Recent FLT events

---

First of the season snowfall still lingered on the trails for our last “Exploring our Trails” hike on Saturday Dec 7 through the Schott Brennan Falls Reserve to Brennan Falls. A small group of five celebrated this last hike on the perfect hiking day to this amazing conserved forest.

A casual walk from Campbell Hill Rd on the Bullard Hill Class VI Road brought us to the Schott Brennan Falls Reserve trailhead and kiosk. We followed a forest road to the old Mill Pond where we joined a small forest trail, ending at the 20-foot high Brennan Falls. Water was running and the interesting ice formations were a clear sign that winter is here. 

The Schott Brennan Falls Reserve is 149.5 acres of conserved forest; previously owned by the Schott family who transferred ownership and stewardship to FLT in 2014. It is home to a diversity of wildlife species, including bobcat whose tracks we saw crossing our trail. It contains wetlands and headwater streams important for protecting water quality, and combined with the habitat in other surrounding conservation land makes up an important area for wildlife in Francestown. 

The “Exploring our Trails” has been a fun series for us this year. We’ve enjoyed introducing residents to some of Francestowns beautiful conserved forests and their natural history. Hikers have had a chance to enjoy the outdoors and the comradery of fellow hikers.

On a balmy Friday November 15th evening, under the brilliance of the “Beaver Moon”*, sixty-four attendees were treated to Willa Coroka’s lecture on the Brilliant Beaver.

The evening program was opened by the Francestown Land Trust with a nod to the other three groups that support the Joan Hanchett Nature Series; Francestown Conservation Commission, George Holmes Bixby Library and The Francestown News. Numerous people help behind the scenes to make this series come to you twice a year and it was an opportunity to say “thank you”! 

Our presenter, Willa Coroka, of The Magpie’s Apprentice, provided us with a superb presentation on the beaver, that fascinating mammal with the large reputation. Four young volunteers from the audience gamely got dressed in feature-specific attire to help demonstrate the specialized features allowing beaver to be impressive engineers in and out of the water. 

They dressed themselves in thick insulative beaver pelts to highlight the protection they offer beaver from the wet and cold, earmuffs to note the skin valves that beaver have to block the water out when underwater, goggles to note the clear membrane that slides down over the beavers eyes to protect them when swimming, big showy lips noting the two sets of lips beaver have with one set closing behind the teeth to allow them to carry sticks when swimming, big orange cardboard teeth to note that the iron in beaver teeth is what makes their self-sharpening and ever-growing teeth able to chop wood, boots to note the webbed nature of beaver feet used for underwater propulsion, and a big flat cardboard tail to note that beaver use their tail for underwater navigating, for storing fat for the winter and for warning about danger. 

And if that wasn’t enough super information, we were endeared to beaver even more by learning that they are fiercely loyal to their families and mate for life. Damming up streams to create ponds to build their lodges in the middle, they are one of the few animals that manipulate their surroundings to stay safe. By diverting water, they help create wetlands that hundreds of plants and animals call home. With almost half of all endangered species living in wetlands in North America, this is such an important service!

A fun and engaging talk along with lots of photo’s in the PowerPoint presentation along with an after-presentation activity for those that wanted to try their hand at making a beaver dam, made for an amazing evening under the fall Beaver Moon!   

*The Beaver Moon was shining it’s brightest at 4:29 p.m. EST on November 15, the day of our JHNS, Brilliant Beaver. It marks the last super moon of the year and its placement in the earth sign Taurus amplifies the focus on comfort, stability, and tangible joys. This lunar energy encourages people to embrace simplicity and indulge in the small pleasures of life. 

 Saturday Nov 9 the sun was shining on a crisp late autumn day and spirits were high as 20 people joined together to hike the Miller Family Memorial Forest and the Dinsmore Brook Conservation Area. 

Crossing over both Collins and Dinsmore Brooks, walking past glacial erratics, hearing about the history of the Merino sheep that grazed the local meadows, seeing the historic house and barn foundations from an old abandoned homestead and visiting a beaver meadow, were some of the highlights on the walk through these conserved forests.  

The Miller Family Memorial Forest, owned for over 129 years by the Miller family, was purchased by the Francestown Land Trust in 2014, partly with grants, and at a generously reduced price. The Dinsmore Conservation Area is comprised of two separate parcels of land purchased by the Francestown Conservation Commission in 2007 and 2010 with the help of Land & Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) and private foundation grants.

