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