It is with sadness that we are saying goodbye to our two Watershed Stewards, Ryan Hannon and Colleen Clausen. These two individuals were trained in many aspects of watershed conservation in preparation for a busy summer of water quality, landscaping at Grey Rocks, community outreach and trail work. In a summer riddled with obstacles and challenges, Ryan and Colleen were able to accomplish so much. They both stayed resilient and patient while completing what will be remembered as an odd but successful summer.
Colleen came with a diverse and relevant background, bringing experience in gardening from a position at The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens, water quality from the Lake Sunapee Protection Association, and studying wildlife through her undergraduate projects with Colby-Sawyer College. These experiences boded well for landscape maintenance at the Grey Rocks Conservation Area and water quality monitoring for our 35 stream monitoring and seven lake monitoring sites. Throughout the summer we discovered her talent for writing and her passion for the natural world. If you follow the NLRA on any social media platform, you’ve likely learned some new facts about the region’s wildlife through her posts.
Similar to Colleen, Ryan joined the NLRA with experience in permaculture landscape design and mapping. His experiences allowed for some guidance in the way that the Grey Rocks property was managed, as well as reassurances that our plan was on the right track. Ryan received his training from Steve Whitman of Resilience Planning and Design, one of the main contributors to the original plan for the property. Throughout the summer, Ryan showed his passion for conservation and brought a mindful voice to conversations and NLRA operations.
The NLRA Watershed Steward’s role with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program is to increase the capacity of the organization and we can confidently say that their presence was felt throughout our operations. As their host site, it is our responsibility to provide the training and structure to prepare the Watershed Stewards for what lies ahead. We believe that Ryan and Colleen will go on to become valued and confident professionals in the field of conservation and preservation of our natural resources. We wish them luck and thank them for their help this summer!