Wildlife Action Plan -- Events and Workshops

Want to learn more about the NH Wildlife Action Plan? Check this page frequently for new events and workshops.

New Workshop Highlights Hayfields as Habitat - July 16 or July 18

Whether you call them hayfields, pastures or grasslands, open fields in New Hampshire are an increasingly rare site. The most common grassland habitats in New Hampshire are agricultural fields. Without farmers mowing these lands for hay and other agricultural crops, they would quickly revert to forest.

Grassland habitats are featured in UNH Cooperative Extension's Habitat Stewardship Brochure series, extremely popular with landowners and municipal officials (online at:  http://extension.unh.edu/Wildlife/Wildlife.htm). An upcoming workshop, "Hayfields as Habitat," builds on the information in the brochure. The workshop is geared towards farmers, landowners and land managers who work with open fields and are already acting to maintain this important resource.

Participants will learn to recognize birds and other wildlife that depend on fields, discuss the challenges of balancing agriculture and wildlife habitat management, and learn about cost-share programs available to farmers and landowners to help pay for management practices beneficial to wildlife, such as mowing.

The workshop is offered twice, on July 16 (5-7:30 p.m.) at the Rockingham County Farm in Brentwood or July 18 (9-11:30 a.m.) at Prescott Farm, Audubon Center in Laconia. The workshop cost is $10. Pre-registration is required. New Hampshire licensed foresters will receive one CEU for attending. The registration brochure and workshop information is available on the Forestry and Wildlife Program website at:  http://extension.unh.edu/Wildlife/Wildlife.htm

The workshops are co-sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NH Fish and Game and NH Audubon Society.

Would your organization like to host a WAP workshop? Contact Emily Brunkhurst, Conservation Biologist, Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program - emily.p.brunkhurst@wildlife.nh.gov or (603) 271-2461.