Volume LXXIV~ May 2024

Lake Sunapee Protective Association

Devoted to the Environmental Quality of the Lake Sunapee Watershed

A Flash Of The Beacon

Welcome to A Flash of the Beacon!

A quick look at what's happening

at the Center for Lake Studies,

highlights of current news and events,

plus what's going on outside in nature.

Photo by Anthony Dolan

Harbor Happenings ~

With the crisp, fresh air and longer days, spring is finally here!

The month of May means we're only weeks away from our busy summer season. As Lake Hosts and water quality interns get settled, we are continuing to focus on watershed management projects and an extensive lineup of education programs.

Now is the perfect time to deepen your involvement with LSPA. Whether you support us through membership, donations, or volunteer your time, your collective contributions matter! By participating, you play a direct role in helping us achieve to our mission.

There are countless ways to contribute:

Become a member: Membership donations fund the majority of LSPA's work.
Donate: Support our initiatives financially to help us continue our important work.
Visit us: The Center for Lake Studies is open Monday- Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Join us: Attend our events and bring a friend.
Volunteer: We always need helping hands whether it's at the Center for Lake Studies or on the water.
Spread the word: Share LSPA's mission, so we can continue our stewardship for generations to come.

Check out the Events Page on our website and follow us on social media for the latest updates and event announcements. We're excited about what's ahead and hope you are, too!

April Events Recap ~

Vernal Pool Walk for Families

On April 21st, in partnership with The Fells Education Director, Kathleen Stowell, and Executive Director, Elizabeth Harper, led the Vernal Pool Walk for Families. The event was well attended and participants learned about the frogs, salamanders, and other creatures that depend on these important wetland habitats. To learn more about vernal pools, please visit here.

Earth Day Open House

We hosted a wonderful Earth Day Open House on April 22nd. The very first Earth Day was held in 1970 as a way to bring public consciousness to air and water pollution following a massive oil spill that occurred in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. To this day, Earth Day is used to galvanize support for environmental protection.

Our Earth Day Open House included several education stations and activities. The “Let’s Be Clear!” station, staffed by Watershed Committee members Lynn Arnold, Greg Swick, and Committee Co-Chair Stu Greer, provided education on watershed stewardship, please visit our “Let’s Be Clear!” webpage to learn more about caring for your piece of the watershed. The Winter Seed Sowing station allowed participants to take home their own “mini greenhouse” to germinate native plant seeds. The Xerces Society station provided information about pollinator habitats. The other stations focused on how your landscaping can affect the health of our watershed. Learn more here.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event happen!

Landscaping for Water Quality Workshop

Tuesday April 30th was the first day of the Landscaping for Water Quality Workshop. Facilitated by UNH Extension and NH Department of Environmental Services, participants learned principles and best practices for creating and maintaining attractive, functional landscapes while protecting water quality in local lakes and rivers. The workshop included presentations and practical sessions.

Thank you to our sponsors: The Sunapee Harbor Riverway, Sullivan County Conservation District, New Hampshire Landscape Association, Appleseed Catering and Blue Loon Bakery for helping make this workshop happen.

The second day of the workshop will be held on Thursday, May 2nd.

Charrette for Sunapee 2024: A Recap

The Sunapee Charrette, focused on the Harbor, was held on April 12th and 13th. A charrette is a lively brainstorming session where a team of professionals come together with town officials, civic members and the public. Together, all participants who attended helped craft recommendations addressing possibilities for the future of Sunapee Harbor.

We were happy to host a dinner for the Plan NH team on April 12th. The dinner allowed us to discuss our application for the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) grant which LSPA will be applying for. The proposed project will determine the feasibility of incorporating stormwater management components to the area around Sunapee Harbor to prevent sediment and nutrient pollutants, particularly nitrogen, from reaching Lake Sunapee. This project would help to achieve some of the recommendations from the Charrette.

The final report from Plan NH will be published in a few weeks. The recording of Plan NH’s final presentation can be found here.

Join Us for Our Upcoming May Events ~

Lake Sunapee’s Food Web

Wednesday, May 8

4:00 - 5:00 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies (map)

The food web is an essential part of the lake ecosystem. Understanding the complex connections between plants and animals helps us to understand the impacts of any changes to this delicate, balanced system. Join Dartmouth student and Midge Eliassen Fellowship recipient, Dylan Wang, as he presents two years of his research identifying and quantifying Lake Sunapee’s food web. He will discuss key food web interactions including the relationships between phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish. Please click here to register. A Zoom link will also be available for those who would like to attend remotely.

