Those who saw a group having fun at Kalivas Park Thursday, March 28, were seeing SCA Manchester learning about Leave No Trace (LNT)!

After an intense game of Gypsie Soccer, a brief overview of our upcoming events, and an introduction to the seven principles of LNT, we explored different surface durability at Kalivas Park.

Then we took tic-tac-toe to a whole new level, with two teams figuring out the answers to questions about LNT before they could jump into a tic-tac-toe spot as X or O. Both teams answered correctly for all questions and tied the game. Everyone seemed to enjoy thinking deeper about specific questions of leave no trace scenarios.

Saturday  March 16^th, we had to pleasure of helping out at Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center in Lacona.  Despite being a bit chillier this weekend, we had clear and sunny skies.

We started off the day by installing bird boxes around Prescott Farm. Everyone got a chance to work together and find the stands and match the bird boxes to them. It was fun to wander around the farm and get to see the property.

After we finished with the bird boxes, we hiked down to the sugar house to learn about sap collection and turning it into maple sugar. It was fun to hike around and find sugar maples and measure to see if they were big enough to be tapped. We even had the chance to try some of the maple sugar and compare it to the taste of the sap.

Prescott Farm was a great success and everyone learned a little something new. Whether it was that they actually do like the taste of Maple syrup or that it is impossible not to laugh when someone says “honey, I love you, can you please, please smile?”

Saturday, March 9^th, we were greeted with a warm and sunny day for our trip to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and the Loon Preservation Center. 

At the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, SCA Manchester was given an interpretive tour of their animal trail. We got to see raptors, bobcats, mountain lions, owls, foxes and more.

It was really exciting to get to see these native New Hampshire wildlife up close and personal. Our interpretive guide was very informative and answered all of the corps members many questions with ease. We finished off our trip to the Squam Nature Science Center by learning about the beaver they have their and watching him nibble on sweet potatoes and carrots.

After leaving the Squam Nature Science Center, we hopped into the vans and drove to the Loon Center in Moultonboro. At the Loon Center, we broke up into two groups and got down to work. Half of us worked together to move a footbridge that had washed away during Hurricane Sandy. The other half of us headed out on the trails at the Loon Center and brushed back some of the trees and shrubs that had grown into the trail.

Overall we had a beautiful and productive day. We all got a chance to become more familiar with the animals living around us and finally get to work doing some hands on conservation work!

Saturday, February 16th, ten Manchester high school students braved the early morning snow to come out to Bear Brook State Park for a day of hiking and environmental education.

We started out the morning with some fun games that ended with our first safety stretch circle of the 2013 season.

Caleb Savage and Emily Barry, two of our interpreter interns at Bear Brook, took us all on a wonderful morning hike, during which we learned a little bit about the history of Spruce Pond camp and the landscape.

After taking a break for lunch and filling up on food and warm drinks, we headed back out for an afternoon hike led by Steven Gang and Nicole Juppe, two more of our interpreter interns. On this hike, we all got to explore Bear Brook a little further and learn how to identify trees in the area and appreciate the sights and sounds of Bear Brook.

We finished off the day with a nice campfire. Everyone had a chance to roast some marshmallows and drink some hot chocolate. Saturday was full of laughs and fun games and we are really excited about the upcoming season.

SCA Manchester will be having an information session for all new interested members! 

Time: 7:00 -8:00 PM

Date: February 5th

Venue: Salavation Army in Downtown Manchester. 121 Cedar Street.

Who's Invited: Parents, family, friends.

The Manchester CLC Leaders will be visiting all three High Schools in the Manchester area this week.

Manchester West High School Tuesday January 29th

• Lunchroom Information Table setup during all lunch periods
• Powerpoint Presentation in Ms. Beverly Robie's classrooms 

Manchester Central High School Wednesday January 30th

• Lunchroom Information Table setup during all lunch periods
• Powerpoint Presentation in Mr. Coffey's and Ms. Smith's Classrooms

Manchester Memorial High School Thursday January 31st

• Lunchroom Information Table setup during all lunch periods

SCA Manchester 2012 celebrated their achievements and commitment to volunteer work on Saturday, October 13, 2012 in a ceremony in the Winchell Room of the Manchester City Library.

            The ceremony began with a meet and greet over pizza and beverages and moved into a video recapping all of the volunteer work that was been performed between February and September. From every hitch and every Saturday event there were pictures of Manchester high school students working together toward an improved community.

