Vernal Pool Interpretive Walk With Rachelle Lyons and Undergraduate Researcher Shelby Normand

Learn about the life cycle and habitats of our amphibious friends, the species of frogs and salamanders native to NH, and how their populations are doing today. Our presenters will highlight the features of a vernal pool and introduce you to some of the creatures that depend on these critical habitats. In the field we will identify and count signs of frogs and salamanders (and other wildlife). Come learn how to get involved with monitoring and reporting of frog and salamander sightings this spring!

We will be meeting at Foss Forest in Sugar Hill. Please park at the parking area off of Pearl Lake Rd and carpool if possible as parking is limited!

Registration is required! This program is free and open to the public, with a suggested $5 donation to support other ACT events.

What: Vernal Pool Interpretive Walk
When: Sunday, April 21
What Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Where: Foss Forest, Sugar Hill, NH

Love our speaker events or any of our other talks? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Conservation 101 Presentation: All You Need to Know About Conservation

Join the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust in a presentation and discussion covering all things conservation. Our Conservation Project Managers and Coos County Conservation Ecologist and Land Manager will be presenting on how Land Trusts protect important lands and everything that goes into conserving your property.

There are many reasons for folks to conserve their land and every conservation project looks a little different. In this presentation you will learn about the interactive process of what goes into conserving your property. We will cover topics like what is ACT’s long-term responsibility, what does conservation cost, how long does it take, and more! The event will last an hour and there will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Registration is strongly encouraged! This program is free and open to the public, with a suggested $5 donation to support other ACT events.

What: Conservation 101 Presentation
When: Friday, March 22nd
What Time: 4:30-5:30pm
Where: UNH Extension, Lancaster NH, Granite State room.

Love our speaker events or any of our other outings? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Join ACT’s Conservation Ecologist and Land Manager, Jesse Mohr, for a guided tour around Whipple Field followed by a casual fire to socialize with attendees. This tour is open to the public and folks with children are encouraged to attend.

Whipple field has spectacular views and is a property with a vast history. The land was cleared about 200 years ago and much of it has been maintained as field ever since. The tour will look at the property’s various habitats and some of our management projects to maintain and restore these important habitats. Please register so we can have an accurate headcount!

Parking and access to the property is at Polly’s Pancake Parlor. Please bring a flashlight or a headlamp and remember to dress warmly.

What: Whipple Field Tour and Bonfire
When: Saturday, March 16th
What Time: 4:30-6:30pm
Where: Whipple Field, Sugar Hill, NH

Love Whipple Field or any of our other properties? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

ACT Book Club!

Join ACT and the Littleton Food Co-op for our March book club meeting! We will be reading and discussing Women on High: Pioneers of Mountaineering by Rebecca Brown, one of ACT’s founding members! We will be meeting from 5:30-6:30pm at the Littleton Food Co-op’s café and will have a list of questions to discuss as well as snacks and light refreshment generously donated by the Co-op.

The book covers the lives and experiences of women throughout history making strides in mountaineering. The stories follow a series of different women summiting high peaks, experiencing extreme weather and achieving amazing feats. This book excites and engages those who love an inspiring story about the mountains and the females that challenged the norm and conquered them. Register now!

What: ACT’s March Book Club
When: Thursday, March 14th
What Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Where: Littleton Food Co-op Cafe

You can find the book at:

• Bethlehem Public Library

• Abbie Greenleaf Library

• Littleton Public Library

• Thriftbooks

• Amazon

• ABE Books

Love ACT events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Tellman Hill Farm Tour - EVENT FULL!

This event is now full. Please email [email protected] if you would like to join the waitlist.

Join ACT and Tellman Hill Farm, for a tour and hike around their property. The farm is located in Whitefield and owned by Doug, a professional Wildlife Biologist, and Emily, a professional forester who are starting their apple orchard from scratch.

We will discuss the stewardship and conservation of the property and how climate change is impacting apple growth and farming.

There will be approximately 1 mile of walking through fields and forests, including some ups and downs so snowshoes or traction are highly recommended. Please dress warmly to be outside for the duration of the event.

Participants will get to see an old farm becoming something new, a laying hen flock, apple orchard, fields/pastures and more.

Registration is required ! This program is free and open to the public, with a suggested $5 donation to support other ACT events.

