Lichen It or Not: The Wonders of Symbiosis! with Nature Columnist Susan Pike
2025-04-16 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
Join Nature Columnist, National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions Naturalist, Dover High School Science Teacher, and Great Works Regional Land Trust (GWRLT) Board Member Sue Pike for a talk about the biology and basics of identifying common lichens. Lichens are a complex and beautiful life form that grow almost everywhere but are often overlooked and misunderstood. Not a plant and not a fungus, they are composed of, at the minimum, two completely separate organisms-a fungus and an algae. They grow in your backyard, in the woods, in the fields. You’ll also find them in some of Earth’s most extreme places: mountaintops, sea-splashed cliffs, and gravestones. If you do any hiking in the White Mountains, you’ll find lichens well above treeline growing on the stunted trees that are continually blasted by winter winds, frozen into eerie shapes, coated with rime ice, subjected to temperatures well below zero degrees. You’ll also find them along the coast, clinging to salt spray-soaked pine trees, bearding cedars and other evergreens in bogs and swamps. They have even survived space! How do they do this? What exactly are they? Are they easy to identify? Come find out.

Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Forest Fridays at Piscassic Greenway: Spring 2025 (Session 2 of 3)
2025-04-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Piscassic Greenway
Meet us at the Piscassic Greenway Gate 2 for a kid-led nature exploration as part of our Forest Friday series. This series will be led by SELT volunteer Loralise LoDolce. We will offer supervised kid-led exploration and unstructured outdoor play for kids aged 0-5 and their guardians. This series will take place rain or shine – be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, you’ll want to be comfortable being still, muddy, and/or wet. The Spring Session of Forest Fridays at Piscassic Greenway will be held on 3/21, 4/18, and 5/16.
This series is intended for kids aged 0-5 and their guardians.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

3rd Annual Sunset Sit for Woodcock
2025-04-18 18:45 - 20:00 | Birch Ridge Community Forest
Join SELT, Matt Tarr (UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Habitat Specialist), and Charlie Bridges of the BRCF Steering Committee for the “3rd Annual Sunset Sit to Observe Woodcock.” This field trip will include about a one mile walk to and from the BRCF cabin to learn more about the Birch Ridge Community Forest, watch the sunset, and listen for woodcock. Participants are invited to bring binoculars, a lawn chair and picnic dinner, as well.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Earth Day Cleanup at Mast Road Natural Area
2025-04-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Mast Road Natural Area
Join Super SELTies Sue Mayotte (also the Volunteer Property Steward for Mast Road Natural Area), Peggy Kimball, and Danele Smith for an Earth Day cleanup along Mast Road between the two parking areas at Gate 3 and Gate 4. The ditches in the focused cleanup area tend to have standing water so muck boots and gloves are recommended. Please note: in the event of rain, this event will likely cancel due to conditions being likely too wet for a cleanup.

Registration required: CLICK HERE

Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge with Four Winds Nature Institute - Spring Session 2
2025-04-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Birch Ridge Community Forest
Due to the popularity of the Winter Series at Birch Ridge, we will continue these Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge with this Spring Series through mid-June.
Meet us at the parking lot at the end of Birch Hill Road for a kid-led nature exploration as part of our Forest Friday series. This series will be led by nature-based educators Karly Wilcox and Sara DeSerres from Four Winds Nature Institute. We will offer supervised kid-led adventure and unstructured outdoor play for kids aged 0-5 and their guardians. This series will take place rain or shine – be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, you’ll want to be comfortable being still or muddy. The dates of the Spring Session of Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge Community Forest will be 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23, & 6/13.
This series is intended for kids aged 0-5 and their guardians.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

More about Four Winds Nature Institute can be found at www.fwni.org.

15th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
2025-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 | The Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH, United States
Celebrate the wonder and the beauty of nature at The Music Hall in Portsmouth for the 15th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival! Tickets on sale February 5!
The 2025 slate of nature-themed films features exceptional filmmaking, breathtaking cinematography, and compelling storytelling to inform and inspire about the power of the natural world. Attendees can expect award-winning films about nature, outdoor adventure, conservation, wildlife, environmental issues, agriculture, and more.
SELT’s volunteer film committee has hand-picked a program from the award-winning films curated by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and national Wild & Scenic Film Festival and we cannot wait to share it with you!
Tickets go on sale on February 5.
Learn more here.