            Keynote speaker and SCA founder Liz Titus-Putnam addressed the students, their families, representatives from supporting agencies, and SCA New Hampshire Corps members. She spoke of the importance of working together to conserve our natural resources and the fragile environment we live in, and of our mandate to preserve something future generations can be proud of.

            Deyris Taveras, a 2012 participant, then gave a heartfelt account of her time in SCA Manchester that had many, crew leaders included, in tears.  She spoke of her first time camping and the many valuable experiences she has had.

            Certificates of achievement acknowledged 42 Manchester high school students who have committed time, totaling over 3,000 hours, to helping improve public spaces in Manchester and the state of New Hampshire.

            The ceremony closed with SCA Manchester’s supporters signing a proclamation, to be sent to Mayor Gatsas and Governor Lynch, dedicating themselves to service.         

Our special thanks to everyone involved in supporting SCA Manchester in 2012!

            Please welcome a new group of leaders for 2013, they’ll begin visiting schools and providing information for next year in February.

On Saturday September 22^nd, the SCA Manchester crew leaders and SCA Manchester member Shamma met up with The Nature Conservancy's Andrew Smeltz to repair a bog bridge in the unique cedar swamp in Antrim, New Hampshire.      Together, the team replaced five boards totaling approximately fifty feet of aged hemlock so that visitors will be able to view the Atlantic White Cedar trees.  Andrew informed the crew that these unique cedars, which typically flourish in marshy areas on the east coast, have been growing in this area for over 4,000 years!  With that being said, SCA Manchester was particularly proud to be providing service in this area.

The crew used pry bars to pull up the old rotting and sometimes broken boards and replaced them with new rough sawn hemlock provided by The Nature Conservancy.  The crew also installed additional footers, or sills, to provide extra support and to extend the life of the wood stringers.

Come join us next week, Saturday September 29^th .  We will be returning to the Massabesic Audubon Center working on the 4H Gardens.

For more photos see attachments

Enjoy the photos!

August 30th event

click link above for details and great story.  That and more on the New Found Pathways website:

http://www.newfoundpathway.org/html/paradise_point.html

see the attached pictures as well

SCA Manchester CLC brought four New Hampshire high school students to NH Audubon's Paradise Point property to break new ground on the Newfound Lake Pathway project with the help of many people and organizations: The Student Conservation Association, The National Park Service, Newfound Lake Pathway, and the NH Audubon. This just goes to show how people can come together and make things meaningful happen in our communities and in regards to conservation. The community members of Hebron and members of each organization came out to show their support for our hard working crew each day.

The project was a huge success. Together the four students and two leaders built around 350 feet of beautiful mildly graded trail and made walkable 1200 feet of trail to bypass a dangerous climbing turn on North Shore Road that is walked by many residents of Newfound Lake.

Any of you who have gotten the chance to know and work with Destiny know why she is a great choice for the Youth Conservationist Award.

Click here to read the full announcement

As we submit our nomination in the National Impact award.

click:

The SCA Manchester Conservation Leadership Corps

or cut and past

http://2012serviceimpact.challenge.gov/submissions/7479-the-sca-manchest...

Earth Day came early for those who were involved in the SCA and Massabesic Audubon's Earth Day Festival this past Saturday. While families were enjoying activities and presentations, the high school students decided that providing service is how they would recognize such a meaningful day. As children were running around in a recycle relay race facilitated by SCA NH Corps members, SCA Manchester was getting things done in the garden.
The Massabesic Audubon houses a 4-H community garden which in past years has produced over 6,000 pounds of organic produce that is donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank. It's more than just a garden that yields produce; it's also an outdoor classroom for youth and families alike.

The service day began with some energizing group games and a revitalizing crew stretch circle before going to work in the garden. We prepped the soil by weeding and tilling, turned the compost for distribution, and began the pizza garden by planting some garlic and onion.

As most of you know, this program doesn't just focus on the environment, but more broadly emphasizes leadership development for students. Two of our second year members, Zach Dumont and Weimin Tan, spoke on behalf the program in a presentation to the public which they created.
The Earth Day Festival was a magic day and we'll be continually spreading environmental awareness and engaging youth in stewardship opportunities for many Earth Day's to come.

check out more photos at www.manchesterearthday.com

Braving a blustery morning and donning only a few hand tools and some bottles of water, SCA Manchester returned to Rockingham Rail Trail to continue removing rail-ties from the city owned portion of trail. We were joined by two volunteers who generously donated and their fork-laden tractors.