What: Tellman Hill Farm Tour
When: Saturday, March 9th
What Time: 1:30am-3:30pm
Where: Tellman Hill Farm, 226 Gould Rd, Whitefield NH.

The farm is located 1 mile off of Rt 116 at a small light blue house with “Tellman Hill Farm” on the mailbox.

Love our hiking events or any of our other outings? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Winter Hike at Bronson Hill

For those that attended our Introduction to Winter Hiking Workshop, or if you just want to hit the trails, join ACT for a winter hike at one of our conserved properties, Bronson Hill. This hike is for all ability levels. We will be hiking the Overlook Farm loop starting at Dyke Rd.

Please bring appropriate gear, you may need snowshoes and trekking poles, micro spikes, and warm / waterproof layers, sturdy boots, water and snacks. Katrina, ACT’s Outreach Manager will be leading this hike.

Registration is required ! This program is free and open to the public, with a suggested $5 donation to support other ACT’s events.

What: Winter Hike at Bronson Hill
When: Saturday, February 24th
What Time: 10:30am-12:00pm
Where: Bronson Hill Conservation Area - Parking area on Dyke Rd

Love our hiking events or any of our other outings? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Intro to Winter Hiking Workshop

Join ACT and professional mountain guide, Calvin Tague, for an introduction to winter hiking workshop. If you are interested in learning the introductory skills required to hike in the winter in the White Mountains, this workshop is for you! We will cover all the basics you will need to know before venturing out on a winter hike, including how to pick trails, gear, maps, useful apps, emergency planning and more.

Please bring a pen and paper if you would like to take notes, be ready to handle and practice using gear, and have questions for our certified instructor. No previous winter hiking experience is required.

Bio: Calvin has been a professional in the outdoor industry for over a decade. He has led groups of varying experience levels into the backcountry to climb 14,000-foot peaks and bonded with a wide range of ages on expeditions across hundreds of miles of trail. Calvin attended Unity College in Maine, where he received a bachelor's degree in adventure-based environmental education. After college, he traveled the world as a guide and educator, including Nepal and Vietnam. Once back in the United States, Calvin worked for years in the Sierra Nevada, honing his technical knowledge and teaching classes like snow skills and river crossings. He currently teaches at the Oliverian school as their adventure pillar teacher and is certified in Wilderness First Aid, Single Pitch Rock Climbing, and is a certified White Mountain National Forest Guide.

Registration is required and will be capped at 10 participants. This program is free and open to the public, with a suggested $5 donation to support other ACT’s events.

What: Intro to Winter Hiking Workshop
When: Thursday, February 22nd
What Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Where: New ACT Office: RivaGale building: 461 Main Street - Unit 203, Franconia, NH 03580

Love our hiking events or any of our other outings? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Join the Gale River Cooperative Preschool and the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust for a fun family tracking event! We will play games, go on a hunt for tracks and signs of animals, and finish off with some snacks donated by the Littleton Food Co-op. We will be joined by Fish and Game officer and Gale River parent, Lieutenant Bob Mancini, who will bring animal furs to explore and help lead our tracking hike.

The event will take place at Whipple Field, an ACT property directly behind Polly's Pancake Parlor. The program will run from 2:00-3:30pm. Please dress warmly and be ready to move your body! This program is designed for families with children between ages 1 and 7.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend.

What: Tracking Program
When: Sunday, February 11th
What Time: 2pm-3:30pm
Where: Whipple Field

Love Whipple Field or any of our other properties? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

ACT Book Club!

Join ACT in our December book club meeting. We will be discussing Fresh Banana Leaves by Jessica Hernandez. - An Indigenous environmental scientist breaks down why western conservationism isn’t working–and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors.

We will have a list of questions to discuss, but also encourage you to bring questions and talking points for the group.

Registration Required!

What: ACT December Book Club
When: Wednesday, December 13th
What Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Where: The Bethlehem Library Meeting Room

Love ACT events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Winter is here and we are excited to celebrate the changing seasons with you. Please join us at Whipple Field for a bonfire under the stars.

We will have hot chocolate, donated by the Littleton Food Co-op for you to enjoy and keep you warm and can’t wait to share this special community time with you. Remember to bring your reuseable mugs for the cocoa. Please register so we can have an accurate headcount.

