Hellcat Boardwalk Trail Replacement Gets the Greenlight!
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United States Fish & Wildlife Service Summer/Fall, 2019
Hellcat Boardwalk Trail Replacement Gets the Greenlight!
by Matt Poole, Visitor Services Manager
I always describe the Hellcat Trail Boardwalk as the
most valuable and most loved “piece of visitor ser-
vices infrastructure” at Parker River National Wild-
life Refuge. Hellcat is where LOTS of refuge visitors,
from across a broad range of user groups, have been
going to observe wildlife in natural habitats for al-
most 50 years! The venerable foot path is also a
place where one can go simply to enjoy and connect
with the rhythms of the natural world.
The current boardwalk was built by high school-age,
Youth Conservation Corps workers over the course
of a handful of summers, beginning in the early
1970s. In its nearly half century of public service,
Hellcat has never experienced a major facelift or Photo: Matt Poole/FWS
overhaul. I always marvel that the original pressure The new Hellcat Boardwalk Trail will be completely wheel-
treated lumber out there continues to support ref- chair accessible.
uge visitors’ wildlife and nature experiences all
these years later. As I always say, that old lumber
“doesn’t owe anyone anything!” Just imagine this: In This Issue...
It’s literally possible, if not probable, that someone
Hellcat Boardwalk Replacement Gets Greenlight .......... 1
who, as a child, scrambled along the Hellcat board-
walk back in 1972 has, in 2019, chased their own Restoring the Lower Peverly Pond Dam ......................... 3
grandchild down that very same stretch of board- Making Watershed Connections Personal ..................... 5
walk! But, nothing lasts forever… Exploring Wapack National Wildlife Refuge ................... 8
The Child's Paradise ..................................................... 10
Refuge staff have certainly been well aware for a
Reflections on Parker River .......................................... 11
number of years that Hellcat has been getting “a lit-
tle long in the tooth.” However, realizing that a val- Climate Change Impact on the Salt Marsh Sparrow .... 12
ued resource needs replacement and being able to Friends of Parker River NWR Update ........................... 15
do something about it are two different things. Just A Dune Micro Habitat That Will Bog-gle Your Mind ..... 17
imagine the price tag for removing and replacing a A Great Day at Great Bay ............................................. 18
1+ mile boardwalk structure. Instead, for years our A Found Poem .............................................................. 19
course of treatment for the aging boardwalk has
Former Managers Gather to Share Memories ............ 20
consisted of replacing (many) broken planks and
Thoughts from the Gatehouse ..................................... 21
(Continued on page 2)
Meet Refuge Volunteer Victor Tine ............................. 22
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Hellcat Boardwalk Trail Replacement Gets the Greenlight!
(Continued from page 1)
pounding nail heads back into their holes. Finally, made from recycled plastic. The boardwalk will be
earlier this year, GREAT news arrived regarding the held above the ground by steel “helical piles”
future of Hellcat. The refuge received funding from screwed into the ground.
the Federal Highway Administration’s Federal
Lands Transportation Program to replace the entire Construction will begin soon and is expected to take
boardwalk system. The staff’s collective response? a year to complete. The entire Hellcat Trail will be
Woohoo! closed during construction; however, there are
many other great places to walk and enjoy the ref-
The new Hellcat Trail boardwalk will be both new uge, such as the recently opened Stage Island Trail.
AND improved. For the first time, folks in wheel-
chairs and/or with other mobility impairments will Refuge staff are grateful to the Friends of Parker
be able to access and experience the entire board- River NWR, who have raised more than $40,000 to
walk. Gone will be all those steep stairs on the exist- support the Hellcat replacement project. Their ad-
ing dune loop. The new boardwalk deck will expand vocacy and actions to support the refuge certainly
to a width of six feet. The new design incorporates go a long way to enhance the visitor experience at
“green” building materials including deck boards Parker River National Wildlife Refuge!
Graphic: FWS
Photo: Matt Poole/FWS
Stairs will be nothing but a memory on the new and im- This graphic shows both the old and new alignment for the
proved Hellcat Boardwalk Trail. Hellcat Trail Boardwalk. (Click on graphic for expanded
view.)
