Hal Busch receives Volunteer of the Year Award (left to right: Chris Martin, Senior Biologist, Hal Busch, Michael Bartlett, President

• Successful environmental educations programs due in large part to the efforts of Kevin Wall at the McLane Center, Angie Krysiak at the Massabesic Center,
• Helen Dalbeck at Amoskeag, and Carol Foley at Newfound Lake.
• NHA conservation biologist Dr. Pamela Hunt, with funding from NH Fish and Game, produced a groundbreaking report on the state of New Hampshire birds.
• Controlled invasive species in NHA sanctuaries.
• NHA purchased the last unprotected land parcel surrounding Williard Pond in Antrim, NH.
• The success and potential growth of facility rentals for both social and business events.
• Excellent press coverage with feature stories on NHA environmental education and camp programs, the successful peregrine falcon restoration program, and
• other high visibility programs like the Amoskeag Fishways, family-oriented events, and the dragonfly survey.
• Developed an award-winning electronic newsletter that reaches over 6,000 people.

Like many non-profits, Bartlett confirmed New Hampshire Audubon faces financial challenges. The organization is $2.7 million in debt—due in large-part to the mortgage it assumed in 2006 to underwrite the renovation of the McLane Center. 

A year ago the NHA identified three means to raise revenue and reduce the debt:

• Sell a conservation easement on the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn
• Find a tenant to share space in the McLane Center
• Sell the McLane Center and lease back space as a tenant

“I am pleased to announce that we have been  successful in securing a wonderful tenant,” Bartlett said. “The New Hampshire Center for Non-Profits, is moving in July 29 bringing with it an extraordinary opportunity for partnership.” “Moreover, we are in the process of selling a conservation easement on our land at the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn for what could be as much as $1,000,000. With luck, that sale will be consummated in a few months.”

Bartlett added that strategies are being developed to significantly increase fundraising efforts including, sponsor, donor, and membership recruitment.“The great work currently being done by the NHA staff will continue, even as we work to eliminate the debt,” Bartlett said. “The nighthawks and peregrines and eagles and dragonflies - New Hampshire’s wildlife – need our help, and we plan to be there for them.”


The Weekend
On Saturday two morning “walks” – one at Bellamy Sanctuary featuring birds and one led by Howard Crosby highlighting Odiorne Point’s fascinating history -were offered. NHA Massabesic naturalist Angie Krysiak absolutely captivated the audience by demonstrating the array of wildlife she uses for educational purposes. NHA conservation biologist Dr. Pamela Hunt outlined the key facts from her “State of New Hampshire’s Birds” report released this spring in cooperation with the Fish & Game Department.

"The program on animals was terrific. It really gave a good idea of what each animal was, and the habitat they use,” said NHA Trustee Stephanie Parkinson. "The State of the Birds’ presentation was a real eye opener — kind of scary and kind of hopeful. It made me more aware of the need to know about what's going on with birds outside of New Hampshire. You don't think about it until you see a program like this. You learn that they're declining and there's possibly something you can do about it. It's important to know.”

The afternoon wrapped-up with ice cream and a bird walk at the Little River Saltmarsh Sanctuary.

A boat trip around the Isles of Shoals on Sunday afforded participants a close-up viewing of the spectacular tern colony that New Hampshire Audubon was instrumental in establishing on Seavey Island--it also unexpectedly offered great whale-watching opportunities.
 

The NHA Annual Awards
“The part of the meeting I really enjoy is when we acknowledge and celebrate some of the amazing individuals who contribute so much to help our staff and advance our mission,” Bartlett said. 

The Tudor Richards Award was received by Rick Van de Poll of Center Sandwich. The award recognizes an individual who has worked tirelessly and effectively for conservation in the Granite State. Anyone who has taken a walk on the wild side with Rick van de Poll has had a treat. His enthusiasm is contagious, and you emerge knowing more about that wild world. Because of his work as a professional and as a volunteer, the environmental IQ of New Hampshire residents has been raised significantly. And  thousands of acres have been conserved.

Rick has served on the NHA academic committee, as an appointee to an advisory task force, and served on his town's conservation commission. Formerly an environmental studies professor at Antioch New England Rick now is a natural resource consultant. His work has led directly to the conservation of thousands of acres in the state – and indirectly – through assisting towns and landowners in creating Natural Resource Inventories and Open Space Plans – to the conservation of thousands more.

Rick has also served in many advisory capacities from NH Fish and Game's Wildlife Action Plan revision to the NH Board of Natural Scientists to the NH Association of Wetland Scientists. He has also served as the founding board president of the Northeast Wilderness Trust, a land trust that specializes in forever wild conservation easements.

Most importantly, Rick's in-depth knowledge and appreciation of wild ecosystems and his effective manner in educating and inspiring people have brought many New Hampshire landowners closer to the land they love. And by helping them link with conservation groups offering long-term land conservation, he's brought deep satisfaction to many landowners while ensuring the long-term ecological integrity of the land.

New Hampshire's landscape, wild creatures and human residents and visitors owe much to our friend Rick Van de Poll.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was received by Hal Busch and Everett McLaughlin of Gilford, NH. The award recognizes those who through their dedication and hard work have made an outstanding contribution to the success of NHA and its work.

