MILTON, NH - More than 150 area residents and visitors joined Moose Mountains
Regional Greenways members at the organization’s third
annual Trail Day at Branch Hill Farm, a 3,000-acre farm in
Milton Mills, NH.
Visitors hiked up Moose Mountain, toured a working tree farm, were transported via hayride to the banks of the Salmon Falls River, and enjoyed the musical stylings of the Bluegrass Brothers Band.
More than 25 people joined Mike Speltz and David Anderson of the Forest Society on a four-hour hike up Moose Mountain sponsored by Tumbledown Dick Construction LLC. The Forest Society has partnered with Moose Mountains Regional Greenways to ensure the permanent preservation of this 2,100-acre project.
Back at Branch Hill Farm, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways volunteers and staff were joined by some outstanding presenters, including Dave Kellam from NH Estuaries Project, who dazzled both kids and adults with his presentation about the frogs, bugs and sea-dwelling fish that depend upon fresh-water rivers for survival. Eastern Boat sponsored this educational event, which included a hayride
York Maine Center for Wildlife’s Karen McElmurry wowed the crowd with a live
owl, snakes and other reptiles in a Raptors and Reptiles presentation
sponsored by Ransmeier & Spellman. Meetinghouse Data Communications
sponsored walking tours of Branch Hill Farm’s working tree
farm led by Peter Pohl and Don Black from UNH Cooperative
Extension Service. Kids also enjoyed pony rides by Iron Eagle
Equestrian Center and sponsored by W.C. Colbath Electrical
Contractors, and a visit from Captain Puffin, Downeast Energy’s
6-foot mascot. Downeast Energy sponsored the Kids Craft Corner,
where children painted rocks and designed their own plant
and animal block-print T-shirts.
The Bluegrass Brothers, a popular local band, performed a live concert sponsored by D.F. Richard that had everyone stomping his and her feet. Lacey’s Kitchen provided food and drinks
The UNH Marine Docents hosted a hands-on educational display that showed the workings of a watershed while volunteers from the Strafford County Conservation District led visitors through a soil tunnel designed to give visitors a worm’s eye view of the world beneath our feet.
The Wentworth Hunt held its annual pacing event on site, donating the proceeds of the event to Moose Mountains Regional Greenways.
Trail day was made possible through the generous support of event underwriters Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust and The Siemon Company, and the sponsorship support of D.F. Richard, Downeast Energy, Eastern Boats Inc., Tumbledown Dick Construction LLC, Meetinghouse Data Communications, Ransmeier & Spellman, PC, W.C. Colbath Electrical Contractors, and Wentworth Hunt. In addition, numerous additional businesses and individuals donated time, talent, goods and services, as well as smaller cash donations, to make the day a success.
"The community really pulled together to make the day a success," said Moose Mountains Regional Greenways Chairman of the Board Cynthia Wyatt, who is also the caretaker of Branch Hill Farm. "We had a great time."
Proceed from the day will benefit Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, a non-profit land conservation organization that works to conserve and connect the most special undeveloped lands of northern Strafford and southern Carroll counties in New Hampshire. For more information, visit www.mmrg.info or call 603-817-8260.
|