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A New Twist on an Old Idea: Removing the Lower Peverly Pond Dam
by Lauren Healey, Biological Technician
We tromp slowly through the forest, carefully step-
ping around the marshy ground, when we hear the
crash of water. We’ve reached the Lower Peverly
Pond Dam. In front of us stands a huge concrete wall
with an assortment of boulders at the bottom. A
small brook, remnant of the past, carves its way to
Stubb’s Pond below the dam.
The Lower Peverly Pond Dam and the one on Upper
Peverly Pond were originally created when the
town of Portsmouth needed a new water supply.
They eyed a brook running through what is now the
Photo: Lauren Healey
Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge. By building two
dams on the brook, the upper and lower ponds were Upper Peverly Pond today
created, and for many years the public enjoyed
them. In fact, around 1957 Lower Peverly pond was
dredged and a new water control structure was
added to provide a public swimming area. While the
public used the Lower Pond, the military used the
Upper Pond. They enjoyed angling and boating. In
1963 another dam was added to create Stubbs
pond, named after General Stubbs who was fond of
Photo: Lauren Healey
Lower Peverly Pond today
fishing. All 3 ponds were stocked with fish like bass,
trout and alewife. The ponds have long since been
abandoned as a water source by Portsmouth and as
a swimming location.
Many years later, the dams are showing their age,
and the Lower Peverly Dam is slated for removal.
How to do it is the question. The main problem is
that after many years of use by the military, the
ponds have become contaminated with metals and
pesticides. It was determined that it is safer to leave
the contaminants in place than to try to dredge
them out. To make the removal process easier our
head maintenance worker, Bob Springfield, suggest-
ed that we could dewater the ponds. There are
Map of area many benefits to dewatering; most significantly, it
(Continued on page 4)
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A New Twist on an Old Idea: Removing the Lower Peverly Pond Dam
(Continued from page 3)
will allow for revegetation along the sides which, in
turn, will hold the contaminants in place. Now the
question became, how do we go about dewatering?
We began poking around the area for clues.
The first clue was found at the Upper Peverly Pond
water control structure. Like many impoundments
in the refuge system, this one uses a series of boards
with pegs to help control water flow. They are low-
ered down using prong poles. Poking out of the mud
were a few of these boards. They could be removed
to help dewater the pond. Next, we looked around
the forest. We stumbled across a big, rusty, hunk of
metal. It appeared to us like an old valve for the
public water supply hookup. Maybe it could help us
with the dewatering? Without definitive knowledge
of where the water would go when the valve was
opened, the idea was abandoned and the valve was
admired as a cool piece of history. Finally, we began Photo: Lauren Healey
talking about various types of pumps. After deliber-
ation we settled on using a large gator pump. Old impoundment equipment
It seems like our idea may not be a new one to the
Great Bay Refuge. When digging through our old
refuge annual reports, a note about dewatering was
found in the report from 1999. We plan to dewater
in the spring and then begin the removal and resto-
ration. The final design is still being developed but
so far seems to be a series of pools that step down in
elevation. Side culverts will also be restored.
Check Out the Peverly Pond Loop Trail
This .4 mile loop trail, located near Portsmouth,
NH, is good for all skill levels. It’s primarily used
for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watch-
ing and is accessible year-round. This boardwalk
trail, which is fully wheelchair accessible, passes
through a beautiful forested area, then continues
to a wildlife observation blind at Upper Peverly
Pond. From there, the trail loops back to the
starting point after meandering by several
(seasonally wet) vernal pools.
— AllTrails.com Photo: Lauren Healey
An old water valve
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Making Watershed Connections Personal
by Matt Poole, Visitor Services Manager
In late June I was contacted by the GroundWork
Lawrence Education Manager to brainstorm about
how refuge staff might continue to support their
“green team” youth workers over the summer
months. We quickly settled on a simple, two-
pronged plan. First, refuge staff would plan and lead
a handful of on-the-ground learning experiences for
the green team based at the City’s Den Rock Park.
Second, we would involve all three green teams in
some type of natural resourced-based field trip. The
second prong of the plan is what I will describe here.