Parking and access to the property is at Polly’s Pancake Parlor. Please bring a flashlight or a headlamp and remember to dress warmly.

What: Annual Bonfire
When: Saturday, December 9th
What Time: 5pm-7pm
Where: Whipple Field, Sugar Hill, NH

Love Whipple Field or any of our other properties? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

ACT’s Welcome to Coös Party!

Join ACT for a party to celebrate our launch of conservation options for landowners in Coös County!

ACT is partnering with Big Day Brewing to host a community party for folks to get to know each other as well as ACT. There will be live music by Beans, merch for sale, ACT promotional materials and more!

Come party with us while enjoying a festive beverage at Big Day Brewing! No registration required!

What: Welcome to Coös Party
When: Thursday, November 30th
What Time: 5-7pm
Where: Big Day Brewing, 20 Glen Rd, Gorham NH

Love our events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Secrets of Pondicherry Hike- Event full

Registration for this event is now FULL. If you would like to be added to the waitlist please email [email protected]

Did you know that Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge in Whitefield, Jefferson, and Carroll is the home of several champion trees?  Or that along the shore of Cherry Pond at the refuge is a really neat phenomenon known as an “ice push rampart”?  

Learn about these and other Pondicherry “secrets” on a hike at the refuge on Saturday, November 18th from 10 am to 12:15 pm.  The hike will be just over 3 miles long roundtrip on flat terrain and will follow the Presidential Rail Trail from the main Pondicherry parking lot on Airport Road in Whitefield to the observation platform on Cherry Pond.  It will be led by ACT Outreach Committee member Joanne Jones who, along with her husband Kevin, has been long-time maintainers of several trails at Pondicherry. 

Registration is required and will be capped at 15 participants. 

What: Secrets of Pondicherry Hike
When: Saturday, November 18th
What Time: 10am-12:15pm
Where: Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge - Airport rd parking lot.

Love our hiking events or any of our other outings? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Seeds and Where to Find Them!

Join the Gale River Cooperative Preschool and the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust for a program on seeds and where to find them! This program is for families with young children and will be at Foss Forest in Sugar Hill on October 28th at 11am. The parking area is on Pearl Lake Rd. We will read a book about seeds, learn how seeds move, and go on a short walk to hunt for seeds. We will also enjoy a snack donated by the Littleton Food Coop. Please bring clothes and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Registration is required and we hope to see you there!

What: Seeds and Where to Find Them
When: Saturday, October 28th
What Time: 11am-12pm
Where: Foss Forest, Sugar Hill

Love the GRCP events or other ACT events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

ACT Book Club!

Join ACT in our first-ever book club meeting! We will be discussing The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.

We will have a list of questions to discuss, but also encourage you to bring questions and talking points for the group.

This time is for us to share thoughts and opinions about the book, as well as get to know one another better within our ACT community.

We will provide coffee and maybe a treat or two!

What: ACT Book Club
When: Wednesday, October 25th
What Time: 12:30pm-1:30pm
Where: The Bethlehem Library Meeting Room

Love ACT events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Join us at the Historical Society in Lisbon for a night of loon education!

Come learn more about the life of Loons, and the work of the NH-based Loon Preservation Committee to restore and maintain a healthy population of Loons throughout NH.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. ACT is excited to bring this event to you with the Lisbon, Lyman and Landaff Conservation Commissions.

What: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Loons!
When: Thursday, September 21st
What Time: 6 - 7 PM
Where: Lisbon Area Historical Society

Are you a fan of ACT’s Speaker Series? Click here or on the button to the right to become a member today!

Join ACT for the return of our September Mindfulness Series! We will be holding two outdoor yoga classes on ACT Conserved properties that will be taught by certified yoga instructors. Each class has a $10 registration fee.

Class #1: Saturday, September 9th, 9:30am at Pearl Lake Conservation Area in Lisbon with Katrine Barclay

What: Outdoor Yoga
When: Saturday, September 9th
What Time: 9:30am-10:45am
Where: Pearl Lake Conservation Area

Class #2: Saturday, September 16th, 8:30am at Pearl Lake Conservation Area in Lisbon with Renne Blacken.

What: Outdoor Yoga
When: Saturday, September 16th
What Time: 8:30am-9:45am
Where: Pearl Lake Conservation Area

The Seeds of Vandana Shiva

The Colonial Theatre’s New Leaf series is created in partnership with the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust and highlights films about the natural world. 

