Parks and ponds
The Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration program kicks off the 25th year of cleanups with a cleanup of Nutts Pond and Precourt Park on Saturday, April 20, from 9 to 11 a.m., rain or shine. Volunteers can meet at the kiosk at Driving Park Road (off South Willow Street). The spring schedule then includes Stevens Pond/Stevens Park on Saturday, April 27; Black Brook/Blodget Park on May 4, and McQuesten Brook/Wolfe Park on May 11, with all cleanups to run from 9 to 11 a.m. “Trash bags, latex gloves, and a handful of trash pickers will be available. Please wear rubber boots if you have them,” said the group’s newsletter. See manchesternh.gov/urbanponds for details and for summaries of past cleanups, or call 624-6527.
Smokey Bear says
An April 10 press release from the New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources announced that the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau has designated April 14 through April 20 “Wildfire Awareness Week,” citing rising temperatures, low relative humidity and gusty winds combined with over-wintered dry grasses and leaves, all of which contribute to elevate wildfire risk statewide. The bureau is joining U.S. and Canadian partners in the Northeast Forest Fire Protection Commission in a coordinated effort to educate the public about how people can lessen the occurrences of wildfire across the region, according to the same release.
Forest Ranger Nathan Blanchard said in a statement that “it’s important to recognize that, unlike other regions of the United States, wildfire season in New Hampshire can begin early in the spring.” Blanchard noted that “yard cleanup, spring cookouts and even things like the improper disposal of wood stove ash can create embers, sparks or other forms of heat that can easily ignite dry materials around them, causing a wildfire that can quickly run and turn into a big problem.”
In the last two decades the state has experienced an average of 285 wildfires per year impacting 221 acres annually on average, the release said. Wildfires pose a threat to forest-based recreational activities and forest product industries, which contribute around $4.6 billion dollars every year according to the New Hampshire Forest Action Plan from 2020, according to the same release.
Fire permits need to be obtained for any outdoor fires and can be acquired from your local fire department or nhfirepermit.com.
The Forest Protection Bureau has also announced it is planning to implement a prescribed burn at Blue Job State Forest in Farmington this year, depending on weather conditions, any time from April through October, according to an earlier press release, where approximately 20 acres will be burned by trained resource managers and wildfire personnel in order to improve blueberry habitat, improve conditions for birds and other wildlife that rely on blueberries for food and shelter, and reduce forest fuels like shrubs and grasses that could contribute to a wildfire.
For more information about the Division of Forests and Lands and the work of its Forest Protection Bureau, visit nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov or call 271-2214.
Relapse prevention
The New Hampshire Department of Corrections announced in an April 8 press release the launch of a new Relapse Prevention Program at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men in Concord designed for individuals returning to incarceration as the result of a parole violation.
The Relapse Prevention Program joins several other therapeutic communities within the department’s facilities, including its Wellness Units, the Residential Treatment Unit, the Pathways Program, and the Focus Program where New Hampshire Department of Corrections licensed mental health professionals use industry standard assessment tools to make recommendations for treatment including but not limited to the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s ASAM criteria, to determine placement, continued service, and transfer of patients with addiction and co-occurring conditions, according to the press release.
Repeat substance misuse is the second-highest contributor to parole violation, although the percentage of those who violate their parole is only 2 percent of the overall parole caseload, according to the release.
Commissioner Helen Hanks said in a statement that “the introduction of the Relapse Prevention Program underscores the department’s continued commitment to expanding our range of treatment offerings, recognizing that a one size fits all model is not the right approach.” Visit corrections.nh.gov for more information.
Helping the kids
The Queen City Rotary Club is accepting applications for grants for youth-centered nonprofit organizations — an “Impact Grant” for organizations that serve underprivileged youth in the greater Manchester area and “Youth Serves Grant” for organizations that have a youth-related focus, according to a press release. Grant applications are due by Friday, April 26. See queencityrotary.org.
On Monday, April 22, Concord Public Library (45 Green St.) is hosting a DIY button-making drop-in for all ages where participants can craft an Earth Day lapel button from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Materials and instruction will be provided, according to the library website. Visit concordnh.gov.
On Saturday, April 20, and Sunday April 21, Charmingfare Farm in Candia (774 High St.) will host their first “Barnyard Babies & Beyond” family-friendly adventure between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to their website. Tickets are $29, free for children 23 months and younger. Visit visitthefarm.com.
Catch bands Jamdemic and The Mighty Colors on Saturday, April 20, from 6 to 9 p.m, at an Earth Day Benefit Concert at the welcome center of the Andres Institute of Art in Brookline. The concert benefits the institute and the Beaver Brook Association in Hollis. Tickets cost $25; see andresinstitute.org,
