...plus a chance to learn from birds, and our spring calendar. |
The ice is melting on Chocorua Lake. April 14 was the most-selected day in our annual Ice Out contest—we'll see! The lake appears mostly covered still on the Chocorua Lake live cam view, but Little Lake is ice-free. Jack the dog and his people are our judges once again, but they don't need to check every day quite yet. Here's how things looked on March 29. | Donna Thompson
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Other signs of spring...
Sweet maple steam in neighborhood sugarhouses, flocks of red-winged blackbirds and robins, and keeping an eye out for the right conditions for Big Night amphibian migrations—thank you to WMWV and the Conway Daily Sun for helping us get the word out about Big Night.
Read on, and please join us at one or more of our outdoor volunteer mornings in April. Make friends and visit with neighbors in the fresh air while helping protect the lakeshore and support habitat for wildlife—that's a lot of wins.
Year-round and returning birds are busy this time of year, and they have things to teach us about what's happening all around us. Join us for a free Zoom program on Tuesday, May 5 with Kyle Ball and Hillary Behr of New England Wildlife Tracking (NEWT) to learn about Bird Language and what the birds are communicating through different behaviors.
In anticipation of the emerging crawling, buzzing, flying insects, an amazing crew of nearly 30 local artists ranging from childhood to elderhood gathered to paint an extraordinarily beautiful Pollinators & Plants crankie, full of color, sunshine, blue skies, and stunning, detailed images of native plants and pollinators. Enjoy a sneak peek below, with a few suggestions for ways you can help pollinators (e.g. by relaxing in a hammock!), and come see the crankie performed live at Cook Library on Friday, May 22, at 3:30 PM.
In other fun neighborhood news: thanks to Jeremy Phillips and the Tamworth Recreation Department, Tamworth now has an online Community Calendar. Check it out HERE. |
Big Night & salamander crossing brigades |
Join a Salamander Crossing Brigade in your neighborhood. | Big Night crankie painters |
Big Night is the first warm (over 40 degrees), wet night or nights of spring, when the ground has softened. Amphibians wake up from winter slumber in upland woods and migrate to vernal pools, wetlands, and ponds to breed. Often they have to cross roads, putting their lives at risk from moving vehicles. If you are able to avoid driving on possible Big Nights, especially on roads near wetlands, you could save many amphibian lives! You can read all about the phenomenon of Big Night & amphibian migrations here: |
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If you live near Chocorua and would like to be part of CLC & Green Mountain Conservation Group's amphibian crossing brigade, please sign up HERE. If you live somewhere else, check in with conservation organizations and town conservation commissions near you to see if they are hosting amphibian crossing brigades. |
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Learn, visit, and volunteer with us
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Our educational programs are by donation (suggested $5–$30), kids are free, and all donations count toward your annual giving. Zoom and collaborative programs are free. If you appreciate these programs, please donate to our partner organizations, too. |
Outdoor Volunteer Morning, Wed. April 8, 10 AM–12 PM. Winter clean up and spreading wood chips, meet at the Grove, Chocorua Lake. Info and register HERE.
Outdoor Volunteer Morning, Thurs. April 16, 10 AM–12 PM. Winter cleanup and spreading wood chips, meet at the Island, Chocorua Lake. Info and register HERE.
Earth Day Highway Cleanup, Wed. April 22, 10–11:30 AM. Earth Day Highway Cleanup, meet at the Grove, Chocorua Lake. Info and register HERE.
Woodpiles for Wildlife, Thurs. April 30, 10 AM–12 PM. Outdoor Volunteer Morning at Charlotte C. Browne Woods. Info and register HERE.
Intro to Bird Language via Zoom, Tues. May 5, 6:30 PM. With Hillary Behr and Kyle Ball of NEWT. Info and register HERE.
Chocorua Mountain Club Trail Clearing Day & Supper, Sat. May 9, 9 AM & 5:30 PM. Meet at the Grove at 9 AM. Info and register HERE.
