Celebrating the Kuncanowet and its natural diversity

Dunbarton’s first conservation area turns 30

Join the Kuncanowet Town Forest and Conservation Area Committee for a nature identification walk on Saturday, September 7 from 9-11 a.m.

We’ll see how many plants, ferns, trees, birds, insects and other natural features we can identify in a few hours. Expect to walk at a leisurely pace for about 2.5 miles. A shorter option will be available.

Meet at the Kuncanowet trailhead parking lot at the end of Holiday Shore Drive in Dunbarton at 9 am. Please carpool if possible as the lot is small.

Dress for the weather. Insect repellent is advised.

About our Walk Leader

Long-time Dunbarton resident Joreen Hendry is a retired educator with a degree in conservation education from Cornell, and a master’s degree in science education from Boston University, Early in her career she worked with the Massachusetts Audubon Society and later with the Bedford school system. She is currently a volunteer instructor with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Granite State College.

Kuncanowet Celebrates 30 Years

The Kuncanowet Town Forest and Conservation Area was founded 30 years ago. It derives its name from its dominant feature, the Kuncanowet Hills. In Native American Kuncanowet means “mountain place of the bear.”

Established on December 8, 1989, funding for the area came from the Land Conservation Investment Program (the forerunner of today’s LCHIP) and generous land donations from forward thinking private landowners.

The effort spearheaded 30 years ago by the town’s Conservation Commission and Town Forest Committee has been described as an outstanding example of public cooperation in donating land for conservation use. The area is managed today by the Kuncanowet Town Forest and Conservation Area Committee, a group that represents both founding committees and the public at large.

Notes on the KTFCA’s founding by former committee chair J. Wilcox Brown may be read here.

Look for committee members at Dunbarton’s Old Home Day on August 17 and join us for a plant, tree and wildlife identification walk at the Kuncanowet on Saturday, September 7 at 9 am.

Caution - trails are icy

Spring has arrived and it’s a beautiful time to be in the woods. Most of the snow is gone, but be aware that on the trails that receive a lot of winter use the snow was packed down and became ice. Icy conditions are present in many spots. Bringing creepers or microspikes along just in case is a good idea — probably for the next week or so until the ground warms up and that ice melts. Have fun!