Both conserved forests are home to a diversity of wildlife species, contain wetlands and headwater streams important for protecting water quality, and combined with the habitat in other surrounding conservation land makes up one of the most important areas for wildlife in Francestown.

The ‘Exploring Our Trails” hiking series has opened up new opportunities for residents to become familiar with the beautiful conserved lands in Francestown and hear about the natural history of the area. 

October 12th hike to Rand Brook Forest. We managed to have a spectacular Autumn day, full of sunshine and fall color, for our hike to adjoining Francestown forests; the Rand Brook Forest (FLT) and the Driscoll Hill Town Forest (FCC). Twenty-one hikers, many alumni of our Exploring our Trails program, along with a handful of new participants, took to the trails in comradery. Ben Haubrich, FLT steward for the Rand Brook Forest for many years, regaled us with stories of the 1700-1800’s settlement history of the area and talked about the numerous ways FLT caretakes this 515-acre protected land under its Forest Management Plan. An additional treat was following the Draper Farm Trail through the Driscoll Hill Town Forest to view the cellar holes of the historical Draper Farm. The Rand Brook Forest trail brought us past an enormous tree scarred with bear claw marks from bottom to top, a sight to behold! It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours on a Saturday morning, before we all returned home to take on the rest of the day! 

A good time was enjoyed by all on the Crotched Mountain Summit Trail on September 28. Thirteen enthusiastic hikers headed out on a crisp and sunny autumn morning to enjoy some early fall foliage and the most challenging trail in The Crotched Mountain Town Forest. In the first 2+½miles, this trail has an elevation gain of about 1,100 feet. As one participant commented, it was great cardio. In the remaining 3+½miles, the trail was up and down, summiting additional high points on the mountain with scenic views as far away as the White Mountains in one direction and the Boston skyline in another. The group also passed a beaver dam and pond, wildlife field, rocky ledges and meandering streams along the way.

One hiker commented, “What a great hike! The weather was perfect, and I got to meet some really cool people. It's great to get to know people in our town on these hikes.” Another added, “Beautiful weather, amazing trails and great company. Can’t ask for more!” The group stopped at the first scenic high point for lunch and at other points to enjoy soaring turkey vultures, a rocky gorge that is surely home to numerous wildlife, and stone walls all the way up the mountain that harkened back to the Great Sheep Boom two centuries ago. A camouflaged stick bug was discovered that captivated folks during another break. It was a great introduction to the Crotched Mountain Town Forest and one of the trails in that forest. Altogether, the hike took 5+½ hours – it was (and will be) the longest hike in the 2024 series of “Exploring our Trails” hikes. Several participants mentioned wanting to go back on their own, with friends and family, to see more of the forest including Scot’s Trail and Bullard Hill Road.

ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22TH, the FLT hosted its second Donor Appreciation Luncheon to thank members, outline conservation plans, and preview upcoming projects. Chair Larry Ames introduced the FLT Board of Directors and several reported on this year’s activities. Board member Marsha Dixon, who graciously hosted the luncheon amid her beautiful gardens, spoke about the positive response to the Green Corridor Project fund raiser. A map showing conserved parcels (by the FLT and others) provided a graphic representation of work to-date and areas of specific interest. The sun came out, the rain stayed away, and all enjoyed taking an afternoon to chat with others from our local conservation-minded community. 

Thank you for attending !

The August Exploring our Trails series took place on the Lower Turnpike Trails when 20 participants gathered for a morning hike. Jim and Cindy St Jean, who own the property and created the trail system, spoke to their vision of the trail network and led the hikes. 

This area, which provides an important link of protected land in the Green Corridor of Trails, is currently the focus of the FLT Green Corridor Campaign fundraising effort to secure a conservation easement. Everyone had a wonderful time and appreciated the extensive work the St Jean’s have done on the property. 

To Support the Green Corridor Campaign visit https://francestownlandtrust.org/green-corridor-campaign

Thank you!

  The Francestown Land Trust and the Francestown Conservation Commission continued the Exploring our Trails series continued with its second hike on  July 27.   

On another beautiful sunny, breezy, hike-worthy day, 10 people enjoyed hiking the “Blue” Trail through the Shattuck Pond Town Forest to Shattuck Pond in Francestown. We meandered through Hemlock forests and past vestiges of vernal pools and glacial erratics. Stunning views of the Pond and it’s bogs of pitcher plants and white lily pad blooms were seen from the trail.