Setting aside three days on the calendar for the field
trip was the easy part. The basic plan was to lead
the same field trip three times – once for each of the Photo: Matt Poole/FWS
three green teams. We would provide the bus trans-
Nashua Wastewater Treatment Plant: Green teamer’s
portation and the bus driver (yours truly!). But learned about the detailed process of treating the City of
what, exactly, would we be doing, and where, on this Nashua’s wastewater before it gets released into the
field trip? I ultimately settled on the idea of leading Merrimack River.
the teens on a tour of the upper portion of the Mer-
rimack River watershed. We would visit a handful of
interesting sites along or near the river, all of them
in New Hampshire – upstream of Lawrence. Each
stop would provide opportunities for understanding
the impacts of different human activities on wildlife,
other natural resources, and other people further
down in the watershed. The plan was set.
How did I come up with the watershed focus for this
particular field trip audience? First off, understand
that a watershed is an area of land that drains to a
common body of water. The concept focuses on sur-
face and groundwater and what happens to that wa-
ter as it moves down to lowest point in the water- Photo: Matt Poole/FWS
shed (due to gravity). This is also a great construct Nashua Hatchery Tour: GroundWork Lawrence green team
for teaching about the impact of human activities on members inspect a salmon “raceway” at the Nashua Nation-
natural resources and other people “downstream” al Fish Hatchery.
in the watershed. From north to south, the City of
Lawrence lies at about the midpoint of the water- The trip was a deja vu experience for me, as I had
shed. Its resources and residents are impacted by previously spent almost eight years coordinating a
what happens further up in the watershed, and what U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) watershed-based
happens in Lawrence impacts the resources and environmental education program focusing on the
people further downstream (including us here in Merrimack River watershed. My job was to promote
Newburyport, where the Merrimack meets the sea). and interpret the FWS’s Atlantic salmon restoration
One of the central points about watersheds is ele- program, but I also talked a lot about salmon recov-
gantly simple: we are all connected by the move- ery within the context of (healthy) watersheds.
ment of water.
(Continued on page 7)
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Making Watershed Connections Personal
(Continued from page 5)
So, where to take these young folks? I settled on Our last stop was the City of Nashua’s wastewater
three Merrimack River-related sites that I am very treatment plant. It’s a facility that I fondly remem-
familiar with due to my previous work with the ber taking elementary school groups to back in the
FWS’s Atlantic salmon restoration program. Each days when I was doing a lot of watershed education.
site would provide an opportunity to plumb the The staff there have always done a great job with
depths of one or more specific issues related to river their tours. Environmental learning experiences are
and watershed health. always most powerful when they are multisensory.
And, certainly, a visit to a wastewater treatment
Stop 1 was the Amoskeag Dam and Fishways Learn- plant is all about multisensory! There are two
ing Center in Manchester. It is a fascinating site, (perhaps awkward) but simple truths one is pre-
with many things to see and consider. Prior to the sented with when touring a sewage treatment plant:
dam’s construction, Amoskeag Falls (now sub- 1. everybody poops! (or so contended our tour lead-
merged by the dam’s head pond) was a place where er!) and, 2. the treated wastewater released into a
native people gathered seasonally to fish for salmon, river by one community often becomes the treated
shad, and herring. The Amoskeag Dam, as with all of drinking water for another community downstream.
the dams on the Merrimack, had a dramatic negative While a visit to a wastewater treatment plant may
impact on salmon and other fish that needed to be not necessarily be described as “pleasant,” it cer-
able to migrate up and down the river in order to tainly is both insightful and memorable!
complete their life cycle. Construction of a state-of-
the-art fish ladder at Amoskeag in 1986 was an im- Our field trip days — all three of them — were quite
portant component of the effort to restore salmon to long and hot. But, I do believe the Groundwork Law-
the Merrimack River. In 1990, Public Service of New rence green team members walked away from their
Hampshire (then the hydro station owner) built the experience with a much greater understanding of, if
Amoskeag Fishways Learning Center, a facility and not appreciation for, the human impacts on a water-
staff that focused on watershed education. The low- shed. If so, mission accomplished!
er level of the building includes a window with a
“wicked cool” view into the fish ladder! Finally, the
stop in Manchester provided an opportunity to con-
sider the “pluses and minuses” of hydropower. As
you can see, there was much to take in and discuss
at Stop 1!