How did the willful daughter of a Himalayan forest guard become Monsanto's worst nightmare? The Seeds of Vandana Shiva tells the remarkable life story of Gandhian eco-activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, how she stood up to the corporate Goliaths of industrial agriculture, rose to prominence in the food justice movement, and inspired an international crusade for change.

Join us on the patio at 7:00 PM for a pre-show reception hosted by the Littleton Co-op. The Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust will host a preshow discussion at 7:30 PM followed by a screening of the film The Seeds of Vandana Shiva.

What: The Seeds of Vandana Shiva
When: Thursday, August 24th
What Time: Doors open at 7 PM
Where: Bethlehem Colonial Theatre

Love the New Leaf Film Series or other ACT events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

wATER eXPLORATION pROGRAM!

Join the Gale River Cooperative Preschool and ACT for a morning of engaging STEM activities at the Bretzfelder Park in Bethlehem.

We will play and experiment with water, read a water related story, and do a water themed craft. Please bring clothes and shoes that can get wet and a change of clothes as we will get hands on in the small stream!

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required! It is geared toward families with children 3-5 years old. Light snacks will be provided!

What: Water Exploration Program
When: Monday, August 15th
What Time: 10am - 12pm
Where: Bretzfelder Park in Bethlehem

This event is in collaboration with our partner the Gale River Cooperative Preschool.

Join ACT and The Franconia Inn to enjoy a mountain bike ride for all abilities with post-ride snacks and drinks at the Inn’s pub!

ACT, The Franconia Inn, the White Mountain Bike Shop, and FA-NEMBA are joining together for this fun summer ride, followed by snacks, drinks and a mountain bike presentation.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. Equipment rentals will be available at the bike shop at a cost, if needed. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email. An email with event details will be sent the day before the event.

What: Bikes & Brews
When: Thursday, July 20th
What Time: 4 - 8 PM
Where: Franconia Inn, Franconia, NH

Want to help support this kind of programming? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Join ACT and Gale River Cooperative Preschool to explore vernal pools and ponds at the Mud Pond trail in Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge.

Bring the whole family to explore the vernal pool, enjoy a book and song, and take an observational half-mile walk to the pond.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email. An email with event details will be sent the day before the event.

What: Vernal Pools & Ponds Program
When: Sunday, May 21st
What Time: 10 AM - 12 PM
Where: Mud Pond Trail at Pondicherry NWR

Want to help support this kind of programming? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Follow up Thursday's virtual presentation all about frogs and salamanders in NH with a walk at Fox Hill Park in Franconia on Saturday, 04/29, from 7-8:30 PM. Our presenters, Rachelle Lyons and her PSU students will join us in person, to find vernal pool habitats in the park and see what we can find! Don't forget your headlamps or flashlights!

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. Once registered, you will be put on a mailing list to receive updates including directions and details on the day before the event.

What: Vernal Pools & the Amphibians Who Call Them Home Walk w/PSU's Rachelle Lyons & Students
When: Saturday, Apr 29th
What Time: 7 - 8:30pm
Where: Fox Hill Park, Franconia, NH

Photo Credit: David Huth | davehuth.com

Are you a fan of ACT’s Winter Speaker Series? Click here or on the button to the right to become a member today!

Join us by Zoom on Thursday, April 27th at 6pm for another fascinating conversation with Rachelle Lyons and her students at Plymouth State University (PSU), back to talk about the state of frogs & salamanders in NH.

Learn about the life cycle and habitats of our amphibious friends, the species of frogs and salamanders native to NH, and how their populations are doing today. Our presenters will also share the threats to these populations, and how you can participate in the monitoring and reporting of frog and salamander sightings to hopefully inspire you to get outdoors this spring!

Follow up this presentation with a walk with our presenters on Saturday, April 29th. Click here to register for the walk!

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. ACT and Plymouth State are partnering to offer this presentation as a virtual event.

Once registered, you will be put on a mailing list to receive updates including the Zoom link on the day of the presentation.