As two students were interviewed on the public access channel the rest enjoyed sipping coffee and wading through the many choices of donated Dunkin’ Donuts, arranged by Real Pinard.

After our stretch circle and safety discussions it was time to begin the day. Unlike our previous visit we dragged the ties from the disarray on the sides of the trail to form many small piles as we went, to be picked up en masse by the volunteers and their equipment. The area the Crew Leaders had expected to be covered over the entire day was quickly finished in less than two hours.

We continued making small piles down the trail, continuing to make small stacks the entire way.

On our way back to the vans for lunch we were impressed to find that we had just cleared a section of trail that, even with the incentive of food at the other end, took five minutes to walk.

Two hundred rail ties. We had beaten our record from the previous Saturday by forty ties and it was only lunch.

A few more donuts and some sack lunches, and then back to the rail ties.

We continued pushing farther and farther down the trail, removing the creosote-laden ties from adjacent wetlands, dragging the heavy lumber up the embankment.

By days end we had handled roughly six hundred rail ties, laid out and ready to be removed. We walked back to our vans past our work. Ironically, the trail was looking more like we were constructing a railroad than removing one, all of the ties laid out along the trail, stretching just around the bend.

Most of those ties are gone now. This section of what was the B&M Railroad’s Plymouth Branch looks much differently than it did when constructed in 1862. There are still traces of a rich history for those who enjoy the trail, but the rail ties strewn about the edges of the trail are gone now, and the creosote soaked ties are no longer in the wetland.

Imagine if you will a rocky stretch of coastline looking out into the Gulf of Maine. What do you see? Blue skies? Seagulls? Crabs? Sea shells? Something you probably do not picture in your mind is the amount of trash that washes up on shore during winter storms. Odiorne State Park manages two and a half miles of New Hampshire’s eighteen miles of coast. The SCA Manchester crew walked the coast pulling out lobster traps and bagging trash. Pulling things like rope, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans.

This event was a huge success thanks to the Seacoast Science Center who graciously allowed us to work in exchange for entrance to the center and provided a program from their naturalists. By the end of the day there were 9 bags of trash, and a pile of lobster traps off the beach and a few nuggets of knowledge were bestowed upon the members. Be on the lookout for where SCA Manchester goes next!

As quiet anticipation filled two SCA emblazoned vans, SCA Manchester tramped in and out of Bear Brook State Park on the winding drive from Manchester through Allenstown, New Hampshire. White pines soared overhead; C.C.C. era buildings dot the ride; open water from half-frozen ponds shot sunlight through the trees and into our eyes. The wind was breezing, the sun was shining, and the early morning birds were chirping as the high school community members rode down the long and serene pass into the beautiful SCA New Hampshire Corps Spruce Pond Camp. With a lesson of layering under their belts from their previous Corps Meeting, the high school members were ready to tackle whatever weather this odd New Hampshire winter might throw at them. Fortunately for everyone, nature's hot chocolate, the sun, accompanied us through all our plans and left our preparations unimpeded.

As we exited the vans to explore the historic C.C.C. building that makes up our camp, members were challenged to leave their electronics behind, embrace the woods, and get to know the forest in a way that they may have never imagined nor seen. "Respect yourself, respect others, and respect the environment," encouraged co-leader Chelsea Kibbe to set the theme that pervaded the day's plans.
"I've got mail for anyone that woke up at 6 am or earlier to be here today," one member highlighted during the icebreaker game, "I've got mail for...," led by Chris Olsen, which sparked the day's activities. It harked back to the C.C.C. days of ole when members woke up at 5:30 to begin a full day's work of conservation. The game allowed the group to not only connect with each in their similar capacities but also to represent the group's diversity as one member noted, "I've got mail for anyone who was not born in the United States," and the majority of the group competed for places around the circle. Later, two intense "Human Knot" games tested this new group's ability to communicate, work as a team, and get to know each other by name.

After a quick tour of the NH Corps living facilities, two interpretive hikes, one led by Jonathan Rager, another co-led by Maddy Hunt and Andrea Klaphake, acclimated the group to New England's woods, trees, and ecosystems. Since there were enough corps members to have two concurrent interpretations of the park happening at the same time, every minute was filled with informative moments. "There's a battle going on up there." Maddy encouraged the students to look up into the sky and observe the white pines of New Hampshire's mixed forest competing for sunlight. Maddy and Andrea made the forest feel alive to the group down the Beaver Pond trail. Birches are bending over trails searching for light, hemlocks were drooping in shame over their small cones, and peat moss squeezed dry onto the boardwalk over the marshlands. Quiet conversations between the members compared their own woods, trees, and forest from their homelands. The high school crew was instructed to hang back, giving the students priority over the lesson.