Next, we slipped down Route 3 to visit the Nashua
National Fish Hatchery. Originally constructed
about 1898, the hatchery has always produced Groundwork Lawrence (GWL) has been
coldwater fish. The facility played a central role in making change happen since its begin-
the effort to restore Atlantic salmon to the Merri- nings in 1999. Through its environmental
mack River from 1969 thru 2013, when the FWS and open space improvements, healthy
discontinued its efforts to restore salmon, having food access programs, youth education,
finally determined that the recovery effort was not
employment initiatives, community pro-
likely to be successful. The hatchery, which is still
very involved in supporting recovery efforts for a gramming and events, GWL creates the
variety of fish species in New England, provided an building blocks of a healthy community,
opportunity to consider how such a station rein- and empowers its residents to improve
vents itself (or is “resilient”) in the wake of a pro- their quality of life.
grammatic shutdown. Needless to say, the green
team youth got to see lots of fish, along with learn- www.groundworklawrence.org
ing about how a hatchery works.
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Exploring a Mountain Oasis: Wapack National Wildlife Refuge
by Anne Post Poole, Refuge Volunteer
Travel west from our beloved Parker River National are looking for quiet serenity, then the Wapack Trail
Wildlife Refuge and, lo and behold, you will find and refuge are a perfect way to escape what can be a
“The Wapack,” that range of mountains otherwise hiker’s mob scene on the higher and more well-
known as the North Pack Monadnock Range in known and nearby Mt. Monadnock.
south-central New Hampshire. The glorious ridge
line and peaks rise above the valley like a string of I have had the distinct honor as a Parker River vol-
metamorphosed schist and quartzite “pearls,” unteer and spouse of Ranger Poole to enjoy and
where water runs down east off the mountain to the work at Wapack NWR on four separate visits. We
Souhegan River watershed and the west side to the were there to recon trail conditions and signage
Contoocook River, thence into the Merrimack. The and, by happenstance, photograph the beauty of this
water connection between Wapack and Parker Riv- southern New Hampshire wildlife refuge. My assign-
er NWRs begins at the North Pack Monadnock range ment with this writing is to unequivocally convince
and ends at the Atlantic Ocean, when the Merrimack each and every one of you to drop your beachcomb-
tumbles past the north end of Plum Island. ing buckets and marsh bird binoculars to travel
west, into interior New Hampshire, for a day visit to
The staff at Parker River manage the 1,672-acre Wapack NWR, with the goal to reach the North Pack
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge, which encom- Monadnock Mountain summit.
passes the 2,278 ft. North Pack Monadnock Moun-
(Continued on page 9)
tain. The combined presence of Wapack NWR, Miller
State Park, and The Nature Conservancy preserve
sets aside a large tract of land for conservation,
while providing the public with safe and fun recrea-
tional opportunities including hiking, trail running,
x-c skiing, and snowshoeing. Hiking trails on the ref-
uge include the Wapack, Cliff, Ted’s and Carolyn’s.
From the summit of North Pack, one can view Mt.
Monadnock to the west and, on a clear day, see long
views of the White Mountains to the north. If you
Photo: Anne Post Poole
Signage on the summit announces your arrival and achieve- Map of Wapack NWR. Click on graphic to enlarge view.
ment; you can circle the summit, granite slab by granite
slab, in a puddle-jump between spruce and blueberries.
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Photo: Anne Post Poole
Panoramic view of the North Pack Monadnock summit on a September day.
Exploring a Mountain Oasis: Wapack National Wildlife Refuge
(Continued from page 8)
Perhaps this will convince you: As you pass through
a northern hardwood forest in the lower elevations
of the trail, you gradually climb to the red spruce- Wapack National Wildlife Refuge
heath-rocky ridge area with open rocky outcrop-
pings and plenty of red spruce, blueberry and other Greenfield, NH
low heath shrubs, a few mountain ash saplings and Distance from PRNWR: 75 miles
paper birch, three-toothed cinquefoil, and lots of
Travel time: 100 minutes
lichen. Autumn on the summit of North Pack Mo-
nadnock is gorgeous with deep reds, mustard yel- For more information, including directions
lows, and the deep grays of granite and reindeer and parking:
lichen. I can only imagine winter here when the www.fws.gov/refuge/wapack
sleeping mountain is only a whisper of its summer
vitality. Whatever season, toss in a jaw-dropping
view from every vantage point and you will be, no
doubt, a happy hiker.
There are glades in the spruce forests below the quite like the hush of coming from the drier, open
summit that are almost entirely matted with deep rocky ridge into the low-growing spruce forest
green moss and, if you are lucky, an abundant sup- (which is like Middle Earth), where you are under
ply of fungi if you look closely. There is nothing the spruce and traveling the rocky trail through the
moss beds and lichens. It is quiet and protected
from the breezy, and sometimes very windy, ridge
and summit.