Gardens as Links to Conserving Future Landscapes

Tuesday, May 14

7:00 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies (map)

Join us for an informative presentation by Janine Marr from the Monadnock Conservancy about how to create gardens that are not only beautiful, but are also good for the environment and a benefit for wildlife. Janine will discuss planning gardens that will adapt to a changing climate, how to choose non-invasive and native plants, and cultivating thriving, vigorous plants without the

use of fertilizers that degrade water quality. This presentation will also illustrate the vital role gardens can play in creating “travel corridors for adaptation and movement of plants and animals." Please click here to register.

Calls and Songs of Familiar Backyard Birds

Wednesday, May 29*

4:00 - 5:00 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies (map)

Come join naturalist and long-time LSPA member Sue Venable to learn about the wonderful calls and songs of familiar backyard birds.

Becoming alert to the different calls and songs of birds affords participants the opportunity to appreciate diversity in the natural world. It helps participants pay attention to details, creates an awareness of color, size and shape, different beaks for different purposes and different habitats. The presentation includes audience participation. As pictures of familiar backyard birds found throughout the United States are viewed, people will learn the calls and songs of the birds. Stories about particular sightings will be shared. Participants will receive a handout with a black and white picture of each bird and the English words that approximate the calls of each. For example, the robin says "cheer up, cheerily." The barred owl says, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" A bibliography of current children's books about birds will be included so that parents and grandparents can share what they have learned with the children in their lives. Please click here to register.

*Please note that this event has been rescheduled from its orginal date of May 22 to its new date of May 29.

Welcome Becky Bense ~

Becky joined the LSPA staff as our Office Manager on April 22nd! Becky grew up in Tuftonboro on a vegetable farm, near the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Summers were spent swimming and exploring the woods. After college she moved to Bradford and has made it her home. Becky comes with extensive experience pertaining to her position. She served as a transitional manager at 14 Carrots and then Becky spent 11 years at Colby-Sawyer College first as the Office Manager at Dining Services and then she was promoted to the Catering and Operations Manager. Becky also owns and manages her business for her art. Becky is a very talented watercolor artist and has taught art at The Newport Library Arts Center and The Newport Montessori School. She currently spends time on the coast of Maine near Schoodic Point and also helps her Mom care for the vegetable farm. We are so excited to have her on our team!

Welcome LSPA's 2024 Interns ~

Danny Cronin

Danny is a rising senior at Bates College in Lewiston, ME. He is majoring in Biology and minoring in Educational Studies. Danny grew up in Bedford, NH with his parents, two older sisters, and five younger brothers. In the latter half of his teenage years, he began running for sport and competed in several half marathons. Danny currently spends his free time running, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. Last fall, Danny took a research class at Bates that focused on investigating the water quality of the Androscoggin River. He learned various skills that catered to water quality assessment, including river sampling, plating and culturing, metagenomic sequencing, and microbial data analysis. Danny is thrilled to have the opportunity to put this knowledge to practical use at LSPA. Danny is also excited to engage the public using his academic background in education. He has ample experience with interpersonal communication, having worked as a camp counselor last summer and a server on Cape Cod for the two preceding years.

Ryan Bassi

Ryan is currently a junior at Franklin Pierce University studying Environmental Science. Ryan has grown up in the Lake Sunapee area and throughout his whole life has spent summers in and around the waters of the lake. In his free time, he likes to hike, paddleboard, and play basketball with friends. Ryan has had a passion for lakes and conservation for many years and is excited to learn more about Lake Sunapee and water quality.

Noelle Killarney

Noelle is currently going into her fourth year at the University of Maine in Orono, working towards a degree in marine sciences and concentrating in biology. She spends a lot of her free time outdoors, enjoying hiking in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. Noelle also swims competitively for her school’s club swim team. Throughout high school, Noelle studied tardigrades in local water systems, which is how she developed an interest in lab work and research. As someone who cares a lot about the environment and conservation, she is looking forward to learning more about water quality testing and hopes to apply what she learns through the LSPA internship to marine ecosystems in the future.

New Water Quality Buoy ~

On April 30th, our new next generation Water Quality Buoy made its first voyage to its home on Lake Sunapee near Loon Island. Research scientists from Virginia Tech and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies have been on-site to deploy and test the new buoy. Stay tuned for more updates about the new Water Quality Buoy.

