Greetings Watershed Community,
After a long winter, finally we are enjoying springtime. If you are returning from away, welcome back.
The board would like to thank Bobbi Boudman for her hard work and dedication to the Association as the Office Manager over the last year. Her organization and willingness to jump to complete any task we asked of her, kept the organization in great shape while we searched for an Executive Director. We wish her future success and thank her for her continued support of the Association’s work.
We have a wonderful new Executive Director, Julie Brown. You will meet her at the July 7th Watershed Gathering in the Great Hall at the Wolfeboro Town Hall starting at 4 pm. This event combines our summer kick-off meeting and our former cocktail event at the Lake View Inn Bed & Breakfast and will be a great opportunity to enjoy beer and wine and light food together. The Board will be there to answer your questions, Watershed Reps will have a chance to get the news to share, and best of all, we’ll get a chance to see neighbors and friends. There will be announcements and exciting breaking news.
If you haven’t had a chance to send in your membership dollars, please know we count on your funds to continue programming as well as milfoil eradication, land conservation, and water quality projects. Thank you for your ongoing important support of the Wentworth Watershed Association and our mission.
Please share this Zephyr with your neighbors and mark your calendar for the events coming up. I can’t wait to see everyone in the Great Hall on July 7th.
Anne Blodget
President
Hello Wentworth Watershed Members,
I began my work as the Association’s new Executive Director on April 16th. Thank you to everyone in the community for all of your warm welcomes. Over the last couple of months, I have embarked on a listening tour to learn about the history of the organization(s), our relationship with the Town of Wolfeboro, the state, local businesses, and other non-profits in the area. I have met with many of our board members, town officials, state officials, business owners, and other executive directors. Now that people are arriving for the summer, I am looking forward to hearing from our members. If your road is hosting a picnic, meeting or event, please extend me an invitation so that I can meet more stakeholders in our watershed. If you would like to meet with me to share your views, please contact our new Administrative Assistant Michael Harrison at admin@wentworthwatershed.org to set up a time.
Last week, our own Captain Bob (Vice President, Bob Spear) took me on my maiden voyage of Crescent Lake and Lake Wentworth. A few town officials joined us for two hours, learning about the history of the lakes and their tributaries, land in conservation, and invasive species. We also talked about lake levels and the success of our watershed mitigation projects. We were visited by a pair of loons, some gulls, and song birds. It was a wonderful initiation into lake life.
I know that summers are busy with sailing, kayaking, boating, hiking, napping, and celebrations, but please set aside a couple of hours for our summer kick-off event on July 7.
It is my privilege to represent our members on our mission to protect and preserve the Lake Wentworth-Crescent Lake Watershed and scenic beauty of this place for generations to come.
See you at the Great Hall!
Sincerely,
Julie Brown
Executive Director
Starting June 25, summer office hours will be Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Merchandise can be purchased during office hours or at events (we now take credit cards!)
*Please note that we are no longer selling our merchandise at the Boat Museum.
It’s Time to Renew Your Membership
Summer is right around the corner, and it is time to renew your membership in the Wentworth Watershed Association. By now you should have received your membership request in the mail. Thank you to everyone who has already sent in membership donations. If you haven’t renewed, please fill out the details on the membership request envelope and send it in with your donation. The suggested membership donation is $50 per adult; children under 18 are free. You can also renew your membership online by clicking on the Donate, Renew or Become a Member button below.
If you’re receiving this copy of The Zephyr newsletter, you have a connection to the watershed, and have a stake in its health. To continue our work we rely on the support of people like you for your volunteer efforts, participation in programs and events, and by way of donations.
If you would like to give a gift membership for a friend or family member, include a note on your membership envelope with the recipient’s name, address and email. Gift memberships are a great way to support the Association’s work and to help to spread the word.
We have a full line-up of programs and activities planned over the summer, and we need your generous support to continue to host these successful events. Thanks in advance for support of the Wentworth Watershed Association’s important work!
Volunteers Wanted!
Join us in keeping our lakes clean and watershed beautiful. Wentworth Watershed Association counts on volunteers focused on protecting and improving water and shoreline conditions in the Crescent Lake and Lake Wentworth watershed.