Jonathan Rager's hike was a slippery jaunt on the compacted ice that plagues Spruce Pond Road in the winter, and he prefaced his walk: "I don't want to scare you from walking on the ice, but the ice is a part of nature, and it's something I think you should experience." Jonathan spoke stories of the structure of state parks, the recreational activities and their presence in parks, and the Civilian Conservation Corps' influence not only on the trails the groups was currently standing on, the buildings everyone was entering and exiting but also on SCA Manchester itself. He challenged his groups to dig underneath the surface of the physical features of the park; Why are we all here trudging through this path? How did the history of design of Bear Brook State Park get us here right now? How do we stop and appreciate the natural elements available to us? It was an introductory philosophical swim into the natural world, history, and decision making. Jon utilized his skills of place based education. SCA Manchester was dutifully engaged, hopefully questioning inside their purpose of being here and what mark they will leave on the program.
The day wound down by a fire on the Spruce Pond beach complemented rightfully so by smores and hot chocolate. The high school crew chatted, observed their peers, and met who they will be working with on conservation projects in this year. Spontaneous games of ninja and soccer sprang up on the beach and several took the time to just look out on the pond to ponder where the harsh winter had gone.

With Spring just around the corner, SCA Manchester headed home-much louder and more lively than the ride in. The team has begun to form, the conservation projects are coming in, and the White Mountains are calling soon.

First Information Meeting
Wednesday February 8, 2012
Our first Information Meeting was a great success, our careful preparation and planning paid off when we found ourselves at the front of the room facing the 32 people who had attended. We had twenty-eight eligible high school students, three parents, and one participant's 8th grade sibling who was interested in learning more about the program. We were pleased to meet Emily Lord, an SCA Manchester Leader from 2011. It was great to see that our program is gaining interest, momentum, and visibility in the community.
The meeting began, as scheduled, at 7 PM in our usual meeting room at Salvation Army. We began by introducing ourselves and moved from there to a name game which took much longer than we had anticipated. This actually worked to our benefit as it kept the students engaged, moving and laughing at each other's dance moves. We had planned to do two activities but decided against the second after we realized we were pressed for time, this had the added benefit of focusing the attention on the informational aspect of our meeting.
We moved into our presentation from here, overcame a frightening technical detail, which allowed for a little bit more comic relief and a chance for us to show off our ability to improvise and adapt to challenges. Our presentation went well, after having practiced it and critiqued it so many times. We ended our presentation with a question and answer session.
We had asked two prominent returning members, Zach and Destiny, to speak to their experiences in the program last year. They both gave examples of meaningful events and recounted stories from their participation last year that we, as new leaders, could never have described while we were presenting. They provided proof that our program is fun and enjoyable. This was a definite highlight of the night.
We left time at the end for milling around and mingling. The students moved around and talked to us about who they are and asked us questions about ourselves. Many of them said they would be attending our next meeting and joining us on our first Saturday event at Bear Brook.
After this meeting, we as leaders are newly energized, and excited to see so much momentum. We learned that our presentation needs more of a conclusion, a review of the important pieces of paperwork, clarifications of things that might have been confusing. Our conclusion was something of a culmination of convoluted sidenotes. In no way did this ruin our presentation, but we feel we might have actually confused more people with our emphasis on clarity.
From here we are working on scheduling more events, getting more flyers into the community, scheduling opportunities to present in schools (tabling at lunch, as well as in-class presentations)and afterschool programs (like the YMCA teen program).
We also are working on meeting with Jessica Fleming of Manchester Parks and Recreation to establish a lasting, substantial partnership of some type(probably adopting a park, or trails), as Parks and Recreation is a partner we would love to have. It would provide a more visible, substantial, and logical place for SCA Manchester, a place that is a little more tangible and "show-off-able" to the participants friends and family. It would be a partnership that would tremendously benefit both organizations.
Here we go.
Aria Bilal
Chelsea Kibbe
Chris Olsen
Kevin Webster

SCA Manchester Conservation Leadership Corps Leaders
SCA NH corps
159A Deerfield Road
Allenstown, NH 03275
(603) 485-2191 ext.5
manchesterclc@thesca.org
www.thesca.org/manchester
www.facebook.com/sca.manchester