A crane was used to move the Water Quality Buoy into Sunapee Harbor.

The new Water Quality Buoy being placed in Lake Sunapee for the very first time!

The new solar panel array. One panel on this array generates as much power as all three solar panels on the old Water Quality Buoy.

Legislative News ~

On Wednesday, April 24, the House Resources, Recreation, and Development (RR&D) Committee spent nearly two and a half hours considering the issue of wake surfing setbacks on our lakes. Executive Director Elizabeth Harper and members of LSPA's Legislative Committee testified at the SB 431 hearing and advocated for an amendment to increase the setback distance to at least 300 feet because although still insufficient, it would at least be a meaningful improvement from current regulations.

Many personal stories about water quality degradation, wildlife impacts, and safety concerns associated with wake surfing close to shore and in shallow water were shared with the committee. In addition, nearly 600 individuals signed in online opposing the 200-foot setback and urging the committee to support a more protective setback.

Click here to learn more about the science behind water quality and wake sports.

We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to share their concerns and amendment suggestions.

The RR&D Committee will make its recommendation on SB 431 within the next few weeks. We will keep you posted and will let you know when you have your next opportunity to weigh in on this issue. Subscribe to LSPA's Legislative Updates to learn more.

Invasive Species Prevention ~

Last month we reported that LSPA Staff members Susie Burbidge and Geoff Lizotte, along with Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Committee Chair, Dave Beardsley, visited and measured several culverts between Baptist Pond and Otter Pond to determine which location would be best to place fragment nets to protect against the spread of the invasive aquatic species Curly-Leaf Pondweed. This invasive plant was discovered last year in Baptist Pond, but has not yet spread to Otter Pond.

On April 16th, Geoff Lizotte and Tehya Kloster (LSPA Staff) and volunteers Dave Beardsley and Sage Fletcher made repairs to the previously installed fragment net which included adding more weight to the bottom. The group also installed a new net downstream to add further protection against the spread of the invasive species.

The best solution to prevent invasive species from spreading is to always “Clean, Drain & Dry” your boat, trailer and equipment before moving it to another waterbody!

Learn more about invasive species prevention here.

Adding weights to the bottom of the existing net.

Placing the existing net back into the water.

Installing the new net downstream.

LSPA Education ~

LSPA educators had a busy month this April! They finished up their time with Newport Middle Schoolers doing a final project called Benthic Bugs. This is an indoor activity designed to simulate an outside scientific sampling of a section of a stream. It’s a great hands-on activity that engages students in what scientific sampling is all about.

Bradford Elementary fourth grade students learned all about the engineering talents and habitats of beavers and the beaver’s unique adaptations for building. Then, as a team of four, the students were tasked with designing a dam of their own. The challenge included designing, budgeting, and constructing a dam (within a container) that would completely hold back water. Tools were provided and the students brought their creative talents!

The topic of frogs for April classrooms had us hopping! Area preschools and kindergartens learned all about New Hampshire’s eight native frogs and the sounds that they make! LSPA educators also enjoyed afterschool activities with the Sunapee and New London Outing Club program. And they continued their monthly visits to Mount Royal’s first and second grades along with Richards Elementary School’s Kindergarten, first, and fourth grades.

The final week of April was spent with New London’s fourth graders who will be learning all about the formation of our local landscape, the transformations that have taken place over time, and how water played a critical role in the changes! They will be performing the “Gift of the Glacier” on Friday, May 3rd and sharing how to be great stewards in their own watershed.

Nature Exploration Story Time

Tuesdays in May at 10:00 AM

Come join LSPA environmental educators for nature themed activities on Tuesday mornings at LSPA’s Center for Lake Studies. Each Tuesday will offer a different theme and include a story, activities, a craft, and exploration. These programs are designed for young children and their caregivers. They are free and open to all! We look forward to welcoming you in the Discovery Room, a room full of fun ways to investigate the out of doors. In May we will explore camouflaged critters, beautiful bugs, emerging turtles, and springtime blooms. We look forward to seeing you!

Click here to download the Nature Exploration Story Time flyer.

Watershed Wise ~

Have you ever wondered what you can do on your own property to help protect water quality? Your landscaping choices can have a big impact. LSPA’s Watershed Wise Program helps property owners to identify changes that can be made, such as additional plantings near the water’s edge, to improve the water quality of streams, lakes and ponds within the Lake Sunapee Watershed.