The hike from the trailhead in the valley is consid-
ered moderate in the lower elevations but becomes
increasingly rugged so lots of water, good boots,
hiking poles and working knees are definitely help-
ful. Once at tree line, cairns, those formidable rock-
pile trail markers, will help you navigate the trail,
along with blazes and a few trail signs. Mindfully
travel these trails with the ever-foreboding aware-
Photo: Anne Post Poole ness that you are in TICK COUNTRY.
The color-popping verdant green of the moss beds is typical
in the transition from the ridge to woodlands and the habi- An alternative, more moderate and shorter hiking
tat diversity that make your hike on the refuge interesting route is available from the terminus of the Miller
and fun. State Park road on Pack Monadnock (See map).
(Continued on page 10)
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The Child’s Paradise
by Nancy Pau, Wildlife Biologist
It’s surprising to read a newspaper clipping written
95 years ago that so accurately captures one’s senti-
ment today. But that’s exactly what happened when
I was flipping through Jenn Boggard’s new book,
“The ABCs of Plum Island, Massachusetts”.
“Nowhere could Mothers be so free from care as
here. They turn the children loose without worry
knowing that they are perfectly safe and will return
when hungry. They are not brought into contact
with those undesirable elements or enterprises This old newspaper clipping from 1923 talks at length about
the virtues of children spending time outdoors in nature.
which tend to influence the child’s mind unfavora-
bly. Here they play all day in the clean sand… with
dozens of others. There are no commercial enter- Because of the nature of my job, I tend to enjoy
prises here calling for a stream of nickels and “summer activities” in the fall. This is especially true
dimes.” for enjoying the beach on Plum Island with my fami-
ly. In the last two weeks, my family spent two magi-
The above passage is from an article printed in the cal October days enjoying Plum Island beaches with
Plum Island Lookout on Wednesday, September 5 in friends.
1923, as an advertisement to sell lots on Plum Is- (Continued on page 19)
land, for the bargain price of $350.
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge (Continued from page 9)
Blueberries and other high-
bush heath plants grow
abundantly along the North
Pack Monadnock high ridge.
All photos by Anne Post Poole
Cairns and trail blazes are a hiker’s best The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trail mark-
friends; the trails at Wapack NWR are well- ers and signage gives the wayfaring hiker
marked and well-travelled. direction and safety recommendations.
The Wrack Line Page 10Reflections on Parker River
by Maria Parisi, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center,
Heritage and Partnerships Branch, Heritage Partnership Coordinator
“There are two things that interest me: the relation of
people to each other, and the relation of people to
land.”
— Aldo Leopold
This is my favorite Leopold quote. Who was Aldo
Leopold? He was a conservationist, writer, forester,
educator, philosopher, advocate, and the father of
wildlife ecology. He died in 1948, not knowing his
publisher accepted what is, in popular culture today,
his most lasting legacy, A Sand County Almanac and
Sketches Here and There. The almanac begins with
Leopold’s observations and reflections on nature
and concludes with the “Land Ethic.” Leopold called
for thinking communities to expand our ethics be-
yond community as interdependent individuals to a
community that includes “soils, waters, plants, and
animals, or collectively: the land.”
I recently served as Acting Refuge Manager at Par-
ker River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex. Parker River members. What a gift for people to
In the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while we man- want to give their time and talents to support our
age public lands and waters, our people are our mission. During my time at Parker River, I visited
most valuable resource. It was such a pleasure to get our regional office and attended numerous partner
to know and work alongside staff who are so pas- meetings with local, state, nonprofit, and federal
sionate about their work. Did you know that this partners. There are also, of course, all who visit the
team not only manages the 4,700-acre Parker River refuge — the birders, the anglers, the school groups,
NWR, they manage three other refuges and an ease- the photographers. During the spring and fall migra-
ment in two states (Thacher Island and Wapack tions, even on the coldest winter days, people travel
NWRs in Massachusetts and Great Bay NWR and the from around the world to the refuge to add to their
Karner Blue Butterfly Conservation Easement in bird life list.
