The water on Newfound lake sparkles in the afternoon sun as we paddle out to the Hebron Marsh, a shallow 50 acre area at the north end of Newfound Lake. With the mountain view in the background, one could say it's the most beautiful spot on the lake. It only takes a few minutes to get there with Paul Pellissier (our supervisor) guiding us. Today is our team building exercise, our task: moving the loon raft. For those who may not know, every year loon rafts are placed on various lakes to help the loons find a safe place to build their nests. The one on Newfound is put out every year by the newly acquired watershed stewards. So, with two kayaks and a canoe we paddle to find the loon raft hidden among the mud and grasses. Once we unclasp the cinder block anchors and put them in the canoe, we then tie the raft to a rope, which splits into three ropes, each one tied to the back of a boat. The water level is just barely deep enough for us and the raft to float, or else we would have to drag the raft through the mud. Looking at where the raft will be placed, it doesn't seem like that difficult of a task, but as we paddle off we realize that is not the case. Everytime one boat paddles forward it tugs on the connection of the other two, which jerks the boats around endlessly. Shannon’s kayak ends up sideways because the rope pulls the back of the boat and the front end can’t keep up. Paul and I in the canoe are desperately trying to keep us pointed in the right direction but it’s like the boat has a mind of its own. Don’t even get me started on the wind as it whips past us, pushing our boats out of the marsh and away from the target location. After a lot of struggling and a bit of laughter, we end up at the place where the loon raft will stay throughout the summer months. The loon raft is anchored in place by two cement blocks tied to opposite corners. Placing the loon raft requires getting out of the boat and walking around in what we have affectionately named the Hebron Mud Spa. Since the soils here are constantly water logged, stepping into the water includes sinking into about 4-6 inches of muck. It’s about as fun as it sounds. Paul even breaks the strap on one of his sandals because it gets stuck when he pulls his foot out of the water! Finally though, we get the blocks attached to the raft and drop them into the water with a loud splash, spraying us (mostly me) with brown colored water. Finally, it’s done! The loons seem to appreciate it based on the way they are hanging out around us. Hopefully they will make a beautiful nest on the raft to make all our hard work worth it. Now it’s time to paddle back to Grey Rocks, and after an exhausting day, we are all glad to be going home.
Part two of the loon raft adventure happens in September! Just like the loons, the raft they nest on migrates in the winter. So, Shannon and I are back out on the lake to take the loon raft to its winter home. In the heavy, awkward green canoe we paddled out to the marsh, which had changed a lot from our first visit in May. It was easy enough to find the loon raft; the challenge was moving it, since it was just the two of us. Once again, we got out of the canoe and sank into the soft muck at the bottom, but this time we were smart and decided to go barefoot so no one would lose a shoe. First thing to do was pull up the cement anchors and put them in the boat. Then to a more difficult task, you see over the summer the grass has grown up in and around the raft. That, coupled with the lower water level of the lake, left the loon raft suctioned to the mud. This made moving it very challenging. Little by little we freed the raft and got it floating in the water. After tying the raft to the back of the canoe we hop back in and what do you know I’ve got a leech! With the help of Shannon, I got it to detach from my leg but not before lots of panicked yelling. Now off we go, dragging the loon raft behind us. Soon, we realized that the water was barely 6 inches deep and we were basically pushing the canoe through the mud. So out we get again to start pushing the canoe through the water, since it now has just enough clearance to not drag through the mud. When we finally get to the winter home of the loon raft, both of us are laughing, covered in mud and wet from the waist down. Lastly, we start pulling the raft in closer and try to push it as far inland as we can before giving up and weighing it down again with the cinder blocks. The time has come to leave the marsh and go home, but not before a nice refreshing swim in Newfound Lake to wash off the mud and celebrate a job well done!
Hannah is a half-term member serving with Newfound Lake Region Association. She loves ziplining because it feels like flying! Learn more about Hannah here.