I signed up some time ago to receive news regarding NH Fish & Game via email. I received one the other day announcing a prescribed burn scheduled for the pine barren areas surrounding Concord Airport. I only glanced at it quick before firing off a short note just saying “be careful”. It just popped in my head about a burn there some time ago that got a little out of hand. My intent was (given the climate towards public employees) for them to avoid anything that could incur public derision for their efforts. These are small agencies in NH , you really are communicating with the key folks, email or phone. Again, I really did not read the email other than “we are going to burn some brush”.
I just got back from Beantown and there is a reply to my cautionary note. It’s from Heidi Holman a NH State biologist.
It was a full accounting of the procedures they employ to insure a safe burn and closed with this line.
‘We will continue to proceed with caution by employing all of these techniques as we continue to restore habitat for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly.”
Heidi Holman
Biologist
Non game and Endangered Species Program
NH Fish and Game
This reply nudged me to explore what’s up of late with the Karner blue.
Meet the Karner blue butterfly, it’s our State butterfly and we should be very proud of our public employees and the work they do to insure it’s survival.
From the NH Fish & Game Web site
“CONCORD, NH – Wildlife biologists Heidi Holman and Lindsay Webb of the N.H. Fish and Game Department and Steve Fuller, formerly of Fish and Game, have received the 2010 Recovery Champion award from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for their work in restoring Karner blue butterflies and their habitat. The award, presented to the recipients today by Michael Amaral and Tom Chapman of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, recognizes Service employees and their partners-in-mission for conserving threatened and endangered species in the United States.”
Check out the full story on the NH Fish & Game site. Explore the site with your children. There are many links on the site to learn more about the Karner blue butterfly. Reading with your children about dedicated people engaged in such activities is a potent counterpoint to other messages. Oh, and of course you want to avoid Nature Deficit Disorder!.
Mike