Events
2023 Events
Migratory Bird Day Walk
David Govatski
May 11, 2023 7:00 - 12:00
Join us for a Migratory Bird Day Walk at Weeks State Park. We will meet at the parking lot of the scenic auto road at 7 AM. We will slowly walk up the auto road looking and listening for a variety of migratory birds that are settling in on territories. We expect to see a variety of warblers and flycatchers at this birding hotspot.
At 11 AM we will offer an optional visit to Martin Meadow Pond to look for loons, osprey and eagles. Free Migratory Bird Day posters will be available. The program is free and open to the public. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather. David Govatski is the field trip leader and is an experienced birding guide and naturalist. He is President of the Ammonoosuc Chapter of the National Audubon Society.
Spring Wildflower Walk
Matt Peters
June 4, 2023 1:00 - 4:00
Spring has sprung and it is time to get outdoors to enjoy the signs of spring. Please join us for this free wildflower walk led by field ecologist and naturalist, Matt Peters, who has over a dozen years of experience studying the flora, fauna, geology and soils of Weeks State Park. Matt has led nature walks at the park for many years.
Meet at the parking lot at the start of the scenic auto road up Mount Prospect at 1 PM. Bring a hand lens and flower guide if you like and dress for the weather. The free program ends at 4 pm.
A Once-in-Many-Lifetimes Opportunity: The 2024 Total Eclipse of the Sun
Dr. Doug Arion
June 22, 2023 7pm
April 8, 2024 will be a unique occasion for New Hampshire - a total eclipse of the Sun will cross the northern portion of the state. What happens during an eclipse? How can you get to view it? What will you experience? What does this mean for the economy of the region? These and other aspects of the eclipse - including the science of the Sun and eclipses, will be addressed in this talk.
New Hampshire on Ice:
How Glaciers affected our Local Topography
Rachel Dandeneau
June 29, 2023 7pm
Come learn about the most recent glaciers in New England and how they helped shape the mountains and valleys we know and love! We will be talking about how some notable features in our area, such as the Connecticut River Valley and Tuckerman’s Ravine, were formed by glaciers. We will talk about the different types of glaciers, how they behave, and some other geologic features related to glaciation.
Live at the Lodge
Ben Cosgrove
July 6, 2023 7pm
Ben Cosgrove is a traveling composer, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist from New England. He travels constantly all over the country, performing a unique variety of original instrumental music that explores themes of landscape, geography, and environment while straddling a line between folk and classical music.
Throughout his career, the strongest forces guiding Ben’s composition and performances have been his deep and abiding interests in landscape, geography, place, and environment. For years, he has been fascinated and inspired by the different ways people understand and interact with the landscapes around them.
photo credit: Max García Conover
Rocks and Minerals of the White Mountains
Elaine Swett and Will O’Brien
July 13, 2023 7pm
Did you know that over 50 different minerals including smoky quartz and amethyst crystals have been discovered in the White Mountain National Forest? Did you know that there is gold in NH?
This program will inspire you to get out and enjoy recreational mineral collecting and gold panning in the White Mountains. Local experts Elaine Swett and Will O’Brien will speak of the minerals and crystals that can be found in the White Mountains. Will O’Brien will display his backpack of “Rock Hound” tools, and his large collection of minerals. They will discuss the three designated mineral collecting sites in the White Mountain National Forest and give you tips on tools and techniques to be a successful “Rock Hounder”.
Digging into Native History in New Hampshire
Dr. Robert Goodby
July 20, 2023 7pm
Almost 13,000 years ago, small groups of Paleoindians endured frigid winters on the edge of a river in what would become Keene, New Hampshire. This begins the remarkable story of Native Americans in the Monadnock region of southwestern New Hampshire, part of the traditional homeland of the Abenaki people.
Typically neglected or denied by conventional history, the long presence of Native people in southwestern New Hampshire is revealed by archaeological evidence for their deep, enduring connections to the land and the complex social worlds they inhabited. From the Tenant Swamp Site in Keene, with the remains of the oldest known dwellings in New England, to the 4,000-year-old Swanzey Fish Dam still visible in the Ashuelot River, A Deep Presence tells their story in a narrative fashion, drawing on the author’s thirty years of fieldwork and presenting compelling evidence from archaeology, written history, and the living traditions of today’s Abenaki people.
The Science and History of the Great New England Hurricane of 1938
Dr. Lourdes B. Avilés
July 27, 2023 7pm
Dr. Avilés will be talking about the most devastating New England Hurricane of all time, the 1938 Hurricane. She will talk about the storm’s meteorological history and science, and the effects that it produced throughout its path through Long Island and New England, highlighting the effects in New Hampshire.
Taken by Storm, 1938: A Social and Meteorological History of the Great New England Hurricane is the product of Dr. Avilés’ work during the past several years. However, she does not believe that she will ever be done finding resources and seeking new insights into this fascinating and terrifying storm.
