Kayaking on Great Bay
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Koji Yaoita, Angler-Artist
One of the most popular wildlife illustrators in Japan, Koji Yaoita can fish
or paint anywhere he wants to. He chooses New Hampshire.
Wildlife Journal visits with Koji on the Connecticut River near Pittsburgh, N.H., where he and his friend, fishing guide Angus Boezeman, share the beauty and challenge of fly-fishing. While casting for trout is a passion, Koji also spends much of his time in the Granite State taking photographs and making sketches that will become full-color paintings in his studio in the Tokyo suburbs.
To see more of Koji's artwork, click
to download "An Eye for New Hampshire" (PDF file, 339 KB) from
N.H. Wildlife Journal magazine.
Wild
Ways: Kayaking on Great Bay
The estuaries of Great Bay in New Hampshire make up an amazing 150 miles of
tidal coastline. Join Lisa and Kelle MacKenzie of Sandy
Point Discovery Center for a paddle in a kayak -- a fun, fast, low-impact
way to explore Great Bay's marshy nooks.
Along the way, they learn about the distinctive plants and wildlife that have
adapted especially to survive the extremes of this saltwater/freshwater climate.
Tracking Blanding's Turtle
The elusive, yellow-necked Blanding's turtle is one of New Hampshire's rarest,
oldest and best-traveled reptiles. Some may walk miles to get to the right place
for mating and nesting. The turtles continue to survive in a valuable wetland
habitat that is constantly changing -- and often at risk.
For this episode of Wildlife Journal, put on your waders... we visit a swamp with biologists and field researchers who are using tiny radio transmitters to track the Blanding's turtle. Researchers will analyze the data to learn about the turtles' mating, hibernation and migration behavior and to determine which wetlands areas are of most importance to the turtles. Ultimately, the research results will help land managers plan for wetlands habitat protection, which will benefit a variety of wildlife species.
Ongoing Blanding's turtle research is a cooperative project of Fish and Game's
Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, the University of New Hampshire and
the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. For more information, visit the Nongame
and Endangered Wildlife Program at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/nongame_and_endangered_wildlife.htm.
Wild
Places: Franklin Falls Wildlife Management Area
The area known as Franklin Falls Wildlife Management Area has a dramatic modern
history. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Franklin Falls Dam
in 1943 as a flood control measure. The village of Hill, which had been badly
flooded in the 1930s, was moved west to higher ground.
Today, Franklin Falls boasts a rich mix of forests, streams and open meadows, providing habitat for wildlife including deer, fox and wild turkeys. Hunting is permitted. New Hampshire Fish and Game, under agreement with the Corps of Engineers and the Division of Forests and Lands, stocks upland game birds, assists with the maintenance and improvement of wildlife habitat, administers a fur-bearer trapping program, supplies and maintains waterfowl nesting boxes and enforces fish and game laws.
Many bird species may be seen here -- ospreys, Cooper's hawks and even bald eagles. Anglers, too, will find plenty of action fishing for bass on the lower Pemigewassett River.
The New Hampshire Heritage Hiking Trail runs through Franklin Falls, providing
accessible but unspoiled opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing,
dogsledding, bird watching and snowmobiling. For directions and a recreation
map, visit the Corps of Engineers site at www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/ffd/ffdrec.htm.
