Friday, April 6, 2012

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day on Saturday, April 21

Celebrate Earth Day by bringing the family to Discover WILD New Hampshire Day on Saturday, April 21, from 10 to 3 at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in Concord. See live animals, big trout, trained falcons. Enjoy archery, casting and wildlife crafts! More than 35 exhibitors from environmental, outdoor and conservation groups. Fun for all ages! And it's free! Find out more at Wild NH dot com.

http://www.wildnh.com/Events/DWNH_Day.html


COME ENJOY DISCOVER WILD NEW HAMPSHIRE DAY ON SATURDAY, APRIL 21
AN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

CONCORD, N.H. -- Bring the whole family to Discover WILD New Hampshire Day on Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H.

This free outdoor festival is fun for all ages – kids can try archery, cast with the “Let’s Go Fishing” program, and create wildlife arts and crafts. Sample a crispy fish fillet or build a bird house. See retriever dogs in action, live animals, big trout, trained falcons and the life-sized "Battling Bull Moose of Fowlertown." Pick up the latest ideas for conserving energy and protecting our environment, including gas-saving hybrid vehicles and more.

Under the big tent, talk to exhibitors from more than 35 outdoor, conservation and environmental groups from throughout New Hampshire. It's a great way to find out how you and your family can have fun and get connected to life outdoors.

“People in New Hampshire care deeply about wildlife and conserving their environment," said Judy Silverberg, the wildlife education supervisor at Fish and Game. "Discover WILD New Hampshire Day is a fun chance to explore the many ways you can get involved in outdoor recreation, conserving wildlife and natural places and protecting the environment.”

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day is co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), with support from the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire and Southeastern Container, Inc.

Exhibitors at Discover WILD New Hampshire Day range from N.H. Audubon and Trout Unlimited to the Loon Preservation Center, Safari Club International's New Hampshire Chapter, the White Mountain National Forest and many more. Meet Smokey Bear and learn about New Hampshire forests and lands. Visit a mobile DES air quality monitoring station and find out how our air and water are being protected. Get an up-close look at alternative-fuel vehicles and bring your questions about these gas-saving cars and trucks.

“We hope you'll join us to help the N.H. Department of Environmental Services celebrate its 25th anniversary – Earth Day is the perfect time to observe that milestone, at the same time that you play and learn about New Hampshire’s environment, fish and wildlife,” said DES Commissioner Tom Burack.

Special presentations and demonstrations will go on throughout the day, including:

10:30 a.m.: What’s Your Water Footprint? – N.H. Department of Environmental Services
11:45 a.m.: Living Wild – Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
12:45 p.m.: Owls of New Hampshire – New Hampshire Audubon
1:45 p.m.: Let's Paws and Consider..." – W.I.L.D. Center/Zoological Park of New England

Tour Fish and Game's Wildlife Habitat Garden with Wildlife Educator Marilyn Wyzga and learn about Landscaping for Wildlife. Her talk will be offered at 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m.

Participate in on-going activities during the event:

Visit a mobile DES Air Quality Monitoring Station
See retrieval dogs in action
Learn to find your way with basic map and compass
Practice casting with “Let’s Go Fishing” instructors
Become a Junior Conservation Officer
Explore the Discovery Room
See the Junior Duck Stamp Art Exhibit (winning artwork by young NH artists)

Now in its 23rd year, Discover WILD New Hampshire Day began in New Hampshire in 1989 as an observance of Earth Day and a celebration of the state's wealth of natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities.

The Fish and Game License Office will be open during the event, so stop by and purchase your fishing or hunting license while you’re at Discover WILD New Hampshire Day. Check out special deals on Fish and Game logo merchandise, including T-shirts and camo hats.

The event is held rain or shine. A food concession is available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please note that no dogs are allowed; service animals only.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services works for the protection and wise management of New Hampshire's environment. Its responsibilities include ensuring high water quality for water supplies, ecological balance and recreational benefits; regulating the emissions of air pollutants; fostering the proper management of municipal and industrial waste; and managing water resources for future generations. Visit http://www.des.nh.gov.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to conserve, manage and protect the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildnh.com.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Derry NH Rail Trail Map
This is an interactive map - Zoom in & out - Click on trail sections and icons for more info.

Map also shows future trail sections in Londonderry and Salem that are not yet complete. Also shown are Manchester and Goffstown trails. Derry Rail Trail is part of the proposed Salem to Concord Bikeway Project that w. Go to www.derryrailtrail.org for more info.