SELT/Waste Management Conservation Easements Field Trip
2025-04-30 10:00 - 12:00 | England Road, Rochester
Did you know that SELT has two conservation easements with Waste Management along the Cocheco River beside Pickering Ponds? Join us for a fun and informative tour of the easements with SELT and Waste Management staff members to learn about these interesting properties, about SELT easements, about Waste Management’s environmental programs and priorities, and a little about the history of the properties and the surrounding area. Some of the historical context will include the old Christmas tree farm, the remains of the bridge that crossed the Cocheco via England Road, and much more.
In attendance from SELT will be Katie Bates, Conservation Easement Steward and Derrick Trent, Events and Outreach Specialist. In attendance from Waste Management will be Brian DesMarais, Senior Area Manager of Environmental Protection; Steve Dowaliby, Environmental Protection Manager; Paige Bartlett, Environmental Protection Specialist; Bob Magnusson, Engineering and Compliance Manager, and Anne Reichert, Senior Engineer.

Difficulty: Easty to Moderate, depending on conditions
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Note: SELT does not share any personal information with our presenters.

More about Waste Management’s Environmental Stewardship initiatives can be found at www.wm.com/us/en/inside-wm/environmental-stewardship

Bird Photography Primer Presentation with Tony Baldasaro
2025-05-05 17:30 - 18:30 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
Join regionally renowned bird photographer Tony Baldasaro for an evening of learning more about birds and how best to photograph them. Tony, of TB3 Photography, has been a photographer for over 20 years. He is most passionate about wild bird photography and he will share his tips for not only photographing birds, but also finding them, especially during migration season. In addition to photography, Tony has been a teacher and school administrator for 30 years. Merging his two passions, photography and education, has given him the opportunity to do what he loves the most, teach and create. We hope you can join us for a creative evening of learning about wild bird photography!
This is a primer for the Bird Photography Field Trip that Tony will be leading later in the week on May 10th. To learn more about Tony and his photography, visit his website at tb3photography.com or find him on Instagram @tb3_photo.

Registration required: CLICK HERE

Helping New Hampshire's Turtles
2025-05-07 17:30 - 18:30 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
Join us to learn about the fascinating and inspiring work of NH Turtle Rescue, the small nonprofit organization based just down Route 125 from SELT in Nottingham and operated by Dallas Huggins and Drew Stevens, licensed wildlife rehabilitators in the state of New Hampshire. They work closely with their mentor, Chris Bogard, who has been rehabilitating turtles for over 20 years.
NH Turtle Rescue’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, release, and preserve native turtle species through individualized care, public education, outreach, and scientific research in support of imperiled populations of wild New Hampshire turtles.
In our early planning, Drew mentioned the following: “I think our missions dovetail together in a very compelling way: we are the reactive side of turtle conservation in that we deal primarily with the consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation, and SELT is the proactive side of turtle conservation by providing a means to protect important habitat and its wildlife before those wild animals become imperiled. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but in this case, there is no true cure, so protecting habitat is truly the only way to guarantee some type of future for our native turtle species in the long-term.”
They will have some turtle ambassadors with them to meet during the talk as well. 🐢🐢🐢

This event is open to all ages.
Registration required: CLICK HERE

More about New Hampshire Turtle Rescue can be found at nhturtlerescue.org

Birding at Tucker & French Family Forest
2025-05-08 06:30 - 09:00 | Tucker & French Family Forest
Birders everywhere look forward to spring when migratory birds head north to their breeding grounds in droves, bringing a beautiful diversity of species through our very own backyard! Join birding enthusiast Roger Stephenson as he ventures out in the wee hours of the morning to see who’s passing through. The best way to learn your birds by sight and sound is with experienced birders! This BYOB (bring your own binoculars) walk will be fun for all skill levels!
This trip is limited to 15 participants.

