Category: News

White pine needles

According to a recent press release, the New Hampshire Forest Health Bureau said that due to the amount of rain that occurred during late spring and summer last year, white pine trees in New Hampshire have been dropping needles, which is part of a larger trend over the past 15 years where pine forests across the Northeast have been affected by several fungi that attack pine needles, causing them to discolor and to drop from the trees prematurely in what is referred to as “needlecast disease.”

The recurring disease currently affecting white pines has been named “white pine needle disease” by pathologists, according to the same release.

In a statement, Kyle Lombard, administrator of the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands’ Forest Health Bureau, said that “the fungi that cause white pine needle disease depend on above-normal precipitation during the spring and summer of the previous year, and we certainly had that in 2023, which is why WPND seems epic this year.”

Fortunately, WPND is highly unlikely to kill white pines and is only a minor setback in the trees’ annual growth cycle, usually affecting only the most recent year’s needles, according to the same release.

Lombard also stated that “folks shouldn’t panic if they see white pines with orange or brown needles, or even if there are so many needles dropped that you can rake them up. Once the affected needles have cast off, new needles will start growing in their place, fully elongate in July and the trees will be green again in August.”

For more information about white pine needle damage, visit nhbugs.org or learn more about New Hampshire Forests at nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov.

Bridge for sale

According to a recent press release, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is currently accepting proposals for the purchase, relocation and preservation of the historic Smith’s Crossing Bridge (No. 240/104) that continues Jackson Pond Road over the state-owned Concord-to-Lincoln railroad in the town of New Hampton.

According to the release, in order to be considered, a proposal needs to be submitted electronically to [email protected] and the subject line of the email must read: “PROPOSAL FOR THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE SMITH’S CROSSING BRIDGE.” The submission deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 6, at noon.

The Smith’s Crossing Bridge was constructed in 1934 and is a timber bridge, with no major rehabilitations. Jackson Pond Road is currently an unmaintained Class VI town road that is overgrown, deteriorated and not used for vehicular traffic, according to the same release.

The Request for Proposals and details are available on the Department’s Disposition of Historic Bridges (Bridge Sales) webpage at dot.nh.gov/historic-bridge-dispositions-bridges-sale, according to the release.

Other questions or requests for additional information should be addressed to Mr. Kevin Nyhan, Administrator, Bureau of Environment at [email protected], and requests for additional information must be received by 3 p.m. on Friday, July 5.

Citizen science in action

According to to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the New Hampshire Silver Jackets, a state-federal interagency flood risk management team, which includes the NHDES, recently collaborated with the Town of Pelham to install a CrowdHydrology staff gauge below the Willow Street Bridge on Beaver Brook that will enhance local flood forecasting and response capabilities while presenting an opportunity for community engagement in citizen science.

According to the release, the staff gauge is conveniently located in the landing area below the bridge where volunteers can participate by simply reading the water level on the gauge and texting the station number, along with the reading, to the phone number provided on site.

Submissions are incorporated into a long-term database hosted on crowdhydrology.com that is accessible free of charge to schools, resource management agencies, watershed organizations and anyone interested in utilizing hydrologic data, according to the release.

CrowdHydrology originated in the Northeast in 2010 and has expanded across North America to address data gaps in streams, rivers or lakes that may lack resources for more advanced measurement tools. This marks the second installation of a CrowdHydrology stream gauge in New Hampshire, according to the release.

In a statement, Brian Hauschild, Geoscience Program Specialist with the New Hampshire Geological Survey at NHDES and member of the New Hampshire Silver Jackets, said that “the installation of the stream gauge in Pelham continues to offer opportunities for public contribution to scientific data collection. These efforts are invaluable for providing real-time data that informs flood trends and ultimately enhances public safety.”

According to the release, water level measurements at the new site have been recorded weekly since the gauge was installed and community members are encouraged to visit the site at the Willow Street Bridge in Pelham. Contact Brian Hauschild (NHDES) at [email protected] or 271-7332, or Dena Hoffman (Town of Pelham) at [email protected] or 508-3000, ext. 3101.

On Thursday, June 13, Family Promise of Greater Concord holds its second annual summer jazz concert featuring Tall Granite Big Band at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord (79 Clinton St.) from 7 to 9 p.m. Family Promise works to end family homelessness. Tickets are $30 or two for $50 at familypromisegcnh.org.

The nonprofit Corey’s Closet thrift store has moved into its new, larger location at 1271 Hooksett Road in Hooksett (in the Kmart plaza) as of Thursday, June 6. “The mission of Corey’s Closet is to create meaningful work experiences for those with developmental disabilities,” according to the shop’s website (coreyscloset.org), which says the shop sells donated clothing, books and home furnishings.