Next Gen for Conservation Get-together, May TBD, 5:30 PM. The Hayloft at Hobbs Tavern. Come meet AmeriCorps members from around the region and visit with other young people interested in conservation. To be added to our Next Gen email list, email volunteer@chocorualake.org.
iNaturalist Training, Fri. May 22, 1–3 PM. Come learn how to use iNaturalist to better understand your local environment and to participate in citizen science research projects with Haley Andreozzi from UNH Cooperative Extension. At Cook Memorial Library in Tamworth in partnership with Appalachian Mountain Club, Cook Library, Green Mountain Conservation Group, and Tamworth Conservation Commission. Info and register HERE.
Pollinators & Plants crankie performance, Fri. May 22, 3:30 PM. Cook Memorial Library, Tamworth. |
Sneak peek at the stunning Pollinators & Plants crankie! |
A big thank you to Tara Schroeder from Green Mountain Conservation Group (right) for presenting on native pollinators, pollinator and plant interactions, and how we can support the pollinators in our midst. Thank you also to Georgia Murray (left) from Appalachian Mountain Club for sharing about pollinator eDNA projects and more in the White Mountains. | Juno Lamb
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Crankies begin with...a blank page: 30+ feet of paper waiting for the creative genius of local artists. Above right, Peggy Johnson from Yeoman's Fund for the Arts and Tara Schroeder. | Juno Lamb |
Many hands... | Juno Lamb |
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...of all ages. | Juno Lamb |
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The finished crankie, ironed and ready to be rolled. | Juno Lamb |
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Pollinators & plants need each other. | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists |
People need pollinators and plants. | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists |
Many kinds of species around the world serve as pollinators. | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists |
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Part of how we can help pollinators is by NOT doing certain things, or doing less of them. Many native bees and other pollinators nest underground or in hollow plant stalks. Leaving flower stalks in the garden through the winter and letting leaves lie on the ground for longer in the spring provides habitat for pollinators. (Bonus: leaves left on the ground provide nutrients to the soil as they decay.) | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists
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One way you can help pollinators is by practicing No Mow May (or No Mow May and June, in our neck of the woods) or mosaic mowing, leaving sections of the lawn to grow and flower. While your mower sits idle, enjoy a quiet moment in the hammock. | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists
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Small actions make a huge difference to pollinators. Because ground-nesting native bees have a relatively small range, providing stopover locations like a few flowering plants on a patio or a wildflower garden between an urban sidewalk and road can help increase pollinator populations. Or, offering nesting habitat to certain species by making your own Air Bee & Bee! | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists
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Pesticides and herbicides are dangerous for pollinators as well as for many other species, soil, and water. | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists |
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Poison ivy, on the right, is an important native plant food source for pollinators and other species. | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists |
Thank you to all of the crankie partners and artists! | Pollinators & Plants crankie artists |
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Mark your calendars: Chocorua Mountain Club Trail Clearing Day, May 9, 2026 |
Do you love to hike Mount Chocorua or enjoy spending time on the conservation trails around the Lake Basin? Please join us for CLC's annual Chocorua Mountain Club Trail Clearing Day on Saturday, May 9. You have the option for a full day of trail clearing with a hike to the summit, or a half day on local trails. Either way, get together for a celebratory supper with everyone at the end of the day. |
April showers bring May flowers... |
Soon we will find spring ephemerals in the woods, wildflowers that take advantage of the sunlight that reaches the forest floor before the leaves come in and provide early nectar for pollinators. | Pollinators & Plants crankie painters |
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| Happy spring, and take good care, |
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💙 THANK YOU TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS 💙 |
THANK YOU, MOUNT CHOCORUA PARTNERS |
Neal Higgins • PMC/Construction |
Thank you, Chocorua Lake Partners |
Thank you, Heron Pond Partners |
Thank you, Narrows Bridge Partners |
Our vision is a Chocorua Lake Basin whose resilient forests, clear waters, and thriving habitats are a welcoming haven for people, plants, and animals for generations to come.
Our mission is to preserve the ecology and pristine waters of the Chocorua Lake Basin, maintain trails on Mount Chocorua and conservation lands, and provide welcoming access to Chocorua Lake for nearby residents, visitors, and future generations. |
CONTACT
MAIL PO Box 105 Chocorua, NH 03817
OFFICE 11 Runnells Hall Road Chocorua, NH 03817 603-323-6252
ONLINE info@chocorualake.org
www.chocorualake.org
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Copyright © 2025, Chocorua Lake Conservancy. All rights reserved. |
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