Drawing from Nature
Heidi Chester
July 29, 2023 10:00 - 1:00
(Rain date: July 30)
This program is about drawing from nature on the Weeks State Park grounds. Attendees will meet outdoors at the Summit House for a 3-hr course led by local artist Heidi Chester.
Topics to be explored may include nature journaling, composition, proportion, shading as well as various media techniques. This is intended for adults of any level of art experience.
Pre-registration required. Contact heidi@boydanddoyle.com to sign up. Attendees bring their own supplies from a list emailed to them when they register. Class size maximum is 25 attendees.
A Walk Back in Time:
The Secrets of Cellar Holes
Adair Mulligan
August 3, 2023 7pm
Northern New England is full of reminders of past lives: stone walls, old foundations, a century-old lilac struggling to survive as the forest reclaims a once-sunny dooryard. What forces shaped settlement, and later abandonment, of these places? Adair Mulligan explores the rich story to be discovered in what remains behind. See how one town has set out to create an inventory of its cellar holes, piecing together the clues in the landscape. Such a project can help landowners know what to do if they have archaeological sites on their land and help stimulate interest in a town's future through its past.
An Angler’s Almanac
Andy Schafermeyer and Colby Denison
August 10, 2023 7pm
New Hampshire Fishery Biologists Andy Schafermeyer and Colby Denison will provide a seasonal look at sport fishing opportunities in New Hampshire - from January ice fishing, through bass fishing on hot August days, to fall days chasing spawning trout under the foliage. Lesser-known fish species of the North Country will also be examined, with discussion of their general biology and conservation status.
Details such as life cycles, preferred food sources, and management plans will provide a better understanding of our roles as Natural resource managers. Andy and Colby are both avid anglers in constant pursuit of fishing adventures all over the United States.
The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail:
It's more than a bike route, it's an adventure!
Marianne Borowski
August 17, 2023 7pm
Take an 83 mile ride across the northern New Hampshire landscape on the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail. Call it the xNHAT, for short. This 83 mile, mostly off-road bicycling route stitches together dirt rail trails, dirt roads and backroads for an adventurous bike route across the northern New Hampshire landscape.
How was this route created? What makes it an “Adventure”? Where can one find information, maps, bike shops, shuttle services? B&B? Grand Hotel? Glamping? HipCamps? What are the collaborations required to get this route established, maintained and expanded? What is the “North Country Welcomes Bicyclists Program”? Can I walk, run or cross country ski the xNHAT? Come to the presentation and find out! And check out our website, at www.xnhat.org Want to do a part of the xNHAT? Join us on a bike ride on Friday, August 18th for a guided journey on a gloriously scenic section of the xNHAT.
The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail:
Bike Ride
Marianne Borowski
August 18 - Time to be announced
Want to do a part of the xNHAT? Join us on a bike ride on Friday, August 18th for a guided journey on a gloriously scenic section of the xNHAT. We will travel the Presidential Rail Trail in the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge and beyond, plus the dirt roads and paved back roads that comprise the xNHAT in Jefferson and Randolph.
Participation is limited to 20 riders, so please pre-register by emailing info.weeksstateparkassociation@gmail.com and put “Bike” in the subject line. Confirmation of your spot, and additional details of the ride will be provided to you.
Mushroom Walk
Erik Milligan
August 19, 2023
Mount Prospect provides a widely diverse and rich fungal habitat. Ever wonder about the hundreds of miles of mycelium beneath our feet, of which we see only the fruiting bodies? Or which mushrooms are poisonous or edible?
Join us on for a Mushroom Walk at the Weeks State Park with Eric Milligan of the New Hampshire Mushroom Company. Participants will observe, collect, and receive hands-on experience with different types of fungi found in the area, and learn how fungi play an integral role in the forest ecosystem.
Meet on the porch of the Summit Lodge prior to 1:00. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear good walking shoes—we will be walking some distance over uneven ground. You may wish to bring sun or tick protection. This program is free, but space is limited. Please pre-register in advance so that we can let you know of any changes in the schedule.
Send an email to: info.weeksstateparkassociation@gmail.com, and put the word “Mushroom” in the subject line. You will receive an auto-response, confirming our receipt of your request. An additional email will follow, containing more information for participants.
WSPA 40th Anniversary Celebration 6pm
Researching Your Old House 7pm
Andrew Cushing
August 24, 2023
Come join us to celebrate 40 years of advocating for and supporting Weeks State Park. We will have a brief annual meeting followed by refreshments. The public is cordially invited. This will be followed by a fascinating look at how to uncover the history of your house.
