Volume IX ~ December 2018
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Lake Sunapee Protective Association
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A Flash Of The Beacon
Welcome to A Flash of the Beacon!
A quick look at what's happening
here in the harbor,
what's going on outside in nature,
and highlights from last month.
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Winter has surprised us all with a special early visit! The latest snows have caught some of us off guard and sent us hurrying to finish our final preparations for the long cold days ahead. Outside I sense animals too are scrambling to find food and search for water. They move with the greatest of efficiency to save their energy during this cold arduous process. Animals that are dormant or hibernate have responded to the drop in temperatures by now and have snuggled deep down into their dens until spring.
Bright spots of color can be seen against the white snow. Beautiful red wintergreen , wild rose, and sumac berries plus wild cranberries (which are the same species as the cultivated ones) stand out and are favorite foods for our animal friends. Holly, evergreens and Christmas ferns stay green all through the winter. The Christmas fern can be identified by the shape of its individual pinnae which is shaped like a Christmas stocking!
Take advantage of the dark skies and go out between the 13th and 14th and look for the Peak of the Geminids, one of the best meteor showers of the year. Light a candle on the 21
st
of the month and celebrate the Winter Solstice and that from now until June you gain a little more sunlight each day!
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Christmas At The Livery
with Santa and Mrs. Claus
Saturday, December 8, 1 -4 pm
at the Livery, 58 Main Street, Sunapee Harbor
Face painting • Crafts • Storytelling • Singing
Bring an unwrapped Toys for Joy gift and/or a Food Pantry donation to have your name entered in a drawing for a magical prize.
Come join the fun!
LSPA will be hosting the "Bake a Dozen, Take a Dozen" cookie exchange table.
Hope to see you there!
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Christmas Bird Count
Join local birders for the 119th Christmas Bird Count, held Friday, December 14, 2018 through Saturday, January 5, 2019.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds.
Add to a century of community science data by signing up for a count near you.
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Watershed Steward, Geoff Lizotte, is shown here in late November setting up sensors in several area stream locations.
LSPA monitors stream levels in seven tributaries using pressure transducer sensors. Data collected from these sensors are downloaded by LSPA in the field. The sensors are housed in stilling wells anchored to the stream bed. Data is used to monitor stream flows and assess changing conditions over time from local events occurring in the watershed and from climate change.
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2018 Lake Host- By the Numbers
- 11 Lake Hosts inspected a total of 4,319 boats at 5 public boat launches on Lake Sunapee.
- The two busiest ramps for inspections were Sunapee Harbor (1,907) and the State Beach (1,216).
- The majority of visiting boaters came from Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine, but a few came from as far away as Nevada, Colorado and Michigan!
- There were 0 "Saves" on Lake Sunapee this year but 26 statewide.
- In the region, fishhook water fleas were recently found in Lake Champlain.
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Out and About
PreSchool Program
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"Out and About" PreSchool Program!
Join us on
Tuesday
mornings
December 4th and 11th
at
10:00 am
.
"Out and About" is a weekly educational program designed for pre-school age children and their caregivers, with exploration at two different locations every month. Come to one session or all - each month's programs are organized around an ecological theme and each one is unique. All programs are filled with hands on learning through sensory experiences, guided exploration, creative play, art, and music. Come join the fun! See our
winter calendar
here.
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Stop in during business hours ( (9 - 5, M - F) to purchase any of our LSPA maps, bags, hats, fleece and much more!
To browse or shop on line click on the link below:
All on line orders should be placed by December 15th to guarantee delivery.
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Lake Sunapee Protective Association
63 Main Street
Sunapee, NH 03782
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