LSPA staff provide a free evaluation and consultation. Owners of properties that meet the Watershed Wise criteria are awarded a plaque to display on their property. Owners of properties that don’t yet meet the criteria are provided with detailed recommendations about improvements that can be made.

The water quality of our lakes depends on the decisions and actions of individuals like you. Click here to become ta Watershed Wise Partner in 2024.

Caring for Our Watershed ~

Spring Garden Clean Up

With mild temperatures and sunshine, we’re all excited to spend time outdoors and get to spring cleaning. However, when it comes to prepping the garden and clearing the yard there’s something to keep in mind. Pollinators! Native bees use leaf litter, hollow grasses, and wood piles to overwinter. Because they won’t all emerge until the daytime temperatures are consistently 50 degrees, it's best to leave the leaf litter until consistent warm temperatures arrive. Another way you can help pollinators in the spring is to provide early-season forage — think: clovers and violets — for pollinators emerging from winter hibernation, especially in neighborhoods where floral resources are limited. Your yard can support these hungry pollinators while you enjoy the flowers!

Discover plants and practices that will help you:

invite pollinators
avoid pesticides
conserve water
manage weeds
plant native plants
love leaves

and so much more!!

Well Wishes to Sage ~

Volunteer Sage Fletcher recently received the excellent news that she was accepted to the University of Montana at Missoula for graduate school. Sage has been spending many days with LSPA analyzing aquatic food web samples and helping out with field work. Thank you Sage for all your time and effort! We wish Sage the best on this exciting journey and look forward to hearing about her research on alpine lakes!

Thank You Tehya ~

With great bittersweetness, we wanted to share that Tehya will be leaving LSPA this May. Tehya has accepted a new position in her home state of New York. She will be a Watershed Conservation Specialist with the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District. Tehya initially came to LSPA in 2022 as a summer intern, returned as an intern in May 2023, and has been part of the full-time staff since September 2023.

Tehya states: "The knowledge I have gained while working here has been astronomical, and I am more than thrilled to bring this knowledge with me into my next endeavors. My favorite project that I completed here was implementing a new stormwater management system on our landscape here at the Center.

As I leave to head back to New York, I will never forget the kindness of everyone connected with this Association, whether it be staff, members of the Board, LSPA members, or neighboring lake associations. I have loved getting to interact and collaborate with so many interesting and educated individuals here who are all working so hard to achieve wonderful things. I have found LSPA to be a gem here in New Hampshire, and I will be forever grateful to have been part of it over the past two years."

We will miss Tehya, but wish her all the best on this new adventure!

Loons are back ~

Loons have been making their way back to the Lake Sunapee Watershed. They usually arrive right after Ice Out. This year a pair has been seen on Jobs Creek and yesterday four loons were spotted off of Fernwood Point. Please consider reporting any loon sightings to Jorney North.

There have been quite a few mergansers spotted lately on our lakes and at a quick glance they may be mistaken for a loon. The Loon Preservation Committee has a great resource for how to tell some of these birds apart. Check it out here.

LSPA's Loon Committee Chair Kristen Begor and committee member Dave Beardsley went out in April to adjust two of the loon rafts on Lake Sunapee. Four loon rafts on Lake Sunapee provide safe nesting habitats for Lake Sunapee's loons.

Save The Date for This Upcoming June Event:

Why Fish Need Forests

Tuesday, June 18

7:00 PM

LSPA Center for Lake Studies (map)

Join LSPA and presenter Jared Lamy, Fish Habitat Biologist with NH Fish and Game to find out why fish need forests. In this presentation, Jared will be discussing aspects of Brook Trout habitat requirements and what NH Fish and Game is doing to protect these habitats to ensure Brook Trout are present long into the future.

Resources ~

Check out LSPA's Resource Page! This page has resources for teachers, Homeschool groups and remote learners offering access to a myriad of sites all pertaining to outdoor education with science based curriculums and tools. It also has a list of activities for families that encourage, excite and engage in the natural world with all its awe and wonder. There are also maps and historical and current data available to check out!

LSPA's Spring Discoveries page has an abundance of resources for adults to explore the local area during these beautiful spring days. Following LSPA's theme of "discovery, learning, and research" you'll find this page shares information not only on what and where to explore safely, but wildlife links, webinars, courses and much more!

