Quincy Bog Natural Area

Ruth V. Fisher Lecture Series 2005

June 15 Martins, Fishers and other Weasels by Jill Kelley
Jill has just completed a year of research on the pine marten, a member of the weasel family larger than a mink, but smaller than the fisher. We may have fishers at Quincy Bog, and certainly have pine martens in the boreal forest to our north. Jill Kelley will tell us how to tell where they are and describe their behavior.
June 29 Labrador by Chris Buckley
A combination of inhospitable terrain, often diabolical weather and horrendous biting insects has kept northernmost Labrador off the itineraries of most modern travelers; however, this difficult-to-get-to wilderness offers a rare blend of rugged scenery, abundant wildlife and uncompromised wildness unsurpassed in our rapidly developing world. Chris and Brendan Buckley have been climbing, hiking and doing field research in this remote region since 1980. Get a rare glimpse of one of the last truly wild places on the planet in this slide show presentation.

July 13 Ferns by Sarah Schwaegler
Sarah has been studying ferns intensively for the last five years. She started because they were beautiful, useful for decoration for food and have an interesting sex life. They are an ancient plant, and despite the fact that they are plentiful, there are not so many kinds of ferns that a beginner would be overwhelmed. Sarah will illustrate her presentation with slides among which she'll include the ferns with hairy armpits and the ones with candles at both ends. Prepare to be delighted.
July 27 "They Sawed Up A Storm" by Sarah Smith
In 1942, a group of New Hampshire women operated a sawmill on the shores of Turkey Pond, Concord. The sawmill, one of two on the pond, was built to saw what remained of the logs stored in the water from the 1938 hurricane. “They Sawed Up A Storm” is a slide presentation about this group of women, the 1938 hurricane, the USDA, Forest Service salvage effort and the determination of the people of New England. Sarah S. Smith is the Forest Industry Specialist with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.
August 10 Birchbark Traditions by Deanne Lussier
Birchbark was the fabric of life in the colonial Northeast, providing a material that was tough, flexible when damp, rot and insect resistant and odor-free. Birchbark was used to make a wide variety of everyday items; house and canoe coverings, utensils and all kinds of contaimers, buckets, bowls and boxes were made from the bark of the white or paper birch tree (Betula papyrifera). We'll take a look at an amazing natural resource.
August 24 Changes in New England Bird Life since the time of Thoreau by Peter Alden
Peter Alden is one of the remarkable naturalists of our time. He is the author of National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, California, and Pacific Northwest. Each of hese guides cover over 1000 species of fungi, flora, fauna, parks and habitats. He has also led ecotourism and nature tours all over the world.

Programs begin at 7:00 o'clock in the evening at the Quincy Bog Nature Center located on Quincy Bog Road, off Quincy Road, in Rumney, New Hampshire. See sidebar for a link to a yahoo interactive map to help guide you to the Nature Center. These programs, sponsored by the Ruth V.Fisher Fund, are free and open to the public. Light refreshments are served after each talk. For further information or directions, phone Jody Williams at 603 786-9053.