The SCA Manchester Conservation Leadership Corps members arose long before dawn to attend the 9th Annual Northeast Organic Farming Association's Winter Conference in Exeter, NH. This event brought home the themes of conservation and sustainability by focusing on something we can all relate to: what's on the dinner table! The volunteer work for the day began right away with Team Manchester helping to unload vendor materials from vehicles and set them up for the Green Market Fair. In addition to doing environmental education in the children's area and preparing the cafeteria for lunch, crew members were able to attend sessions, watch films, and meet local farmers and green producers. After a busy morning members were able to sit down for a well-earned organic feast with the conference's world-famous community potluck lunch. The whole day turned out to be a great success for Team Manchester. The crew enjoyed getting work done and having free time to explore their interests in a professional atmosphere.

1 - The SCA Manchester Crew and Team Leaders after a great day at the NOFA-NH Winter Conference.

2 - Crew member Mihn-Tam (Mia) explores the Green Market Fair.

The SCA Manchester's members arrived at Bear Brook Friday afternoon excited for the weekend camping trip full of fun and service work. They geared up and hiked out to their campsite at Smith's Pond, complete with a rustic shelter which overlooks a tranquil and picturesque pond. It seemed that all of Bear Brook was excited for the members to be there, with close encounters with a turtle and a baby porcupine along the trail! The members were new to backpacking and to New Hampshire parks, all having recently moved to the United States from Nepal, but they quickly learned to set up camp and cook dinner by following Leave No Trace standards. The first evening went off without a hitch and to celebrate, SCA Manchester roasted marshmallows over the fire.

The next day was spent building a, much needed, bog bridge along a muddy trail. This was a big task and SCA Manchester conquered it! Moving the 12-foot, 18-inch diameter, White Pine log was just the start. Teaching the members that teamwork and communication were imperative to transport such a hefty load was the next step. The crew learned how to utilize a number of new tools and techniques throughout the project. They learned how to debark a tree with a draw-shave and spud bar and challenged each other to remove the largest portions of bark without breaking it. They learned how to remove wood wedges with a Pulaski, how to chisel, and so much more. At the end of the long day, they sat back satisfied and admired their work over a hearty meal and were surprised with doughnuts.

The crew woke up bright and early on Sunday and began breaking down camp. Following Leave No Trace principles they spent some time searching the site picking up any trash, their goal was: "Leave it better than you found it." Wrapping up the previous days work, the crew cleaned and sharpened the equipment used which they learned is the key to long lasting and effective tools. The day ended with a relaxing picnic at the beach before the drive back to Manchester. The SCA Manchester members left the weekend with a strong sense of accomplishment and with a great introduction to the New Hampshire wilderness.

On a rainy Saturday the SCA Manchester crew arrived at Stark Park to lend a hand in keeping the park clean and safe for the neighboring community. The crew had an impressive turnout and was able to overhaul an entire slope of overgrown brush covered in leaves. Working diligently, the crew fought with tough rooted and thorny plants and was able to clear the slope and the sight lines. This was especially helpful to the park whose history of elicit behavior has been minimized during past years. Thanks to SCA Manchester's hard work, the sight lines opened up to deter any further elicit activity and to allow police to patrol the area more effectively.

Not only did the crew create this clearing, they collected many bags full of trash and making exciting finds at the same time! They ventured through the parks' extensive trail system collecting litter and searching out interesting fauna and wildlife when they stumbled across a giant, bright colored ball about five feet tall. So what could they possibly do with such a large ball? Have a good time and start a game with the ball? That's exactly what they did. And so the day ended with smiles and trip to a local pizzeria!

The SCA CLC's visit to Red Manse Organic Farm proved to be a victory over invasive plants that were slowing taking over. Armed with loppers, bow saws, pick mattocks and pick axes these thorny and deep rooted plants did not stand a chance. The CLC had the largest member turn out for the season and made for an army to be reckoned with. The weather even worked to their favor with sunny skies and a fresh breeze to cool these dirty but hard working volunteers. Midday the crew took a break to replenish their energy supply with lunch and homemade brownies, compliments of Red Manse. Members spread out to partake in a spontaneous game of Name Game Soccer and to introduce themselves to the Tuson's three children. Then it was back to confront the army of invasive plants. The day finished with a trek through the surrounding woods to take in the beauty of the thawing pond. The CLC members tried their hand at rock skipping but were no match for Earl Tuson, Red Manse owner and farmer.

Picture: Sarah and Vanessa's Bittersweet Triumph over invasive species