New Hampshire)? Here, they balance our mission to
conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants The relation of people to the land? Our value for this
and their habitat with wildlife-friendly recreation place, this land, connects us all. Sometimes, though,
across diverse and ever-changing habitats, including the interests of different user groups are at odds
sandy beaches and dunes, cranberry bogs, maritime with each other’s interests, or with our management
forests, shrub lands, freshwater marshes, and more practices. For example, more than 300,000 people
than 3,000 acres of salt marsh. visit this narrow, 6-mile long wildlife refuge. When
there is no place left to park, we temporarily close
They don’t do this alone. The Service’s mission be- the refuge. I dropped by the gatehouse on the gor-
gins with this phrase: “Working with others.” I take geous Friday afternoon leading into Labor Day
pride in our explicit intent to work with others. weekend. As I arrived, the gatehouse staff asked me
There were about 100 volunteers who worked to help close the refuge, directing people in a line of
5,280 hours in the last year, including Friends of cars to turn around, to try again later, as we can’t
(Continued on page 16)
The Wrack Line Page 11How Does Climate Change Impact the Salt Marsh Sparrow and Us?
by Matt Pfannenstiel, Visitor Services Ranger
If you’re unfamiliar with the salt marsh sparrow it’s What does this have to do with climate change?
worth looking up, as this species of bird seemingly When we burn fossil fuels (i.e. oil, coal, natural gas)
pulls off a miracle every year. Salt marsh sparrows to create electricity, power our cars and transport
are unique because they spend their entire life in our goods we release a gas called carbon dioxide.
salt marshes along the North American shoreline. Since we have burned so many gallons of fossil fuel
After learning this, one of my first thoughts was there is now a rampant amount of carbon dioxide in
“How could a species of bird make their nest and our atmosphere. In fact there is more carbon diox-
raise their young in a habitat that floods all the ide in our atmosphere today than there has ever
time?” been in human history. Since there is so much car-
bon dioxide, it acts like a thick blanket around the
It turns out that salt marsh sparrows are very clever earth, and while blankets can be nice, this blanket
and have learned that every 28 days the largest high has become too thick, warming our planet and
tide of the month (often called the spring tide) ocean. As the ocean gets warmer, the sea level rises
floods the marsh. The day after the spring tide, salt and our marshes flood higher and more often. In
marsh sparrows go straight to work making their fact, we have begun to see effects of sea level rise on
nest and quickly laying their eggs within eight days. the refuge and around Plum Island already. This in-
For the next nine days the parent will incubate the cludes times when the road to the island is under-
eggs until they hatch. Now, the salt marsh sparrow water, and when sections of the refuge road have
has around 11 days to raise her young before the water spilling over them due to major storms. The
rising waters of the spring tide come again. To do challenge of sea level rise not only impacts humans,
this the salt marsh sparrow mother brings back food but also the salt marsh sparrow.
to her nest up to 50 times per day! And by the time
the tides rise again the chicks should be large Refuge Biologist, Nancy Pau, and her staff have been
enough to climb out of the nest to avoid the rising studying the marsh closely to see how quickly seas
water. How impressive is it that a bird can do in 28 will rise and their impact on the success of the salt-
days what takes most human children 18 years marsh sparrow. One of the pieces of equipment they
(often longer) to do? use is called a Sediment Elevation Table (SET). The
data that we are seeing are telling us that sea levels
are rising and action needs to be taken. The biology
team is focusing on actions that not only help slow
the effects of sea level rise and restore habitat for
the salt marsh sparrow, but also return the salt
marsh to a more natural state.
Throughout the salt marsh you will see pools of wa-
ter called salt pannes that drain and fill following
the tides. For a period of time, people used to think
that having more water on the marsh would be bet-
ter for the marsh and wildlife and so the creeks that
connected the salt pannes to the ocean were
Photo: FWS
plugged up. The pannes grew considerably to an
Salt marsh sparrows are a species that needs help, as they unhealthy size and lacked the water exchange need-
depend on the salt marsh for their entire life and are a can- ed to prevent the algae blooms seen in the salt
didate species for the federal Endangered Species List. pannes observation area. To create a heathier
marsh, we have decided to connect the salt pannes
back to the ocean by restoring ditches and creeks in
a more natural manner, following the natural flow of
(Continued on page 13)
The Wrack Line Page 12Climate Change and the Salt Marsh Sparrow
(Continued from page 12)
water. As time goes along, we expect the salt pannes
to shrink and, as they do, more salt marsh habitat
will be created which means more habitat for the
salt marsh sparrow.