This year, for the sixth time in the award’s 14-year history, it is being presented not to a single individual but rather to a volunteer team. In the Lakes Region town of Gilford, Hal Busch and Everett McLaughlin are neighbors.  Hal served the community for many years as a physician. Everett enjoyed a long career in New England as a fisheries biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Over most of the past decade, these men have contributed about 100 volunteer hours and 500 driving miles annually to the NHA Conservation Department projects doing various raptor survey projects throughout the Lakes Region.

Hal Busch’s volunteer connection to NHA began at the Prescott Farm Audubon Center in Laconia, where he started helping with the late winter sugaring operation. He soon started to participate in our annual Mid-Winter bald eagle surveys.

Everett McLaughlin’s general obsession with fish is well-known, and extends well beyond the bounds of his career as a fisheries biologist. So it really wasn’t much of a stretch for Hal to get Everett interested in monitoring New Hampshire’s fish-eating birds of prey on the state’s lakes.

When the ice melted and the wintering eagles dispersed, these guys simply switched from lakes to swamps, monitoring the region’s growing population of nesting ospreys.  But in the course of osprey-watching, they continued to see bald eagles now and again, so they started looking for breeding pairs of eagles, too. And over the last five years, they have been responsible for locating three new bald eagle breeding pairs in and around Lake Winnipesaukee. 

In addition to their volunteer work for Audubon, both are involved in other local conservation causes.  Hal is a land steward for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.  Everett serves on the Gilford Conservation Commission and has been working hard for permanent protection of several Lakes Region wetland areas that support nesting ospreys, great blue herons, and a host of other wildlife.

Their volunteer efforts have saved Audubon and its partners in the Non-game Program at Fish and Game countless hours that it would otherwise have taken to determine if various eagle and osprey nests are active each spring, document the number of young produced in summer, install sheet metal predator guards in the winter, and identify landowners and abutters whenever required.

The Goodhue-Elkins Award was received by Robert A. Quinn of Webster.  The award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the study of New Hampshire birds.

Robert A. Quinn (Bob) is a native of New Hampshire and well-known and respected in the state’s birding community. He has led innumerable field trips, always generous with his time and knowledge as he encourages beginning birders, and challenges experienced birders, to look at birding in new ways. He makes field trips special by knowing where and how to find the birds, helping each person to see the bird, and sharing his deep knowledge about those birds. Bob spurs birders on to learn more about the birds in their own area by looking for nesting or watching for when even common species arrive and depart.

Bob’s contributions to our knowledge of New Hampshire’s birds are many and varied. He has conducted innumerable bird surveys, with his favorites so far being Pondicherry Wildlife Sanctuary – providing data to support the creation of the National Wildlife Refuge there; Lake Umbagog to the far north; and Turkey Pond following Tudor Richard’s interest in this local sanctuary. In 2003 he was recognized by the US Breeding Bird Survey for having completed 50 cumulative routes in NH – that’s 50 mornings of getting up to begin surveys at 4:30AM! He took part in the NH Breeding Bird Atlas, and gathered data for the Dunbarton Conservation Commission that helped them expand the conservation lands at Kimball Pond. He has been gathering bird data for the Concord area and encourages others to contribute to our knowledge of the town’s avifauna.

Bob has participated in just about every aspect of birding in the state. He began the New Hampshire Rare Bird Alert phone hot line in 1977. In 1994 he took over the job of Concord Christmas Bird Count Compiler. He was also a founding member of the NH Rare Birds Committee.While working for NH Audubon, Bob took over editorship of the New Hampshire Bird Records Quarterly and then continued as the volunteer Summer Season Editor for 20 years. He has sent his reports to New Hampshire Bird Records over many years contributing to the database of bird sightings in the state to this day.

Bob has a keen interest in the birds of New Hampshire. He has consistently shared his knowledge and spurred others on to contribute to our knowledge of New Hampshire’s birds. Bob is constantly going beyond the data, seeking answers to the still unresolved questions about the birds of our state.

The President’s Award was received by Steve Burtt of Grantham and Deborah de Peyster of Concord. The award recognizes a stalwart friend of NHA, be it a group or individual, whose actions and commitment over the years have significantly furthered the organization’s work.

Steve Burtt was given the award in recognition of his exceptional commitment to meeting New Hampshire Audubon's IT needs and his extraordinary commitment to the organization. In addition to donating much needed IT equipment to the organization, Steve routinely donates much of his compensation back to NH Audubon. Steve is resourceful, responsive, a true professional and a good friend.

Deborah de Peyster was given the award in recognition of her creativity and positive approach to engaging our membership. Debbie was the driving force behind New Hampshire Audubon's Lord God Bird event this spring, which met with resounding success in large part due to Debbie's close attention to detail. She developed and produces New Hampshire Audubon's monthly electronic newsletter highlighting the organization's many activities. Debbie continually looks for opportunities to help get the word out about our programs and accomplishments.


About New Hampshire AudubonFounded in 1914, New Hampshire Audubon’s mission is to protect New Hampshire’s natural environment for wildlife and for people. It is an independent statewide membership organization with four nature centers throughout the state. Expert educators give programs to children, families, and adults at centers and in schools. Staff biologists and volunteers conduct bird conservation efforts such as the Peregrine Falcon restoration. New Hampshire Audubon protects thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and is a voice for sound public policy on environmental issues. For information on New Hampshire Audubon, including membership, volunteering, programs, sanctuaries, and publications, call 224-9909, or visit www.nhaudubon.org.