Every house has a history, but how do you discover yours? Join the NH Preservation Alliance’s Andrew Cushing as he explores tools, tricks, and tips for researching your old house. Using a combination of sources tailored to each community – common and uncommon – anyone can start to assemble a more complete picture of their house’s history.
Cushing travels the state connecting communities to the resources they need to restore and reuse historic landmarks. He provides technical assistance, practical advice on preservation strategy, and fundraising guidance. He is a New Hampshire native who returned to his hometown of Grafton, where he is restoring two houses. He also founded and serves as president of Mascoma Valley Preservation, a regional nonprofit dedicated to adapting historic buildings.
Prior to returning to the Alliance in 2022, he headed up the Bureau of Historic Sites for NH State Parks. In this capacity he served as a talented and dedicated manager of our own historic park where his work was deeply appreciated.
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Autumn Wildflower Walk
Brett Engstrom
September 10 1-4
Fall is here and it is time to get outdoors to enjoy the signs of season’s-end. Please join us for this free wildflower walk led by field ecologist and botanist, Brett Engstrom, who has over a dozen years of experience studying the flora, fauna, geology and soils of Weeks State Park.
Brett has led nature walks at the park for many years. Meet at the parking lot at the start of the scenic auto road up Mount Prospect at 1 PM. Bring a hand lens and flower guide if you like and dress for the weather. A paper list of common fall wildflowers will be provided at the assembly point. The free program ends at 4 PM.
Past Events
2022 Events
Migratory Bird Day Walk
David Govatski
May 19, 2022 7:00 - 12:00
Join us for a Migratory Bird Day Walk at Weeks State Park. We will meet at the parking lot of the scenic auto road at 7 AM. We will slowly walk up the auto road looking and listening for a variety of migratory birds that are settling in on territories. We expect to see a variety of warblers and flycatchers at this birding hotspot.
Spring Wildflower Walk
Brett Engstrom
June 5, 2022 1:00 - 4:00
Spring has sprung and it is time to get outdoors to enjoy the signs of spring. Please join us for this free wildflower walk led by field ecologist and naturalist, Brett Engstrom, who has over a dozen years of experience studying the flora, fauna, geology and soils of Weeks State Park. Brett has led nature walks at the park for many years.
Meet at the parking lot at the start of the scenic auto road up Mount Prospect at 1 PM. Bring a hand lens and flower guide if you like and dress for the weather. The free program ends at 4 pm.
Nansen Ski Club
Scott Halvorson & Shawn Costello
June 30, 2022 7pm
Nansen: Past, Present, & Future - A Short Version of a Long Story
Join us! The oldest ski club in the country is celebrating its heritage and continuing to grow its traditions.
The Nansen Ski Jump (aka Big Nansen), built in 1937, hosted every meaningful ski jumping event in the country before being shut down in 1985, and coming, oh so close, to being gone forever. It’s being resurrected!
The Real Eastern Coyote
Chris Schadler
July 7, 2022 7pm
Myths surround the coyote and cloud our understanding of it. Learn the true story of the eastern coyote – how and when it arrived in New England, how it lives among us but is rarely seen and how it contributes toward keeping our forests and fields healthy. Learn why it is a creature of our own making – an animal different from the western coyote in genetics and behavior but with the same superior resilience and adaptability. It is smart, beneficial and by its presence, gives “wild” back to our wild lands. This new wild also requires that livestock and pet owners step up and steward creatures with greater care.
Bear Behavior
Ben Kilham
July 14, 2022 7pm
Renowned wildlife biologist, Ben Kilham, returns to our Park to talk about his firsthand experience studying black bear behavior. For more than 25 years Ben has been raising and rehabbing orphaned, injured and abandoned cubs with the goal of reintroducing them to the wild. He has successfully accomplished this with over 300 bear cubs from the KIlham Bear Center in Lyme, NH.
Nature Journaling
Doreen Bolnick
July 16, 2022 9am - 12pm
Here's an easy technique to learn natural history, deepen your connection to nature and, with no extra effort, get the benefit of mindfulness meditation. We'll use words, numbers, arrows, diagrams and doodles or sketches to record: What we see; What we wonder; What our research shows. We begin by focusing on individual organisms in nature. Eventually our pages show how they're all connected. As Rachel Carson said, "In nature, nothing exists alone." Art skills are not required since doodles and diagrams will do the job. The program includes a slide show, demos indoors and out, time to practice field journaling, a return indoors to research what we found and have a chance to try several types of media to add color to our pages.
Exemplary Country Estates of New Hampshire
Cristina Ashjian
July 21, 2022 7pm
In the early 20th century, the New Hampshire Board of Agriculture launched a program to boost the rural economy and promote tourism through the sale of abandoned farms and estates to summer residents.