The LSPA Kid's Ecology Corner page highlights a wide variety of spring activities. Find out all about New Hampshire's incredible frogs, salamanders, and vernal pools. What are some of the first spring birds to arrive, and when will they get here? Go to the Kid's Ecology Corner and find out! May is an exciting and wonderful time to explore the outdoors!

Be a Lake Sunapee Watershed Explorer!

Get outside, explore and earn a patch!

This spring is a perfect time to get to know the Lake Sunapee Watershed! LSPA invites you and your family to explore the Lake Sunapee Watershed. Enjoy the lake and the forests of the watershed while you learn a bit about the science and history of Lake Sunapee. Pick 5 activities and when you have completed them fill out the simple documentation form on our website.

You will have good memories, new knowledge and a patch to remember the experience by!

Upcoming Events from Partner Organizations ~

Family Story Walk

Saturday, May 4

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

John Hay Estate at The Fells

456 Rt 103A Newbury, NH 03255

This one-hour exploration brings adventure stories to life as children and family stroll along trails at the Fells. As you walk, New London Barn Playhouse and Fells staff will read sections of storybooks, lead sensory activities with nature, and bring book characters off the page and onto the trail! This class is free and open to all ages. It is especially recommended for families and children ages 2–10. Meets at the Fells Gatehouse.

Advance registration is requested but walk-ins are welcome. To inquire or register, please call 603-763-4789x3 or email info@thefells.org

Wilmot Conservation Commission Hosts Bird Walk

Saturday, May 18

7:30 - 9:30 AM

Cassey Brook Preserve in Wilmot

The Wilmot Community Association (WCA) will have a bird walk at 7:30 am on Saturday, May 18 at Cassey Brook Preserve in Wilmot. Life-long birder, Bill Chaisson, will lead the walk. Registration is limited and required. Call the WCA’s office at 603-526-7934 or send an email to wca@wilmotwca.org (link sends e-mail). Please use Spring Bird Walk in the subject line.

Woods, Whales and Waterfest at Creek Farm

Saturday, May 18

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Forest Society Education Center at Creek Farm

400 Little Harbor Rd. Portsmouth, NH 03801

We are all connected, from woods to whales to water and more! Join us for our second-annual Woods, Whales and Waterfest on Saturday, May 18 from 10 AM - 12 PM and have fun with the whole family. This event is free and we look forward to celebrating and exploring with you. Register to receive a confirmation and be updated about any changes. Please register here .

Outside Observations ~

Happy May Day! May 1st marks the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. The sights, sounds, and smells of spring are especially unique to this incredibly vibrant season. The natural world, throughout the month of May, is literally blossoming all around us! The hills are beginning to turn myriad shades of lovely greens. Take note of the balsam fir tree for it is the first conifer to open their buds and show bright, light green needles. You know spring has arrived when the purple trillium, with its beautiful coloring, is in bloom.

By mid-May wild columbine is flowering and its tubular design and bright color attracts the recently returned migrant the ruby-throated hummingbird. Their beneficial relationship is unique and their ranges are nearly the same. Timing is critical for these two. Our changing weather patterns often interfere with nature’s rhythms. Migrating species, many of which follow seasonal signals from the sun of warmer days and longer daylight hours, are returning north to find their food source has either already flowered and gone by or has not yet begun to bloom. Interdependent species that rely on each other for pollination and food sources are increasingly challenged by the earth’s current warming trend.

At this time of year, a host of birds can be observed calling to each other, nesting, laying eggs, protecting them, and soon feeding their young. Listen for the brown thrasher, who has around 2,000 songs in its repertoire, singing its heart out in nearby shrubs and thickets.

Mid-May also brings the dreaded black flies… again, for the millionth time. They’ve been around since the mid-Jurassic period. They are an important food source and are known to pollinate some plant species. Dandelions, violets, and clover are other colorful signs of spring! They are one of the first food sources for bees and a wide variety other pollinators.

Get outside, soak up the sunshine, breathe the delightful clean air and connect to the amazing beauty resplendent right in your own backyard! Enjoy!

To read more about what’s going on during this time of year check out

Call for photos ~

We’re placing a call for photos! If you have photos from around the Lake Sunapee region that you would like to share, please send them to photos@lakesunapee.org and please include your name in your email so we can give you photo credit.