SQUAM LAKES NATURAL SCIENCE CENTER YEAR IN REVIEW 2010

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center had a busy year! Along with the usual upkeep of buildings, trails, and signs, facilities upgrades included work on the Holderness Inn to install a new porch handrail and safety barriers on windows and doors. Kirkwood Cottage acquired a new metal roof. Renovations to the Gordon Children’s Center included a new ‘spider web,’ and a new door and siding and sheltered benches. Ground was broken for a “New Hampshire Geology” Exhibit. A bench honoring the Edward S. Webster Foundation’s long-standing support of the Science Center’s mission will greet visitors there. Lincoln Financial Foundation awarded a grant which, along with a discount from Keene Medical Supplies, funded two new mobility scooters for trail access for adults with walking difficulties.

 “Birds of a (Carved) Feather” displayed a portion of the donated handmade Briner bird collection. The collaborative partnership, Sea to Lake, Sky to Summit Initiative, with Seacoast Science Center, Mount Washington Observatory, and McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center prototyped a distance learning science curriculum with seventh graders at Timberlane Middle School, to be expanded in 2011. In partnership with Holderness Library and Holderness Recreation Department, two StoryWalks, combining a children’s story with walking, were enjoyed by the community in July and August. Meredith Village Savings Bank sponsored our entry in the Ashland Independence Day parade. Blue Heron School, a nature-based Montessori early learning center, opened in September with Laura Mammarelli as the Director.

“First Guides,” a teen volunteer program completed its second year, doubling the ranks. There were 20 new adult docent volunteer trainees this year; both groups worked with docent mentors. Honorary Trustee Josiah H.V. Fisher passed away in July; he was a trustee from 1974 to 1980. Diane Garfield, Carol Thompson, and Ellyn Tighe retired as trustees. Peggy Conver, David Martin, and Susan McKimens were elected as new trustees. Officers for 2010 are Chairman Laurie Beeson, Vice Chairman Nancy Beck, Treasurer Bruce Whitmore, and Secretary John Fernandes.

The Annual Meeting and Summer Gala Dinner, Wild Encounters, in August featured Science Center naturalists and ambassador animal presentations. Holderness Day welcomed Holderness residents to enjoy free trail admission that same day. Special events included New Hampshire Day, Come Play the Wild Animal Way, Autumn Festival, and Halloween Hoot N Howl. A special “Mission: Wolf” program in October, featuring five live wolves or wolf-dog crosses, attracted over 300 people. The Loon Preservation Committee collaboration continued with weekly cruises focusing on the Common Loon. Instead of closing the trails on November 1 as usual, Saturday hours in November and December were evaluated.The Science Center entered the world of social media, creating a Facebook page to post events, ideas, and news – ending 2010 with over 2,000 friends. A “Breakfast with the Bears” Facebook promotion was tested.

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is a non-profit environmental education organization founded in 1966 with a mission to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world. Using the outdoors as a classroom and live native New Hampshire animals as teaching ambassadors, our programs and exhibits teach the ecological concepts of adaptations, populations, interrelationships, and habitats.

For more information programs, membership, donations, or volunteering, please contact us at 603-968-7194 or visit our website at www.nhnature.org.

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Annual Report

Form 990