The new Monadnock Conservancy property, the Kermit A Schott Forest Preserve, along with Francestown’s Shattuck Pond Town Forest, means that the entire shoreline of this pristinely beautiful, 25-acre Pond is now protected as conservation land. The New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau has identified the wetland system in this area as an “Exemplary Natural Community.” As such, it is of high conservation value, as it is most likely to support the greatest variety of native species and the ecological processes on which they depend.

Our hike was attended by both people familiar with the Trails and people who had never been to Shattuck Pond. A perfect mix for a super nice hike! 

Attended by 50 members, the Francestown Land Trust’s Annual Meeting got underway with a social reception followed by a brief business meeting and a speaker presentation. 

Our Keynote speaker, Dr. Rick Van de Poll, principal of Ecosystem Management Consultants (EMC) of Sandwich, New Hampshire provided an animated, slide-illustrated talk, “The Effects of Climate Change on Local Wildlife”. 

Rick was quick to establish that “Climate Change shall affect virtually all of us, every species, every habitat, and every ecosystem, regardless of whether or not we are aware of or recognize the symptoms and that the pace of global warming has and will outstrip the speed at which any of our keystone species can adapt through normal evolutionary means”. He talked about the direct effects that climate change has on plants and wildlife, noting which species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrate will be “gainers” and which will be “losers” as they deal with warmer, wetter winters, shifts in insect population abundance, seasonal droughts, and stronger wind storm events. 

After questions/answers with Rick, audience members continued to socialize, making it a great evening for all. 

A highlight of the June 13, 2024 Annual Business Meeting was the presentation of the Robin Haubrich Volunteer Award to Robin Haubrich, in celebration and recognition of her years of dedicated, behind the scenes, volunteering. Robin has been the designer of, and often the effort behind publishing, our semi-annual Newsletters and Joan Hanchett Nature Series (JHNS) flyers and posters. She’s designed our Annual Meeting flyers and posters as well and has been the long-time caretaker of the FLT Website. She has logged countless hours grooming our trails, making them navigable and pleasant for hikers and walkers. This is the first year that FLT has formally recognized a volunteer and the Robin Haubrich Volunteer Award will be our way to recognize volunteers in the future. 

Thank you Robin!  

June hike to George Sanderson’s Property

The Exploring our Trails series began on Saturday June 8, with representatives from the Francestown Land Trust (FLT) and Francestown Conservation Commission (FCC) leading the first hike in this program.

On a beautiful sunny, breezy, hike-worthy day, 18 people enjoyed hiking the “Yellow” Trail on George Sanderson’s amazing property on Collins Brook in Francestown. The Francestown Land Trust(FLT) purchased a 160-acre conservation easement from George in 2008. It allowed him to hold onto his land and protect it for future generations. While many conservation easements are posted and not open to the public, George decided otherwise; there was no better example of his hospitality than the June hike, where he passed out trail maps and regaled hikers with stories about the history and wildlife of the property.

The Francestown Conservation Committee and the Francestown Land Trust joined forces to host a community night hike under the bright light of the February Snow Moon. Rendezvousing at the end of Farrington Road, a bundled-up group of fifty hearty hikers set out across the snow-covered fields of West End Farm, which backs up to the Town’s extensive trail system through the Crotched Mountain Forest. Although there were a few headlamps used to keep the front of the line in touch with the back of the line, they were hardly necessary as the clear winter night allowed the moonlight to shimmer brilliantly off the snow cover. 

No doubt any native wildlife bolted for higher ground as the large group meandered through the woods, chatting and laughing along the way. Winding through the woods and connecting with the Joslin Loop Trail right below the intersection of Scot’s trail, the long train paraded clockwise along Joslin to Bullard Hill Road, down to its intersection on Farrington Road, and back up to the original rendezvous point. All in all, the hike was a great success, with the full Snow Moon lighting the path through the silhouette of tree tops and all hikers accounted for. 

Even so, the night was only half over. Like any good Francestown community event, the opportunity to catch up with friends and meet new neighbors drew the hikers indoors to a crackling fire and refreshments. Everyone chipped in, with trays of baked goods, cheese & crackers, and other snacks, with pitchers of cider and hot chocolate. Familiar faces and new faces all had a great time. 

Whether you are new to Francestown, or your family has been here for generations, our community’s access to open space, outdoor recreation, and diverse habitat is a benefit we all enjoy, thanks to our all-volunteer Conservation and FLT organizations. Fifty people showing up for a night hike on a bitter cold night in February is a testament to that appreciation! 

To learn more about upcoming events, including guest speakers and more community hikes, visit the events page.