In Seattle and again in San Francisco I try to describe to a friend what it was that I was going back to; what drew me away from the wild coasts of Olympic National Park, soaring canopies and brooding majesty of the Redwoods and Doug firs, crags and sun soaked rock faces of Yosemite, salmon runs, the rush of the mighty Columbia, waking up with the scent of pines in my nostrils and Mt Hood’s snowy flanks rising in the distance, and expanses of wilderness larger than my brave little home state of Vermont. What’s the East got that holds a candle to any of that? “it’s just, like, the people, y’know? And northern New England is home, man, those granite hills have my heart” My eloquence knows no bounds, clearly. I convince no one that New Hampshire is where it’s at. And yet, here am I, and why is that?
Elijah sled-dogging hauling timber out of Whitten Woods.
Part of the answer to that crystallizes one afternoon as the Squam Lakes Association (SLA) and Green Mountain Conservation Group (GMCG) Lakes Region Conservation Corps (LRCC) members struggle bus up a steep slope in Whitten Woods in the snow. A toboggan freighted down with heavy, pressure treated chunks of wood behind us, Nick and I lean into the ropes and half rush, half stagger uphill. As our legs begin to burn and our breath comes in ragged gasps, I remember a passage in Black Beauty from when I was a kid where the titular steed collapses as he struggles to haul an overloaded coal cart uphill. Luckily, rather than a tyrannical cart driver at our backs, we have Pete, a cheerful chap from the Squam Lakes Conservation Society (SLCS –that’s the last acronym, promise), and a pack of Conservation Corps members happy, or at least willing, to take a turn in the traces. Our energy ebbs and then crashes and we collapse in the snow, panting, the sled slowly contemplating taking off backward downhill until someone stomps a foot down to stop it. We trade out positions and prepare to continue up the seemingly endless hill. I love the physical challenge and that quick fix of dopamine that comes from accomplishing something, even something so simple. But why in God’s green earth are we hauling PT 2X4’s around Whitten Woods on a perfectly good Wednesday afternoon? Well you should ask. Whitten Woods, a tract of forest lying to the southeast of Squam along I-93, is conserved and managed jointly by a number of organization including the SLCS and SLA and well-loved by hikers, snowshoers, hunters, and nature lovers of all stripes. Maintaining this property for use by everyone means that no one is permitted to erect permanent structures of any kind in the woods, and that includes tree stands. What we have in our sleds is the remains of one of several very thoroughly built hunting platforms. Based on the level of effort it’s taking to remove, I feel almost bad for the folks who went to the trouble of hauling the timber out there and nailing it high in stands of beech, ash, and pine to stalk whitetail deer. Any sense of guilt fades when I see that they’ve topped almost all the young trees for hundreds of yards to create open sight lines. Damaging a publicly available natural resource for one’s own ends is precisely the behavior that we, as nature stewards, seek to discourage.
However, this type of treatment appears to be the exception rather than the rule in the Squam watershed where a paradigm of respect and consideration holds sway. A theme that keeps popping up in our discussions during the LRCC on-boarding process is the vibrancy of the conservation community in this area and the depth of care for the lands and waters that sustain it. In a world where folks’ cares and concerns can seem a mile wide and an inch deep, it’s encouraging to see a community that’s willing to engage in a proactive way with the cold realities of climate change, pollution, and environmental ignorance and apathy.
Although sled-dogging wood uphill can be rewarding, what I really look forward to during my time here at the SLA is the opportunity to jump into education and outreach. My inner student is excited to explore and discover the quirks of the ecosystems, trails, and wildlife that comprise this area and to share it through the many educational programs run by the lake association. The optimist in me sees wide horizons of potential to instill a nature ethic in the many visitors that are drawn to this eco-region each year and, further, to help young folks growing up here form a powerful bond to the beautiful patch of New England they call home. With only three weeks of service under our belts, it largely remains to be seen what I and the bright young minds I have the pleasure of serving alongside can do to conserve the natural beauty, peaceful character, and resources of the Squam Lakes watershed. But with a variety of projects in the works, from conducting a sociological study and overhauling the SLA’s communications strategy, creating virtual and interpretive trail materials, improving wood duck habitat, to continued coordination with local volunteers to monitor winter water quality, I feel confident that I’ll be heeding the (borrowed) words imparted by my Dad each time I bounce to a new spot in this rambling adventure of life “Be well, stay in touch, and do good work”.
Elijah is a new full-year member serving with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps. He has already served a year with AmeriCorps in Vermont, and we are excited for him to bring his skill set to the Lakes Region! You can read more about Elijah and all of our Lakes Region Conservation Corps members here!