Difficulty: Easy
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Little SELTies Storytime - Late Spring 2025 (Session 1 of 3)
2025-05-08 10:00 - 12:00 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
We welcome our Little SELTies to join us for a morning of nature stories, songs, and activities in the Pratt Family Community Room at the Mathey Center at Burley Farms. Led by SELT’s Education Program Manager, Lizzy Franceschini, we will start our morning inside the community room with story time activities, then head outside for a short hike in the forest. This program is designed for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. The late spring sessions of Little SELTies Storytime will run on the following Thursdays – May 8, May 22, and June 5.

Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge with Four Winds Nature Institute - Spring Session 3
2025-05-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Birch Ridge Community Forest
Meet us at the parking lot at the end of Birch Hill Road for a kid-led nature exploration as part of our Forest Friday series. This series will be led by nature-based educators Karly Wilcox and Sara DeSerres from Four Winds Nature Institute. We will offer supervised kid-led adventure and unstructured outdoor play for kids aged 0-5 and their guardians. This series will take place rain or shine – be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, you’ll want to be comfortable being still or muddy. The dates of the Spring Session of Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge Community Forest will be 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23, & 6/13.
This series is intended for kids aged 0-5 and their guardians.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

More about Four Winds Nature Institute can be found at www.fwni.org.

Bird Photography Field Trip with Tony Baldasaro
2025-05-10 08:00 - 11:00 | Burley Farms, 247 N. River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
Join regionally renowned wildlife photographer Tony Baldasaro for a bird photography field trip. Tony will take you out to the northern side of the Burley Farms property to get up close with the fields, forest, and beaver pond and our avian friends who call these places home. Participants will learn more about finding the best scenarios for bird photography- including lighting, bird position, and bird action shots. This field trip is for photographers with at least some wildlife photography experience and the suggested equipment includes:

DSLR or Mirrorless Camera
Lens long enough for wildlife photography (more than 200 mm). Ideally this will be a zoom lens and not a fixed lens. (see below)
Because we will be primarily photographing small, fast-moving birds, a zoom lens with a wide range of focal lengths is ideal. (100-400, 100-500, 150 – 600 are examples). Having a big, heavy prime lens, like a fixed 600mm, will only slow our participants down.
A tripod is not recommended as it can slow down your photography. Photographers should prepare to be handheld or use a nimble monopod.

We hope you can join this educational and fun morning of bird photography at Burley! To learn more about Tony and his photography, visit his website at tb3photography.com or find him on Instagram @tb3_photo.

Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Spring Bird Walk at Spruce Swamp Conservation Area
2025-05-12 08:00 - 11:00 | Spruce Swamp Conservation Area, Fremont, NH, United States
Join avid birder Steve Mirick for a spring bird walk through Spruce Swamp Conservation Area. This walk will start at the end of Andreski Drive in Fremont. Participants should wear appropriate footwear, be prepared for wet trails and bring insect repellent and binoculars.
This field trip is limited to 20 participants.

Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Little SELTies Storytime - Late Spring 2025 (Session 2 of 3)
2025-05-22 10:00 - 12:00 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States

Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge with Four Winds Nature Institute - Spring Session 4
2025-05-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Birch Ridge Community Forest

Post-Harvest Forestry Tour at Stonehouse Forest
2025-05-28 17:00 - 19:00 | Stonehouse Forest
** NEW DATE – Was originally planned for May 7 **
Join SELT’s Forest and Wildlife Habitat Manager Chad Fierros and consulting forester Charlie Moreno for a post-harvest tour of Stonehouse Forest. Come see and hear about the latest forest management activities at Stonehouse Forest, including the benefits of timber harvests as part of a comprehensive forest management plan.

Difficulty: Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Vulture Culture with Tailwinds
2025-05-28 17:30 - 18:30 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
We are excited to welcome back Tailwinds for a fun, informative family-friendly evening. Learn about the undervalued, underestimated, and misunderstood Turkey Vulture. Meet education team member Greta – a curious and social Turkey Vulture up close and in person. Learn to admire and respect one of the most impressive birds in our ecosystem. We might even see some vultures out in the wild at Burley Farms!

