SLA to Lead Climate Change Hike in Belknap Woods

HOLDERNESS — Join the Squam Lakes Association  on Friday, June 23 from 10 a.m. to noon for a guided hike through Belknap Woods. During this hike, SLA conservation intern Riley Harris will help participants explore the potential impacts climate change will have on local ecology. The information provided will be directed towards children ages 10 and up, but anyone wishing to learn and participate in a discussion about the subject is welcome. The program will take off from the Belknap Woods trailhead, off of Route 25B in Center Harbor.

Climate shifts and changing weather patterns have already impacted the ecological health of New Hampshire. According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services average temperatures in the Northeast have already increased by more than 1.8°F from pre-industrial levels. Rising temperatures drive major changes and challenges in populations of tree, pest, and bird species across the state. For example, a changing climate impacts many species state-wide including the threatened common loon, sugar maple, and moose.

While hiking through Belknap Woods, Riley will provide a brief introduction to the science and history of climate change. Hikers will also identify multiple tree species that are at risk of becoming endangered in the region. Challenges to pest and bird species within New Hampshire will also be discussed.

For more information, or to sign up for this Adventure Ecology Program, visit the SLA website (www.squamlakes.org), or contact the SLA directly at 968-7336.

Belknap Woods (Courtesy photo)