Volunteer/Sponsorship Opportunities:
Family Picnic- The family picnic is scheduled for July 21st at Albee Beach. NH Lakes Association will be providing an engaging educational experience for the children. If you are a grandparent or parent we need your help to make sure the event is a success (parking, food, safety, clean-up). Please sign up below to volunteer.
General Event Volunteer: Parking attendant, set-up crew, clean-up crew, food assistant, merchandise specialist, and media specialist.
Business Volunteer: Technology specialist, social media specialist, grant writing specialist, and general office assistance. Development Committee: Mass mailing assistance…stuffing/sealing envelopes and applying labels two times per year.
Water Quality Volunteer: Weed Watchers, Water Quality Team Member, Stream Monitors, Divers, and Lake Hosts.
Land Stewardship Volunteer: We need your hiking prowess… walk and assess the Association’s land with us to make sure our conservation efforts are being realized.
Watershed Representatives: This requires one meeting per year and sharing our news and upcoming events with your neighbors.
Sponsorships: Sign up and sponsor an event or underwrite one with the Watershed to make our landscapers’ workshop, water summit, or one of our other fun get-togethers spectacular. Call the office or email for full sponsorship details and the benefits you will receive for your support.
Becoming a volunteer is easy. Just click on the Get Involved button below and tell us how you want to volunteer with the Wentworth Watershed Association stewardship activities.
Summer Events
| June 30, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Invasive Species Training Program Wentworth Watershed Association, 591 Center St, Wolfeboro |
| June 30-September 1, Saturdays at 11 a.m. Dive Team Ouhrabka Dock, 31 Whitten Neck Rd, Wolfeboro (Smith River) |
| July 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fishing Derby Ouhrabka Dock, 31 Whitten Neck Rd, Wolfeboro (Smith River) |
| July 7, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Summer Kick-off Gathering In the Great Hall, Town Hall, 86 S Main St, Wolfeboro |
| July 21, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Annual Paddle Albee Beach Road, Wolfeboro |
| July 21, 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (tentative, volunteers needed) Family Picnic Albee Beach Road, Wolfeboro |
| August 4, 12:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Lake Wentworth Sailing Regatta Albee Beach Road, Wolfeboro |
| August 11, 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Annual Members’ Meeting Town Hall, 86 S Main St, Wolfeboro |
| August 24, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Camp Dinner Camp Bernadette, 83 Richards Rd, Wolfeboro |
Wolfeboro Water Summit Highlights: Practical Solutions to Reducing Stormwater Runoff
Attendees at the recent Wolfeboro Water Summit, organized by the Wentworth Watershed Association, had a chance to take away practical ideas for reducing stormwater runoff that can carry pollutants such as phosphorous into surface waters. The focus was on stormwater mitigation projects that have been initiated under a series of Watershed Assistance Grants.
Relying on a partnership of the Association, the Town of Wolfeboro, and the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES), the grants have brought nearly a quarter of a million dollars in funding over the last eight years. Those funds – along with cash from the Association and matches of time and expertise from town departments and Association volunteers – have enabled stormwater remediation work along Route 109 near Gene’s Beach, the redesign and rebuilding of the parking lot at Mast Landing on Crescent Lake, and installation of a water infiltration system behind Auto Care Plus on Route 28.
Wolfeboro Planning and Development Director Matt Sullivan and Public Works Director Dave Ford talked about the town’s understanding of the economic value that our surface waters bring to the town, and they reiterated the town’s commitment to preserving and improving water quality.
Sullivan also highlighted the next phases of Watershed Assistance Grant work that will focus on Camp Bernadette as well as additional work along Route 109. At the camp, not only will stormwater runoff be mitigated, but the team will take the opportunity to educate campers – the future stewards of our land – about water quality.
Sullivan and Ford also participated in a panel moderated by Don Kretchmer, Association member and a certified lake manager. Other panel members included Pat Tarpey, executive director of the Lake Winnipesaukee Association; Sally Soule of NH DES, and Tom Ouhrabka, board member of the Wentworth Watershed Association and member of the Wolfeboro’s milfoil committee.
Volunteer: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HBGDHMJ
Donate, Renew or become a member link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GB5U8YBKMXR8C
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