The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., 624-6550) hosts a talk on the history and current events of the Middle East on Tuesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. in the auditorium and on Zoom, according to their website. The talk is presented by Brandon Gauthier, Adjunct Professor of History for Fordham University and the Director of Global Education at The Derryfield School, who will examine the history of U.S.-Iranian relations since the 1950s and the effects of the Israeli-Hamas conflict on the Middle East in the present. A Q&A session will follow. Visit manchesterlibrary.org.

Browntail moths

According to a press release, the New Hampshire Forest Health Bureau announced that Browntail moth caterpillar winter webs were located and removed at the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast in the first confirmed incident of the species in the Granite State in 75 years.

Browntail moth caterpillars have poisonous fine hairs that can produce skin rashes similar to poison ivy even when the exposure to them is airborne, and inhaling the hairs can also cause serious respiratory issues in some individuals, so people should not handle the caterpillars without wearing proper gloves and, if possible, a mask, according to the press release.

The species, which originated in Europe, is fuzzy with a dark brown coloration and has two conspicuous red-orange dots on the tail end. In New England, the moths’ caterpillar stage happens from August to late June, and from April through July is when the risk of exposure to the hairs is greatest, according to the press release.

Their winter webs are small, tight clumps on two or three leaves at the tip of a branch and tend to be completely enclosed in silk, formed in the fall and can be removed any time between November and mid-April; oak and apple trees are the primary hosts for browntail moth caterpillars, but winter webs can also be found in coastal shrubs like beach plum and cherry, as on the Isles of Shoals, according to the press release.

Browntail moth webs are different from the webs of the fall webworm, which are built into big nests in large areas of foliage in autumn, and they also differ from the webs of the eastern tent caterpillar, whose webs are also large but only occur in spring, according to the release.

The browntail moth was accidentally introduced to North America in the late 1800s and spread to all the states of New England, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, according to the release.

Massive federal work projects in the 1920s and 1930s, in cooperation with biocontrol research, reduced the infestation area to a small region along the Maine coast but in 2022 the browntail moth was found in more than 150,000 acres, although mostly in the southern half of the state, according to the same release. Visit nhbugs.org for more information about how to identify browntail moth caterpillars or to report any sightings.

Traditional art grant

The deadline for the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts’ Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant is Friday, June 14, according to their website.

This grant is offered to help communities preserve their cultural heritage and funds a master traditional artist to teach an experienced apprentice in one-to-one sessions for a minimum of 65 hours over six to 10 months, according to the website.

Traditional arts are passed down from one generation to the next within communities andcan evolve as people, communities and the environment interact and transform, according to the website. The State Council on the Arts through its Heritage and Traditional Arts Program seeks to grant a master artist and apprentice team a combined total of up to $4,000 per year with the maximum request for the master artist $3,000 and the maximum request for the apprentice $1,000, according to the same website.

Any traditional artists active in any artistic or cultural expression that can demonstrate there is a community context for the tradition within New Hampshire may apply for a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant. The grant period is Saturday, Nov. 1, 2024, through Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2025. For details on eligibility, types of art included, and how to apply, visit nh.gov/nharts/programservices/traditionalarts.html.

Clinic closures

According to a recent press release from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, since the unexpected closure of all New England Medicine and Counseling Associates locations in New Hampshire and Vermont, NEMCA patients with prescriptions for controlled medications should try to re-establish care with another medical provider.

According to the release, Emergency Departments may see an increase in patients experiencing withdrawal symptoms or requesting buprenorphine, a medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder, until they can establish with another medical provider.

The New Hampshire locations impacted are at 120 Route 10 South in Grantham, 17 Coit View Drive in Newport, 376 S. Willow St. in Manchester, and 40 Winter St. in Rochester

In a statement, DHHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan Ballard said that “when patients who have been treated with medications like buprenorphine suddenly lose access to their medication, they are at increased risk of an opioid overdose and may have significant withdrawal symptoms if care is not reestablished quickly.”

The opioid overdose reversal agent naloxone can be obtained through all New Hampshire Doorway locations (thedoorway.nh.gov) or over the counter at pharmacies across the state.

Patients of New England Medicine and Counseling who need assistance with finding a new medical provider can reach out to 211 in New Hampshire.

Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Laconia (928 White Oaks Road, prescottfarm.org) will host a workshop on “Poisonous Plants and Natural Hazards” on Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. Discover the healing properties of plantain, a common weed found in lawns and fields. Free for members and $25 for nonmembers to register. Visit prescottfarm.org.

Manchester Makerspace (36 Old Granite St.) invites amateur locksmiths for a fun and interactive event to learn the art of lock manipulation at Locksport for Dads on Monday, June 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for any adult, or $55 for a father and offspring (recommended for ages 12+). See manchestermakerspace.org. The Makerspace is also hosting an open house night from 6 to 10 p.m. that night.

Led Zeppelin tribute show Kashmir comes to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) Saturday, June 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29.