Ossipee Pine Barrens, Madison, New Hampshire
© Eric Aldrich/TNC

The highlight of this year's annual meeting will be a lively and timely keynote address by Phillip Hoose, author of The Race to Save the Lord God Bird.

Phillip Hoose

Phillip will share stories of the long and complex efforts to locate this secretive bird, long thought to have become extinct ... until early in 2004, when a lone kayaker caught a fleeting glimpse of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the swampy woods of Arkansas.

Opional Field Trips:

1. Restoring the Ossipee Pine Barrens
   1:30-3:30 p.m. - You've heard about TNC's efforts to protect and restore the Ossipee Pine Barrens; now here's a chance to see what it's all about. Join Jeff Lougee for a tour of TNC's Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve. You'll see how TNC is working to restore the globally rare pitch pine-scrub oak pine barrens and improve safety for nearby residents. Logistics: 5-minute drive from Camp Calumet; easy, relatively flat hike on woods roads and trails.
   
2. Canoe/Kayak on Ossipee Lake
   1:30-3:30 p.m. - A canoe or kayak is the best way to see some of the rare natural communities around Ossipee Lake, including rare plants along the sandy pondshore and floodplain forests near the confluence of the Bearcamp River and the lake. Doug Bechtel, director of conservation science, will lead this relatively easy paddle from Camp Calumet. Logistics: Bring your own canoe or kayak, or use canoes provided by the camp (up to 20).
   
3. Ossipee Pine Barrens/Jackman Ridge from Camp Calumet
   1:30-3:30 p.m. - Experience a slice of the Ossipee Pine Barrens and the great views from Jackman Ridge on this jaunt along the Boundary Trail. Join Northern N.H. Stewardship Assistant Wink Lees for this hike that passes through several distinct natural communities. Logistics: Hike directly from Camp Calumet; moderately easy loop hike on trails.
   
4. Pine River/Wilkinson Brook from Green Mountain
   1:30-4 p.m. - Discover why the Conservancy is focusing on the Pine River and Wilkinson Brook. Join TNC's Director of Protection Duane Hyde and Director of Conservation Programs Mark Zankel for a vigorous hike up Green Mountain for a colorful view of these important ecosystems from up high (with a chance of seeing migrating hawks). Logistics: 20-minute drive from Camp Calumet; trail up Green Mountain has some steep stretches.
   
5. Photography in the Ossipee Pine Barrens
   1:30-3:30 p.m. - Join Daryl Burtnett, state director of The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire, for some inspiration and technical advice on nature photography. As a former freelance photographer and avid gear-hound, Daryl is an accomplished photographer. Learn how to get the most of your digital or film camera when it comes to taking nature shots. Get tips on use of light, color and composition in this practical workshop. Please bring a camera and a notebook. After some initial inside discussion, we'll visit the Jackman Ridge Trail from Camp Calumet.

Registration/mingling begins at 9:30 a.m.

Cost: $20 per person. Price includes meeting, lunch and field trip.