The Top Five Exchange Shows Of 2018: Hear Them Again Starting December 26th

At the end of the year, the Exchange team likes to bring back the most popular, and beloved, shows of 2018. This year, we chose our top ten, based on our own favorites and listener engagement, and asked you to vote for the five you want to hear during the holiday week. Check out the shows you chose, and tune in starting December 26th to hear them all. 

There are 48 New Hampshire peaks over 4000 feet, drawing hikers from all over.  The  official Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Four Thousand Footer Club was formed in 1957 to introduce hikers to some of the less known sections of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. For most hikers, it's about the experience and the view, but for some, it's that and more: peak-bagging to complete "the List", or the much tougher "Grid".  We explain the terms and hear tales of those drawn to N.H.'s 48.

GUESTS:

• Jeb Bradley - N.H. Senate Majority Leader, from Wolfeboro, and an avid hiker working on his 2nd "Grid"
•  Mike Dickerman -  a hiking enthusiast and one of the co-author's of the AMC guidebook "The 4000-footers of the White Mountains."
• Cheryl Suchors - author of "48 Peaks" about hiking and healing, she undertook "The List" challenge as she was facing life challenges as she neared 50 years old.

Author Debby Irving's memoir, "Waking Up White" serves as inspiration for New Hampshire's Oyster River community, as it reflects on tough questions about race and tolerance.  The discussions come after incidents revealing discrimination and racism, in an area where many believed they had the best intentions.  We examine how a state like New Hampshire, that is mostly white, fits into the national narrative of racial strife, now and in the past.

GUESTS:  

• Debby Irving -  racial justice educator and author of "Waking Up White: Finding Myself in the Story of Race"
• Reverend Eric Jackson -  Pastor of the Brookside Congregational Church in Manchester.  He is also president of the Greater Manchester NAACP.
• Kristin Forselius - chair of Oyster River Community Read, and Director of Education at  Community Church of Durham.
• Karen Spiller  - KAS Consulting principal, and the Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems at UNH. She also works with Food Solutions New England.

We learn about the miracle of fungi, from mushrooms, to yeast, to mold on your shower curtain. Fungi are in a vast yet little-known kingdom of their own, closer to animals than plants, and one of the oldest and largest organisms on earth.  In addition to tasty mushrooms foraged in fall, we learn about the important role fungi plays in the ecosystem, their relationship to trees, and promising areas of research for the future. 

GUESTS:

• Dave Anderson:  Senior Director of Education for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
• Rick Van de Poll:  practicing amateur mycologist and President of the Northeast Mycological Federation. He co-founded the Monadnock Mushroom Club in 1988 and is currently the Director of the Sandwich Area Mushroom Club. As Principal of Ecosystem Management Consultants he works as a wetland and natural resource management professional throughout New England.

Barns have an important historical significance in New Hampshire, and are a major part of our landscape. But as these barns age, how can we preserve and restore them for new uses today? 

GUESTS:

• Ian Blackman - Owner of Ian Blackman, LLC, which specializes in restoring and preserving historic barns and houses.
• John Porter - Co-author of Preserving Old Barns: Preventing The Loss Of A Valuable Resource. He also served as the dairy specialist for the UNH Cooperative Extension for over 30 years. 
• Beverly Thomas - Program Director for the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, where she manages the Old House and Barn Program. 

With pleasant weather comes a busy hiking season in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. A misread map, a sudden storm, a forgotten headlamp - and suddenly a hike could turn into a matter of survival. We look at a new book, "Critical Hours," that offers a history and a celebration of the search and rescue workers and volunteers who save lives in the White Mountains.  The growth of inexpensive but sophisticated navigation devices and mobile phones have become part of the experience for both hikers and rescuers. We examine the impact of ubiquitous technology and the future of search and rescue operations.

 GUESTS: 

• Samantha Brady - President of AVSAR, Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, and manager of Museum and Retail Operations at the Mount Washington Observatory. 
• Sandy Stott - author of "Critical Hours: Search & Rescue in the White Mountains." He is former editor and writer for the Appalachian Mountain Club's journal, Appalachia. For the last five years he has been the accident report editor for the journal.  A longtime English teacher, he is a lifelong wanderer in the White Mountains.
• Joe Lacasse - Public Safety Officer with the Town of Waterville Valley, and a drone hobbyist.