After describing the country house movement, Cristina Ashjian will focus attention on some of the great country estates featured in the New Hampshire program between 1902 and 1913. Which private estates were recognized as exemplary, and who were their owners? Using historic images and texts, Ashjian discusses well-known estates now open to the public such as The Fells on Lake Sunapee, The Rocks in Bethlehem, Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, and she includes local examples when possible.
The Common Loon – a New Hampshire Icon
Caroline Hughes
July 28, 2022 7pm
For many, the haunting call of the loon is an important part of the New Hampshire lake experience. Often seen as a symbol of the northern wilderness, loons are a beloved fixture on New Hampshire lakes, and many lake goers enjoy watching them as they raise their young. However, the breeding season can be a vulnerable time for loons—they face many threats, both natural and anthropogenic, while on our lakes. This presentation will focus on the biology and life history of loons, the threats that loons face while on our lakes, and the work that the Loon Preservation Committee’s staff and volunteers have performed since 1975 to help recover New Hampshire's threatened loon population.
Loon Field Trip
Caroline Hughes
July 29, 2022 8:00 - 10:00am
Join us on Friday July 29th at 8:00 AM for a paddle at Martin Meadow Pond in Lancaster to visit with a pair of New Hampshire’s breeding loons. In a small group setting, we will observe and interpret loon behaviors and vocalizations, learn the fascinating history of Martin Meadow Pond’s loon pair, and discuss the conservation concerns that have affected the loons on the pond and the management work being done to help them successfully reproduce each year.
Big Trees of Northern New England
Kevin Martin
August 4, 2022 7pm
Do you know New Hampshire is home to five national champion “Big Trees?” These are the largest examples of their species discovered nationwide. New Hampshire hosts the largest tamarack, Carolina silverbell, pitch pine, red pine, and pin cherry in the entire USA.
Wooden boatbuilder and outdoorsman Kevin Martin, will be showing and discussing these trees as described in his new book Big Trees Northern New England. You will hear how he got involved with finding the trees, how lumber from similar trees is used in his boat building work, and how wildlife will use these impressive parts of our landscape. The discussion will cover trees on public land in all parts of the state and where they are located so you can go see them for yourself.
Nature Photography of the White Mountains
Shaun Terhune
August 11, 2022 7pm
Venture with Shaun Terhune on a visual journey through his world of nature photography. Experience hiking in the pre-dawn to remote forests off the beaten path to search for wildlife, or to the mountain’s edge for a magical panoramic sunrise. Feel the wonderment in that particular moment when the light is perfect, a subject appears in the lens, and that magical shot is captured.
Shaun will share about his work in the White Mountains, key strategies, and useful tips for those interested in nature photography, as well as the essential gear and how he has simplified it over time. You’ll also see a number of exhibits of how he has transformed his photos into art, both visually and poetically.
on with a link to the original. You can also add a video for extra engagement!
The Cohos Trail
Kim Nilsen
August 14, 2022 7pm
The origin of the 170-mile Cohos Trail in New Hampshire’s Great North Woods and White Mountains has its roots in a disaster. In 1969, a log crib and stone dam high in the Nash Stream Forest failed after several days of heavy rain. The floodwaters from big Nash Bog utterly destroyed the valley below, flooded the Groveton Paper mill and streets of Groveton, and dissipated among the broad intervals of the Connecticut River at Lancaster and south.
Several years later, Kim Nilsen, the founder of the Cohos Trail, scrambled up the Nash Stream Valley to visit the site of the destroyed dam. Wandering about in the Nash Stream Forest, he was struck by the rugged beauty of the environment and began to explore the remote backcountry of central and northern Coos County.
WSPA Annual Meeting - 6:30 pm
The Canadian Lynx - 7:00 pm
Jill Kilborn
Jillian Kilborn is a wildlife biologist for NH Fish and Game in the Lancaster office. Much of Jill’s time is spent managing the Department’s largest property, the Connecticut Lakes Natural Area, in Pittsburg and Clarksville. She also works with a variety of wildlife and landowners throughout Coos County but has a focus on non-game species found in the northern part of the state including American marten and Canada lynx. Jill grew up in Coos County and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hunting, hiking, camping and canoeing.
Prior to the program, the Weeks State Park Association will hold its annual meeting at 6:30 pm. All Association members are encouraged to attend.
Autumn Wildflower Walk
Matt Peters
September 11, 2022 1:00 - 4:00pm
Fall is here and it is time to get outdoors to enjoy the signs of season’s end. Please join us for this free wildflower walk led by field ecologist and botanist, Matt Peters, who has over a dozen years of experience studying the flora, fauna, geology and soils of Weeks State Park. Matt has led nature walks at the park for many years. Meet at the parking lot at the start of the scenic auto road up Mount Prospect at 1 PM. Bring a hand lens and flower guide if you like and dress for the weather. A paper list of common fall wildflowers will be provided at the assembly point. The free program ends at 4 PM.