Learning Links

We have finally finished our website and would like to invite people to take a look at the guide online. On the website you will find individual links to plant species present on the headwaters land. Additionally there is a section that takes you to landscaping suggestions and the garden map that we uploaded yesterday on the blog. Our final additions include an option to download the entire guide in either the full page or booklet format as well as a couple resources for teachers. 

Overall, we are all excited about the website and hope that this access will increase the longevity of the project as it will allow the public to easily utilize this informative document. 

http://greenguidance.wikispaces.com

A Plan with a Purpose

(click on plan to view it in a larger format)

Caitlin prepared this beautiful landscape design for our guidebook. She included minimal lawn space, many native plants, and a rain garden. The herb and vegetable beds are near the house. The plan was specifically designed for the narrow sloping house lots in the development bordering the Barrington Headwaters Conservation land, but could be adjusted for many different locations. We hope you find this landscape design as lovely and motivating as we do.

A Common Ground Dweller on the Conservation Land

 

Common name: Wintergreen (Checkerberry)

Scientific name: Gaultheria procumbens

Identifying Characteristics:  Evergreen plant that 

continues photosynthesis 

through the winter.       

Stems: Creeping underground stems with small reddish stalks that are less than 6“ high.                  

Leaves: Spoon-shaped; less than 0.5” long; bright green, shiny, and have a leathery appearance.                                                 

Flowers: Tiny white flowers, summer   

Berries: Edible scarlet berries, winter

Ecological Role:  Berries eaten by birds, chipmunk and other wildlife.    

Interesting fact: Leaves can be eaten.  Oil from leaves has pain-relieving properties.  Tea from leaves ease symptoms of rheumatism.

A Sneak Peek at the Guide Book

Common name: Eastern Hemlock
Scientific name: Tsuga canadensis

Identifying Characteristics:
Size: Height 70’ Diameter 30 “
Branches: Top and branches slender; drooping. Needles: ½” needles, flat, flexible, with two white stripes underneath spread in two rows on slender, rough twigs. Seeds: ¾” cones hang at twig ends.

Bark: Brown, furrowed in scaly ridges

Ecological Role: Browsed by white tailed deer, snowshoe hare and NE Cottontails.

Interesting fact: May take 250-300 years to reach maturity and live for 800 or more years.

LOW IMPACT LANDSCAPING FOR YOU!

Natural Landscaping Tips

TIP #1: Use Nature as a Guide!!

See what is already growing in your yard and decide which trees, shrubs, plants and ground covers to keep where they are. Allow rocks, stumps, logs and snags (dead standing trees) to stay where they are whenever possible.  Plan to plant canopy layers (ground covers, plants, shrubs and trees). Rocks and trees can be placed first and shrubs and plants added over time to spread out the expense. Plant native species whenever possible. Natives require less water, attention and maintenance.  Avoid invasive species such as burning bush, Japanese barberry and autumn olive.

Hopefully we will soon be able to upload a diagram that maps out a plan for natural landscaping- stay tuned for more information!

Rain Gardens

Yesterday, Professor Eckert talked with us about the importance of limiting the pollution entering the Barrington Headwaters. He suggested our guide tell new landowners not to dump animal or yard waste into the woods. He also told us about the pollutants rain water and runoff can carry into water sources.

As we worked on our landowner guide today, Caitlin began to design a model landscape with a rain garden in the back corner. A rain garden is a shallow depression (four to eight inches deep) that captures rain water and allows it to infiltrate the soil, filtering the pollutants before they enter the waterways.

The plants in and around the rain garden help to filter the water. There are many plant species that are suitable for rain garden environments. Here are just a few....

cranberry bushes
winterberry
ferns
asters
daylilies
bee balm
black eyed susans

This is such a relatively simple and attractive way to help keep our water systems clean. We hope the new Barrington landowners (and others!) give it a try.

Bringing Things Together

Today we were extremely efficient in tying together loose ends and making headway on our final products. Looking back on the day I think it is worth while to summarize our efforts below:

-Caitlin cranked away at the formatting of the guide book- editing, citing and the text arrangement was a bear and we are all appreciative of her work.

-Meg has been a go-getter in terms of researching and creating a simple 5-step start-up guide for low impact landscaping. Her drafted plan was a huge help during our interviews as it was a great document to show and get feedback on from both Anne from Blue Bell nurseries and Bob Eckert (professor of natural resources and environmental education here at UNH).

-Amy has turned into our contact resource as well as research agent- an invaluable position. Today she worked on drafting the history of the Tamposi land and the details of the development. Additionally she has been creating write-ups for our interviews which we will use in our results section of our final binder.

-The morning for me was filled with photographing the flora that will be in our guidebook. At short visit out to Tamposi with Meg ended up (hopefully as technology problems prohibited me from downloading the photos at UNH) a successful mission and we have captured roughly 28 of the 32 identified species!!

-In the afternoon we were fortunate as mentioned above to meet with Bob Eckert and Anne both whom were a wealth of pertinent information. Bob keyed us into the restrictions for land owners on the Tamposi boarders as well as some of the future ideas for the conservation land. Anne knows plants and was able to provide us with a great laundry list of plants, shrubs, and trees that are "natural" options for landscaping. Again we received positive feedback that validated our project and the need for communication between local people and scientists.

Blue Bell Greenhouse

Last week our group visited Blue Bell Greenhouse to gather information for the landscaping tips section of our guide for new landowners near Barrington Headwaters Conservation land. Blue Bell Greenhouse is located on North River Road in Lee, New Hampshire. We met Amy Daskal and Ann Tappan. Amy and her husband own the greenhouse and Ann, a member of the Lee Conservation Committee, works there.

Ann is very knowledgeable about native and cultivated plant species. She recommends planting cultivars of native plant species that are more natural in appearance and impact. She showed us the cultivar Goldenrod, which is beneficial to native fauna. Ann said ragweed and goldenrod are often confused. Ragweed may be an issue for hay-fever sufferers, but goldenrod is not.

Other beneficial species Ann recommends are aster, daisies, coroepsis, and echinaceau. All encourage butterflies and other pollinator populations. Ann suggested we read the book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas Tallamy, and visit Pawtuckaway Nursery on Rte. 125 in Lee to look at larger bush and tree varieties.

Amy, who has owned Blue Bell Greenhouse for 22 years with her husband Yehuda, was pleased to hear of our effort to inform new homeowners moving into a wooded rural environment. She commented that people often move here from suburban areas and try to recreate the suburban landscapes with which they are familiar. Perhaps with a little information, we can encourage landowners to garden in cooperation with their natural setting.

Blue Bell Greenhouse can be visited on-line at: www.bluebellgreenhouse.com

Germination- The Beginning

The last two days have marked the initial stages of our research. We have begun identifying the flora in the area of the headwaters that borders the River's Edge Housing development. After two days we have identified 32 species and are excited to help promote preservation of the natural biodiversity in this area. We are working in collaboration with a fine research team (Women in the Woods) who are dedicated to collecting data on the distribution and composition of all of the plant species in this designated area. After spending the morning in the woods with them, our team is confident in their techniques in data collection. We are excited to continue our research on these species in an effort to provide facts that we anticipate local homeowners will find inviting and helpful.  The collection of this information is the first step toward the creation of our guidebook. 

Overall, we are extremely impressed by the enthusiasm and support that we have received from the local communities. Each contact that we have made has had a plethora of knowledge and insight into additional contacts that we should make. This positive response ends the week with a rewarding feeling in that our efforts will prove fruitful.