Registration required: CLICK HERE
Please visit tailwinds.live for more information about Tailwinds Raptor Education & Conservation.

Little SELTies Storytime - Late Spring 2025 (Session 3 of 3)
2025-06-05 10:00 - 12:00 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States

CANCELLED - National Trails Day - Trails Workday at Stonehouse Forest
2025-06-07 09:00 - 12:00 | Stonehouse Forest
Thank you for your interest in this event. Due to weather forecast and low registrations, this event is now cancelled.
Celebrate National Trails day by helping to maintain the trails at Stonehouse Forest. We are aiming to have two teams leave from different points at Stonehouse Forest to help cleanup debris and trim back anything that is growing into the trails. This is a great opportunity to get out on the trails and help keep them clear for others to enjoy. We will go at a relaxed pace and get as much done as we can for 2 1/2 hours.

Difficulty: Moderate

Forest Fridays at Birch Ridge with Four Winds Nature Institute - Spring Session 5
2025-06-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Birch Ridge Community Forest

2025 Annual Meeting and Conservation Celebration
2025-06-14 16:00 - 19:00 | Burley Farms, 247 N. River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
Join us to celebrate another year of saving, sharing, stewarding, and sustaining the lands we love!
Enjoy a catered buffet featuring locally sourced food from SELT conserved farms and a cash bar stocked with local brews followed by a presentation honoring our partners in conservation. We will also recognize the recipients of the Jack Heath Award for Conservationist of the Year, the Ashton Hallett Award for Exemplary Stewardship of the Land, and the Founders’ Award for Volunteerism.
REGISTER HERE!

4:00 pm
Event begins
Mathey Center open for self-guided tours
4:15 pm
Guided property tours
Guests have the option to join a short walk to Nan’s bench to take in the view, or a longer walk around Burley Farms (bring your boots!)
5:00 pm
Dinner and awards presentation

Summer Solstice Yoga Hike
2025-06-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Stonehouse Forest
Join avid hiker and 500 Hour Registered Yoga Instructor Venera Gattonini for a Summer Solstice Yoga Hike! Participants will hike through beautiful Stonehouse Forest up to the cliff looking over Stonehouse Pond. At the lookout, Venera will lead the group through a meditative yoga session in celebration of the Summer Solstice. The group will then use the light from the longest day of the year to hike out of the forest.
More about Venera: Venera Gattonini has also been a middle school and high school teacher (Woodworking and Art) for the last 20 years. For the last nine years she has been teaching mindfulness in the classroom. In the last three years she has been teaching yoga and mindfulness in the woods, in yoga studios and at UNH, at the Chase Children’s home, and leading small group mindfulness workshops. Venera is certified in Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and AED.
“I’m a joyful spirit, an outdoor enthusiast, an avid hiker, an adventurer, an artist, a woodworking and art teacher, a dream nurturer and people lover. We are all one. I look forward to your presence and to co-creating a joyful and nurturing environment where you can be confident that you will be encouraged and supported when you step out of your comfort zone on or off the mat.” – Venera
This program is for people ages 14 and up with some hiking and/or yoga experience.

Difficulty: Moderate
Registration required: CLICK HERE

Watershed Walk at DeYoung-Fralic Conservation Area
2025-06-25 17:00 - 18:30 | DeYoung-Fralic Conservation Area, Brentwood
Join us to learn about the connection between land conservation and water protection while enjoying this high-ranking wildlife habitat. A conservation priority of Brentwood for many years because of its risk for development, the DeYoung-Fralic property was acquired by SELT in 2017. It consists of 105 acres and 3,700 feet of pristine river-frontage along the Exeter River. The site was a former gravel pit that had been closed by Brentwood but was restored for wildlife habitat. The area provides valuable water protection and a wildlife corridor as well as includes priority focus areas for local, state, and federally-protected bodies of water. This walk will be led by forester Phil Auger with an anticipated length of approximately 1.5 miles.
This is part of the Great Bay Changemaker Program’s Watershed Walks series.

