Falls River