You may be thinking, well, that’s a nice story about
the salt marsh sparrow but how does helping the
salt marsh sparrow help me? The answer is quite
simple. When we work to save the salt marsh and
the salt marsh sparrow, we are also supporting an
entire community. Here are a few of the many ways
the salt marsh helps us: the marsh acts as a buffer
from storms for the houses on the mainland, serves
as a nursery for fish species that many enjoy catch-
ing and eating (such as striped bass and blue fish),
provides mudflats for clam diggers, allows for in-
credible recreational opportunities for kayakers and
boaters, and so much more!
See the accompanying sidebar to learn Photo: FWS
more about climate change! Creating a Runnel: To allow the water in the salt pannes to
rise and fall with the tides, small creek-like “runnels” are
created to restore the natural flow of the system.
Photo: FWS
Sediment elevation tables (SETs) are used by refuge biologists to learn if the salt marsh
will be able to keep up with sea level rise.
The Wrack Line Page 13Learn More About
Climate Change
Want to learn about the impact climate change
is having on the local community and wildlife on
the refuge? Come join refuge staff on a Climate
Change Behind the Scenes Tour where you can
travel down the refuge road to talk about and
see the changes on the refuge. Details are avail-
able under the free public programs link on our
website: www.fws.gov/refuge/parker_river/.
Other Resources
Check out these links for more information on
local groups, as well as the ways people of all
ages can get involved.
The Great Marsh Coalition
This organization works to preserve the Great
Marsh for both environmental and economic
factors for both present and future generations.
www.greatmarsh.org
Storm Surge
A local group in the Merrimack Valley whose
goal is to encourage and support our communi-
ties to prepare for the impacts of sea level rise,
extreme weather events and other effects of
long-term climate change. storm-surge.org
The Gulf of Maine Institute
GOMI’s mission is to educate the larger com-
munity and to prepare the coming generations
to steward wisely. They do this by working
closely with teachers, school districts, research-
ers and youth. www.gulfofmaineinstitute.org
The incredible story of the salt marsh sparrow described in
artwork created by our refuge biologist, Nancy Pau.
The Wrack Line Page 14Friends of Parker River NWR Update
by Kaytee Hojnacki, Board Member
Since our resurrection in 2017, the Friends of Par-
ker River NWR has steadily worked toward provid-
ing a solid support organization for the refuge. Our
first large project, undertaking the Boardwalk Plank
Fundraiser to raise money for the Hellcat Trail res-
toration, reached a successful conclusion this past
year. In total, the Friends raised $40,000 from this
fundraising effort. We would like to send out a big
THANK YOU to all those who donated a plank.
This past year the Friends focused their efforts to-
ward maintenance projects on the refuge. With so
much work to be done, and only one permanent
Photo: Friends of Parker River NWR
maintenance worker on staff, the refuge cannot pos-
sibly accomplish all the work by themselves. Our Friends volunteers replacing worn out deck boards on the
projects have included rehabbing the boardwalk Lot 3 boardwalk.
railings at Lots 1 and 3, replacing the deck boards at
the visitor center, rehabilitation of the native gar-
dens at the visitor center, and the continued mainte-
nance of the Pines Trail, which the Friends adopted
in 2018. Volunteers have donated 317 hours toward
Friends’ maintenance projects in 2019 so far, and
we’re not done yet! We are constantly looking for
additional volunteers to assist with these projects. If
you would like to help out, please contact us at
friends@parkerriver.org.
With funding for the Hellcat Trail project no longer
needed, the Friends were looking for a new focus for
fundraising efforts. The Board of Directors has de-
cided that providing funding for interns is our tar-
get. These internships allow college students and
recent graduates an opportunity to work at the ref-
uge, gaining important skills and connections that
they can carry forward into their future careers. The
extra manpower is also crucial for the refuge, as
these individuals help in all departments, from de-
veloping and running public programs, preparing
communication and outreach materials, collecting
biological data, operating the gatehouse, and a
whole slew of maintenance tasks. Still in its infancy Photo: Friends of Parker River NWR
stage, the Friends’ Internship Program will allow the Friends volunteers replacing worn out deck boards at the
refuge to hire additional interns, or to offer better back of the visitor center.
pay to interns they were already slated to hire. We
are currently accepting donations for this program
by check or by credit card through our website. The
board will continue to work toward strengthening
(Continued on page 16)
The Wrack Line Page 15Friends of Parker River
(Continued from page 15)
this program, with hopefully a future targeted fund-
raising campaign. Keep an eye on our website and
Facebook page for new information.
