People are counting up their hours, sending their summer clothes home to make their move a little easier, and I’m hearing more people say “I’m not sure if I’ll see you again before you leave.” Getting ready to leave is a weird feeling, especially when you just arrived and are actually becoming familiar with the area. People have started leaving Squam Lake for the season, it’s getting colder and becoming quiet around here. I’m guessing the animals are starting to notice this too.
Riding in the car with my fellow conservation corps members one evening, we got to experience the New Hampshire equivalent of a wildlife safari. We were driving on 113 and were blessed with the sight of a mother racoon leading her four chunky babies across the road. As we continued along, still beaming from seeing these little critters, we saw four deer grazing in someone's yard. Getting to see so many animals was so exciting, but they weren’t done giving us a show. Not too much later, we had to slow down for a big family of turkeys. Next, we saw a deer grazing on its own. Then, our favorite sighting, a young black bear sprinted across the road.
The next day while driving again, we had to come to a screeching halt to avoid hitting a Ruffed Grouse; however, this grouse did not want to get out of the way even after we had fully stopped. I got out of the car to move it out of the street. The bird was not interested in my help. Instead, she showed me just how big she could make herself look and proceeded to chase our car away as we sped off.
Getting to see so many animals these past few weeks really helps me feel like I got the true New England experience. All I need now is to see a moose *fingers crossed*. During the summer when most animals were a little too shy (besides newts, slugs, and toads) I found myself searching for something else entirely. Getting to spend most of my days in the woods, I became familiar with wild mushrooms. I’m sure my roommate and fellow conservation corps member, Emily, got so sick of waiting for me to take a picture of every new type of mushroom I find while we’re trying to monitor in the woods. The mushroom collage I made probably doesn’t even cover half of the mushroom photos I’ve taken this summer. I’m not sure if there are more mushrooms in New Hampshire compared to Ohio; it might simply be that I’m noticing more here since I spend more time in the woods. However, these beautiful displays of color and unique textures will always be at the front of my mind when I think back on my time in New Hampshire.
Conservation is a priority to most people around here. I’m guessing this is in part due to being surrounded by the beautiful scenery. Of course you do not need to live in a beautiful place to value conservation; however, living here definitely puts this in the forefront of your mind. Luckily we have so many great organizations partnered with the conservation corps that are devoting their time to protecting this beautiful region.
Emerson isn’t a huge fan of cold weather, and her post-service plan actually involves moving to the southern hemisphere, where she can experience another summer down in Australia! Learn more about Emerson here.