What: Amphibians! State of NH's Frogs & Salamanders w/ PSU Students & Rachelle Lyons
When: Thursday, Apr 27th
What Time: 6 - 7 PM
Where: Virtual Event via Zoom

Photo Credit: David Huth | davehuth.com

Are you a fan of ACT’s Winter Speaker Series? Click here or on the button to the right to become a member today!

** UPDATE ** Thank you so much for your enthusiasm for this event! Saturday is now FULL.

If you’d like to be put on a wait list for Saturday (cancellations usually happen last minute) please email [email protected]

Follow up NH’s Maple Weekend in mid-March by joining ACT at Mount Cabot Maple in Lancaster for a sweet time!  Join us to spend time with Mount Cabot Maple’s lead sugarmaker Morgan Hill and be one of the lucky few who gets to walk around the farm’s beautiful and diverse forest. 

We’ll be heading out to the farm on Sunday, March 26th from 2 - 4 PM (Saturday is full!) for a loop through the sugarbush and to hear about how climate change is affecting maple farming. We’ll also get a glimpse into the sugaring process and cap it off with a sweet treat! Along the way, we’ll discuss how ACT supports agricultural conservation and how we're building resilience in the North Country by protecting ag lands. 

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend.

What: Getting to Know Mount Cabot Maple
When: Sunday, March 26th (Saturday registration is full!)
What Time: 2 - 4 pm
Where: Mount Cabot Maple Farm, Lancaster, NH

Catch up on the status of butterflies in our state with NH Fish and Game Biologist Heidi Holman. Learn about outcomes of recent work with the endemic White Mountain Fritillary and White Mountain Arctic in the Presidential Range; researchers have been collecting data to better understand details of their lives in the alpine zone. Volunteer efforts in 2022 clarified the distribution of species across the state. Opportunities to participate in the long-term monitoring of butterflies will be shared to hopefully inspire you to get outdoors this spring!

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. ACT and NHGF are partnering to offer this presentation as a hybrid event, when registering please indicate whether you plan to attend in-person or online.

Once registered, you will be put on a mailing list to receive updates including the Zoom link at 3pm on the day of the presentation.

What: Butterflies Take Flight With the Help of Volunteers
When: Thursday, March 9th
What Time: 6 - 7pm
Where: Virtual Presentation via Zoom

Are you a fan of ACT’s Winter Speaker Series? Click here or on the button to the right to become a member today!

Artificial light at night (ALN) affects more than losing sight of stars. It also touches on energy conservation, environmental stewardship, and human health.

The evolution of life on Earth happened under stable and predictable periods of dark and light. It wasn't until the widespread use of the lightbulb that we saw the illumination of roads, cities, and towns and a rapid shift in patterns of light and dark. Our speakers, Plymouth State University's Professor Rachelle Lyons, and students in the Environmental Science & Policy Program will discuss what this change has meant for ecological and human health. Join us to learn about the International Dark Skies Initiative and how we can embrace smart lighting in our communities to reap the benefits and reduce the negative consequence of ALN.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. ACT and Plymouth State are partnering to offer this presentation as a hybrid event, when registering please indicate whether you plan to attend in-person or online.

Once registered, you will be put on a mailing list to receive updates including the Zoom link prior to the presentation.

What: Embracing the Dark Presentation
When: Wednesday, Feb 22nd
What Time: 6 - 7pm
Where: Bethlehem Elementary School or connect via Zoom

Are you a fan of ACT’s Winter Speaker Series? Click here or on the button to the right to become a member today!

Join ACT at Meadowstone Farm for a winter tour. Find out what farmers are up to in winter, look for wildlife tracks and signs and find out who makes the farm their winter habitat. A community-focused farm, Meadowstone has been a North Country staple since they opened in 2004. You can learn more about them here.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend.

What: Winter Farm Tour
When: Saturday, February 11th
What Time: 10am-12pm
Where: Meadowstone Farm

Love ACT Events? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!

Bring the kiddos to join ACT and Gale River Cooperative Preschool to explore some tracks in the snow! Teacher and Naturalist Emma Brandt will lead engaging activities around tracking animals that are out and about at the Whipple Field.

This program is free to all participants, but registration is required to attend. This event was rescheduled from January. If you registered previously, you do not need to register again.

What: Tracking Program
When: Sunday, February 5th
What Time: 2pm-3:30pm
Where: Whipple Field

Love Whipple Field or any of our other properties? Click here or the button to the right to become a member today!