WASHINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Minutes- January 2, 2003
1.0 Assembly: Time 7:00 p.m.
Present: Mike Andrews, Carol Andrews, Don Richard, Jed Schwartz, Nan Schwartz, Tom Taylor.
2.0 Approval of Minutes: approved as printed.
3.0 Old Business:
3.1 Dredge and Fill Committee- no activity
3.2 The website needs content in order to get it up and running. We will check the cover pages of other Conservation Commission websites to get ideas for our own.
3.3 Mike mentioned that he will not be able to attend the Hazard Mitigation Committee meeting next week. Tom Taylor to attend as the Conservation Commission representative.
3.4 The Society for the Protection of NH Forests is co-sponsoring a hike with the Washington Conservation Commission in February. Plan to be at JourneyÕs End on February 15th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
3.5 Don saw a TV program that mentioned the colony of bats at the Shedd Free Library. This would be an interesting topic for someone to research for the website.
3.6 WhatÕs happening in nature? Townspeople have reported seeing groups of moose traveling together.
Itching to get outside? Watch out for snow fleas!
"There are thousands of these
little black things jumping around on the snow in my front
yard. Are they fleas?"
These little critters are referred to as "snow fleas."
Actually, they are not fleas at all. They belong to a very
primitive group of insects named Collembola
(CO-LEM-BO-LA), commonly called spring tails.
The group is so primitive that they do not possess wings.
They get around by cocking and releasing a spring-like
mechanism at the tail end of their body and by crawling.
Snow fleas are active adults from November to March. They
are most apparent when the snow pack starts to thaw in
late winter. Their black color allows them to absorb heat
from the sun. They congregate in great numbers on sunny
days to feed on microscopic algae, bacteria, and fungi on
the surface of the snow and to complete mating. As the
trees absorb heat and the snow melts away from the base of
the trees, the snow fleas move down this pathway to the
leaf litter and deposit their egg load.
The young hatch in the leaf litter later in the spring.
They are less than a millimeter long and pinkish in color.
They mature throughout the summer and become sexually
active adults the following fall, usually in November.
Snow fleas do no harm! They are a part of the natural
processes that take place on the forest floor. Snow fleas
are part of that complex of organisms that break down leaf
and other organic matter. They are soil builders. They are
not harmful to people or pets and they won't contaminate
foodstuff if they are tracked into the house.
4.0 Natural Resource Inventory:
4.1
This will
be worked on initially to gather information for the website. Chris
Richard will work on wildlife descriptions and links. Carol, Jed and Nan will work on the content
for the first page of the website.
Carol will send a list of links to Jed and Nan.
5.0 New Business
5.1 Goals for 2003: The website should be up and running by Town Meeting Day. We should plan a hike on the Camp Morgan land in conjunction with the timber sale, plus another hike in the summer. A few of our large maps should be displayed on the walls of the Town Hall.
6.0 Correspondence:
SPNHF- Forest Notes
Center for Land Conservation Assistance- Saving Special Places: Community Funding for Land Conservation (this 153 page publication is available for your winter reading pleasure! Contact the Andrews)
Notice of a meeting on the expansion of Mt. Sunapee Ski Area
7.0 Adjournment: 8:15 p.m.
7.1 Next Meeting Date: February 6th at 7:00 at the Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol K. Andrews
Secretary
cc: Board of Selectmen
Planning Board