The Society for the Protection of NH Forests (Forest Society) and the Bretzfelder Park Committee are proud to announce the kickoff of the Bretzfelder Park Summer Family Educational Series on August 5. From dragonflies to animals, pine trees, and live music, the Bretzfelder Park Summer Series is designed to engage and educate audience members of all ages. All programming will take place at Bretzfelder Park, 581 Prospect Street in Bethlehem, except for Vista & Vibes, which will be at the Forest Society North at The Rocks.

To RSVP to the event, visit the Forest Society website at https://www.forestsociety.org/the-rocks/bretzfelder. Registration is not required but appreciated. Walk-ins are welcome; those registered will receive updates about any changes to the programming.

Dragonflies: Easy to watch, easy to love
August 5 at 6 p.m.
Bretzfelder Park, 581 Prospect Street in Bethlehem
To kick off our Bretzfelder summer series, join Car Martland, amateur observer of nature and lover of dragonflies. Martland exhibits patience with his camera and powerful zoom lens as he watches, observes, and captures photos of dragonflies and damselflies. Some will pose for a few seconds on rocks, logs, wildflowers, shrubs, or anything else that could serve as a perch. Others will just be flying back and forth, seldom if ever landing, in and out along the shoreline or in and around the cattails. Martland’s presentation is filled with photos of the more than two dozen species of dragonflies in the North Country. Participants will take a short walk to the pond to observe dragonflies, weather permitting.

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
August 12, at 6 p.m.
Bretzfelder Park, 581 Prospect Street in Bethlehem
What do a turtle’s shell, a skunk’s stripes, and an owl’s talons all have in common? They are all examples of adaptations that help animals survive. Join a Squam Lakes Natural Science Center naturalist to meet live animal ambassadors and discover the unique traits that help them survive and thrive in the wild. The mission of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is to advance the understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire's natural world.

The mission of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world. Through spectacular live animal exhibits, natural science education programs, guided Squam Lake Cruises, public gardens, and a nature-based Montessori early learning center, the Science Center has educated audiences of all ages since 1966 about the importance of our natural world.

Live Music with the Wicked Smart Horn Band
August 22 at 4:30 p.m., 113 Glessner Road, Bethlehem
On August 22 at 4:30 p.m., music fills the air at the Forest Society North at The Rocks with a live performance by the Wicked Smart Horn Band. Based out of Franconia, the 9-piece Wicked Smart Horn Band has been performing high-energy rhythm and blues, swing, and rock for over four decades. The band features Joe Cimino (bass), Mike Reagan (guitar, vocals), Daniel Sherman (guitar, vocals), Melissa Furbish (Lead Vocals) Tony Cimino (drums), Mark Flynn (Tenor Sax), Mitch Quintanilla (Alto Sax), Bruce Kimball (saxophone), and Roy Brewster (saxophone, clarinet).

The Pine Tree Riot and Dave Govatski
August 26 at 6 p.m.
Bretzfelder Park, 581 Prospect Street in Bethlehem
Wrapping up the series, participants will learn about the Eastern White Pine from Dave Govatski, a naturalist, forest historian, and retired U.S. Forest Service professional. This program examines how the Eastern White Pine played an oversized role in the founding of the United States and how the tree became a strategic military necessity, sparking the pre-Revolutionary War incident known as the Pine Tree Riot.

ABOUT THE ROCKS
The Rocks is a 1,400-acre property, owned and managed by the Forest Society. Built as a working farm in the 1880s by John Jacob Glessner, a cofounder of International Harvester, The Rocks retains much of the grandeur of White Mountain retreats – exceptional period architecture, an Olmsted-designed Garden, and a network of woodland trails open to the public year-round. In 1978 descendants of the Glessner family donated The Rocks to the Forest Society, which has operated it since as a vibrant Christmas tree farm, conservation and nature education center, and working forest. Learn more about The Rocks at forestsociety.org/the-rocks.

ABOUT THE FOREST SOCIETY
The Forest Society is a private, non-profit land trust and forestry organization established in 1901. The Forest Society now owns 200 protected forests constituting nearly 65,000 acres in 105 New Hampshire communities across the state. In addition, it currently holds nearly 800 conservation easements statewide, permanently protecting an additional 131,000 acres of New Hampshire’s natural landscape.