Difficulty: Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Piscassic Greenway Historical Hike
2025-07-02 17:30 - 20:00
**NEW DATE – This event was originally planned for June 17th but was postponed due to weather **
The Piscassic Greenway is full of New Hampshire history. Forester Phil Auger has spent several years researching and studying this history. Join Phil for an engaging historical tour of this gem of the seacoast including some recent work to fix up the Bennett Cemetery. Feel free to also bring along a sandwich/dinner for a short picnic during the hike.

Difficulty: Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

Raptors Rule! with Tailwinds
2025-07-09 17:30 - 18:30 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
Discover the fascinating world of raptors. Tailwinds: Raptor Education and Conservation will introduce you to three live raptor ambassadors. You’ll enjoy a talk about their unique characteristics, adaptations, and importance to our ecosystem. Learn how we can help them thrive.
More information about Tailwinds: Raptor Education and Conservation can be found at https://tailwinds.live/

Registration Required: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Estuary Kayak Exploration with Seven Rivers Paddling & SELT *At Capacity*
2025-07-25 10:00 - 12:30 | Seven Rivers Paddling, 185 Wentworth Rd, Portsmouth, NH, 03801, United States
This event is at capacity and registration is closed.
Join SELT and our friends at Seven Rivers Paddling as we team up for some estuary exploration. Seven Rivers is offering an immersive kayaking experience in the diverse ecosystem of the tidal salt marshes of Odiorne Point. The total cost is $20 per person and all equipment is included. A separate Seven Rivers waiver and registration link will be sent after registering through SELT. Payment for the tour should be made using the Seven Rivers registration link.

Difficulty: Moderate
2 Registrations Required (through SELT and through Seven Rivers Paddling): CLICK HERE

Watershed Walk at Tucker & French Family Forest
2025-08-06 17:00 - 18:30 | Tucker & French Family Forest
Explore the Tucker and French Family Forest, a 563-acre landscape rich in ecological diversity. Spanning parts of Kingston, Danville, and Brentwood, this area boasts the highest concentration of natural resource values in the region. Discover upland forests, shrublands, wetlands, vernal pools, and beaver habitats—alongside streams and the adjacent Little River, supporting waterfowl, turtles, and more. Ernie Landry, the SELT volunteer property steward, will lead this walk.
This is part of the Great Bay Changemaker Program’s Watershed Walks series.

Difficulty: Moderate
Registration Required: CLICK HERE

An Introduction to the New Hampshire Veterinary Center for Wildlife
2025-08-13 17:30 - 18:30 | The Nan and George Mathey Center for People and Nature at Burley Farms, 247 North River Road, Epping, NH, 03042, United States
In recent decades, increased human-wildlife interactions have led to an increased need for wildlife rehabilitation and veterinary care in New Hampshire and beyond. At the same time, many NH-licensed wildlife rehabilitators have retired, and on-the-job wildlife training for veterinarians is decreasing as veterinary colleges outsource student wildlife training to private practitioners. Join Dr. Michael Dutton and Helen Dutton to learn about their plans for a new NH Veterinary Center for Wildlife, which aims to address these needs by providing a centralized site for veterinary care for injured wildlife in New Hampshire; on-site rehabilitation to minimize the stresses of transport; and training programs for wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, and veterinary students and staff.

Registration Required: CLICK HERE
More information about the New Hampshire Veterinary Center for Wildlife can be found at nhwildlifecare.org

Mountain Biking at Harvey's Kennard Hill Forest
2025-08-21 17:00 - 19:00 | Harvey’s Kennard Hill Forest, Epping, New Hampshire
Join SELT’s Board President Brent Merriam and SELT’s Land Conservation Director Duane Hyde for a mountain biking field trip at Harvey’s Kennard Hill Forest in Epping. Both Brent and Duane are avid mountain bikers and are excited to showcase the trails at this 1,114 acre gem in the northwest corner of Epping. Duane will also share some history about this property along the way. This ride is for experienced mountain bikers ages 15 and up.

Registration required: CLICK HERE
Difficulty: Strenuous
