Join us as we dedicate a new pavilion on this beautiful site!
UVLT will celebrate the close of our 40th anniversary year with a picnic party under a newly-raised pavilion at our Ely Mountain Conservation Area. It’s a perfect place to enjoy and reflect on the impact of UVLT’s mission and accomplishments, and to look forward and celebrate our future together as well.
We’ll gather in late afternoon for music and a picnic. Earlier in the day are opportunities to meet the timber framers who assembled the pavilion, hike the Ely Mountain area, learn from naturalists, ecologists, and foresters, and participate in building an inventory of flora and fauna at Ely Mountain.
Assistance will be available for anyone who may have difficulty walking up the moderate incline to the pavilion area.
There is no admission charge and no need to RSVP but mark your calendar now for this very special event!
The celebrations on Saturday, June 27, will be preceded by Timber Frame Assembly Day on Friday, June 26. The assembly will take place rain or shine from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and spectators are welcome throughout the afternoon. The Heartwood School of Alstead, NH, built the roof portion of the frame in one of their advanced timber framing classes. Ben Hemberger, a Norwich, VT, native, is founder and owner of Ben & Company Timber Frames & Custom Homes of Brunswick, ME. Ben and his son Liam will set the posts, assemble the roof frame, and raise the entire structure.
Saturday, June 27
Pavilion Raising (Rain or Shine)
9:00 a.m. – Noon | Crane Lift
Watch as the completed roof structure is lifted into place and set onto the posts. (Spectators are welcome throughout the morning but will be kept back from construction activity.)
2:00 – 4:30 PM | Meet the Mountain (Rain date: Sunday, June 28)
Join naturalists for guided walks, family friendly activities, and hands-on exploration of the landscape. Note: The trails are in good shape but may be wet given the recent rain. Appropriate footwear is recommended.
Along the way, we’ll invite walkers to take photos of what they’re seeing and we’ll spend time afterwards uploading them to iNaturalist. Local experts include:
- Alan Graham, former Vermont state entomologist, will discuss opportunities to assist our three native ash species with the threat of emerald ash borer (EAB).
- Kevin Martin, author of Big Trees of Northern New England, will demonstrate how to measure big trees and discuss their importance.
- Len Reitsma, ornithologist and Plymouth State University professor emeritus, will lead a bird walk and discuss the importance of a variety of habitats for our feathered friends.
- Dan “Rudi” Ruddell, White River Partnership watershed scientist, will be alongside at headwaters stream with a hands on exploration healthy stream ecology.
- Alice Schori, field botanist, will explore flora of Ely Mountain.
3:00 – 4:00 PM* | Discussion and Storytelling: Land Use and Conservation in the Upper Valley (Rain date: Sunday, June 28)
- Harry Pease is a UVLT trustee and he and his wife Linda own and operate Brackett Brook Farm in Orford, NH, which has been in Harry’s family since 1866. He has served as Orford’s town moderator and conservation commission chair.
- Steve Taylor, of Meriden, NH, has been a newspaper reporter and Valley News editor, dairy farmer, and founding director of New Hampshire Humanities. He served as the New Hampshire’s commissioner of agriculture for 25 years.
- *Timing is tentative.
3:00 – 4:30 PM | Noticing Nature: “Meet the Mountain” Hike for Kids and Families (Rain date: Sunday, June 28)
- Join UVLT’s Naturalist and Outdoor Programs Leader Holly Henderson and her young family on a woodlands walk that encourages exploration, wonder, and fun for kids of all ages. Click here for details.
4:00 – 4:30 PM: Demonstration at the Pavilion: How to Upload Photos to iNaturalist
- iNaturalist is a citizen science platform used by researchers and conservationists to study biodiversity and inform land management decisions.
4:00 – 5:00 PM | Geo Mapping Station (Rain date: Sunday, June 28)
- UVLT Senior Land Steward & Stewardship GIS Coordinator Micah Tilles will demonstrate the mapping applications UVLT has developed and use them to explore the Ely Mountain Conservation Area.
4:30 – 6:30 PM | Pavilion Picnic Party – Music, Picnic, and Celebration (Rain date: Sunday, June 28)
- Live music! Fiddlers and traditional musicians from Upper Valley Music Center, led by Carol Compton.
- Bring your own picnic and blanket. UVLT will provide beverages and strawberry shortcake for dessert.
- We had hoped to provide tethered hot air balloon rides but unfortunately this activity won’t be available.