View Derry Rail Trail Map in a larger map

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Mass. hiker falls into Tuckerman Ravine crevasse; rescuers get no response (update 2)


Alex, Norman, Brad and Seth April 10, 2011
PINKHAM NOTCH - A Massachusetts man fell into a deep crevasse on Sunday on the northern flanks of Tuckerman Ravine, and after his hiking party heard no response from him, rescue workers who were lowered 50 feet into the crevasse were unable to reach him.

Norman Priebatsch of Boston was hiking with three others on Sunday on Mount Washington. While above treeline. Priebatsch fell, sliding over a rock band and falling into the deep crevasses around 3:30 p.m.

This is a wonderful photo of Norman
doing what he loved.
How tragic that he died doing this.
 My prayers to the family.
The search for Priebatsch was suspended at 11 p.m. Sunday evening, after a snow ranger from the U.S. Forest Service was lowered about 50 feet into the crevasse and had no contact with him. At that point, visibility was restricted to about 80 feet, and the crevasse was filled with ice, running water, and undermined snow.

Authorities say the recovery effort will be resumed when a safe entry situation exists.

Source: unionleader.com




Priebatsch was an executive at Ambergen in the early 2000s, working at the Waltham biotech as CEO and chief operations officer while it incubated at Boston University's Photonics Center. He left to pursue a career as a serial startup founder, which has included at least two companies. Priebatsch's LinkedIn profile lists him as co-founder of Adeptrix Corp., a genomics mass-spectrometry startup, and Tinnix Inc., a medical smart phone app developer focused on tinnitus.

Located in the White Mountains National Forest, 6,288-foot Mount Washington is known for unpredictable weather.

Update: A White Mountains National Forest Snow Ranger Jeff Lane on Tuesday confirmed an earlier report that responders are now presuming Norman Priebatsch dead, and have shifted their operation to a recovery mode.

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UPDATE 04/03/2012 (16:50)
Hub entrepreneur Norman Priebatsch — who fell into a deep snow crevasse atop New Hampshire’s Tuckerman Ravine on Sunday — is presumed dead, authorities said this afternoon.

“We’re looking at it as a recovery effort,” said White Mountain National Forest snow ranger Jeff Lane.

Priebatsch’s 23-year-old son Seth, the Hub tech wunderkind who runs Cambridge startup Scvngr, witnessed his father’s tragic fall, authorities said.

The search for Norman Priebatsch, 67, of Back Bay was suspended late Sunday “due to unsafe snow conditions” and “has not resumed,” said Tiffany Benna, public affairs officer for the White Mountains National Forest. Benna said the elder Priebatsch was with his son and two others at the time.

Snow rangers continue to monitor the conditions in the Tuckerman Ravine basin where Priebatsch went missing.

Lane said he was lowered about 50 feet into the crevasse and he could see about 30 feet below, where a stream cut under the snow.

Lane said Priebatsch must have fallen into the stream, otherwise he would have been visible at the bottom of the crevasse.

The conditions are trending about a month ahead of schedule.

“Things are melting and there’s running water coming down and undermining the snow,” Benna said. “Ice is coming off in big chunks. It’s in an avalanche kind of field site.”

The elder Priebatsch is a seasoned skier who frequented the White Mountains with loved ones, said his childhood friend, Peter Suzman of Newton, who grew up with Priebatsch in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“He is a very energetic man, both in work and play,” Suzman said.

Priebatsch’s son, Seth, is the CEO of Cambridge startup Scvngr, a multimillion-dollar gaming company that is in the midst of moving to new offices in Boston. Scvngr plans to hold a paintball game for charity at its Cambridge headquarters later this week before the company moves out and the building is redeveloped.

Reached this morning, Seth Priebatsch declined to comment.

Norman Priebatsch attended Harvard Business School and is the founder of audio technology company Tinnix as well as Adeptrix Corp., which has a novel method of decoding DNA, according to his LinkedIn profile.

On Sunday, the day the Priebatsch family traversed the mountain, the daily avalanche warning from the U.S. Forest Service was listed as “low.”

In a blog posting for the Mount Washington Avalanche Center, Lane noted the ever-present risks associated with the whims of the weather: “... there may be lingering pockets of unstable snow from the past week’s snowfalls. ... With the frozen surfaces comes the potential for very dangerous sliding falls.”

Obituary Link: http://ow.ly/a4J7p

Latest story update April 10, 2012http://thoughts-drp.blogspot.com/2012/04/officials-explore-tuckerman-crevasse.html

For the latest updates on Mt. Washington State Park CLICK HERE