Walpole, NH (June 10, 2024) – The Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) in partnership with Distant Hill Gardens, UNH Cooperative Extension, the Monadnock Conservancy, and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is excited to announce a Forest Stewardship Summer Series to be hosted monthly through October!

This series of educational events will focus on private forest stewardship and conservation. We aim to facilitate communication among forest owners, practitioners, and educators, to strengthen an ethic of forest stewardship in the region. 

Registration is free, but slots are limited. Donations to the sponsoring organizations are welcomed and encouraged. More workshop offerings will be announced soon!

Small-Scale Forest Products: 

How to Extract and Process Trees for Personal Use

Join us for this outdoor workshop and demonstration! We will be joined by licensed forester and experienced logger, Peter Renzelman, who will discuss the tools and skills needed to extract firewood from your woodlot safely and efficiently, including basic chainsaw maintenance and care, personal protective equipment, hazard and situational awareness, chainsaw safety best practices, and a felling and limbing demonstration.

There will also be a demonstration by Jan Galloway of Far Hills Forest Products of a portable Wood-Mizer sawmill. She will be milling both hemlock logs into lumber for Leopold benches, and re-sawing large white pine timbers into boards and smaller dimension timbers.

When: Wednesday, June 26th, 4:00-6:00PM

Where: Distant Hill Gardens, 507 March Hill Road, Walpole, NH 

Register on the CCCD website or the Distant Hill Gardens website!

Forest Trails and Roads:

BMPs to Protect Water Resources and Prevent Erosion

Join forester Alex Barrett of Long View Forest for a tour of a recent harvest and a discussion of forest trails and roads!

We will discuss Best Management Practices (BMPs) to protect water quality and to reduce erosion on skid trails and forest roads.

Please note that high-clearance vehicles are recommended for attending this workshop due to driving over water bars. Carpooling on the day of the workshop will also be available from a lower parking area to the workshop site.

When: Wednesday July 17th, 4:00-6:00PM

Where: Pratt Rd (43.113148634421194, -72.33868590854918), Alstead, NH 

Register Here!

For additional information, questions, or for assistance in registration, contact 

Benée Hershon: benee@cheshireconservation.org or (802) 518-0993

The Cheshire County Conservation District promotes the conservation and responsible use of our natural and agricultural resources for the people of Cheshire County by providing technical, financial, and educational assistance. Our goal is to encourage the stewardship of healthy soils, productive ecologically sound farms, diverse wildlife, productive sustainable forests, healthy watersheds, and clean water to ensure those resources are available for future generations. Established in 1945, the Conservation District operates out of Walpole NH where we work alongside the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and other conservation partners. For more information, contact the Conservation District at 603-756-2988 ext.4.

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