Many other new projects are in the works. Late in
2018, the Friends developed a quarterly newsletter
to keep members informed on Friends and refuge
activities. We have also committed to taking over
Photo: Friends of Parker River NWR
the responsibility of CoastSweep (fall beach clean-
up) from Massachusetts Audubon beginning in Garden volunteers have worked to reclaim the otherwise
2020. Discussions have also been in the works about “wild and wooly” native garden in front of the refuge visitor
conducting regular beach cleanups, providing rov- center.
ing interpretation, revamping the website and ex-
panding our Facebook page, and of course, we con-
tinue to host free presentations about local history, Reflections on Parker River
wildlife, and the environment. But, the Friends (Continued from page 11)
board cannot do this all alone! We are looking for
members who are willing to roll up their sleeves block the only road to the refuge should emergency
and get to work (not all of it is physical labor!). If vehicles need access. It is not fun. Who wants to
interested, please reach out at turn away the people who value this special place
friends@parkerriver.org. and what they experience here? Some know the rou-
tine and accept the situation gracefully. Not every-
If you’re considering joining the Friends of Parker body has this same reaction.
River NWR, the best way to get a taste of what we’re
all about is to attend our Annual Meeting. The meet- My best moment came during a different day, also at
ing is free and open to everyone. It will take place on the gatehouse. A frequent visitor arrived. As I intro-
Saturday, February 8, 2020 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. duced myself, he gave me a new title, “Guardian of
at the Parker River NWR visitor center. The meeting the Happy Place.” I will hang on to this my whole
will include a presentation on a local wildlife topic life! I asked what he likes to do here. He shared a
(TBD), a summary of Friends’ activities in 2019, a few of his interests, and as he spoke, I heard him
look toward what is to come in 2020, and the elec- expressing the sense of awe he experiences here.
tion of our 2020 board members. If interested in That’s worth a pause. Have you experienced awe at
becoming a board member, please email us ASAP. Parker River? I readily extended this job title to the
We are currently looking to fill two vacant positions. team, to the volunteers, to the Friends of Parker Riv-
More information will be posted on our website and er, and to all who work to support and protect this
Facebook page within the coming months, but we special place.
ask that you to save the date now!
As Leopold said with his opening sentence in the
Almanac, “There are some who can live without wild
things and some who cannot.” Thank you, to the ref-
Friends of Parker River NWR uge complex staff and all who care about the wild
Annual Meeting things. I left a piece of my heart at Parker River, I
Saturday, February 8, 2020, 10:00 am – 11:30 am will always treasure my time with you, and I will
at the refuge visitor center cheer you on from afar.
All are welcome to attend. Haven’t read the Almanac? Thanks to the Friends of
Parker River, you can sit with a copy in the reading
room at the Parker River NWR Visitor Center.
The Wrack Line Page 16A Dune “Micro Habitat” That Will Bog-gle Your Mind
by Matt Poole, Visitor Services Manager
Parker River’s visitor center video introduces the Many people view dunes as hot, dry, and relatively
refuge visitor to the four primary habitats found on harsh landscapes. But, did you know that there are
the refuge: ocean beach, dune, maritime forest, and actually wetlands in the dune lands on Plum Island?
salt marsh. Naturally, because of the piping plover In the low depressions between the rolling hills of
(and least tern), a lot of attention is paid to the sand is a wetland type known as an interdunal
ocean beach. And, because of the looming threat swale. In the case of the interdunal swales on Plum
posed by climate change and sea level rise, the salt Island, one of the more dominant plants is the
marsh is an even bigger focus. American cranberry. That’s right — there are in-
deed naturally-occurring cranberry bogs on Plum
While all of these habitats, from a wildlife stand- Island!
point, are important, my personal favorite are the
dunes (or what I like to call the dune lands). There is The presence of wild cranberries, coupled with the
a simple, elegant beauty in the stark, rolling hills of popularity of the refuge’s berry picking permit pro-
sand. I always look forward to the quiet and sense of gram, has provided a great opportunity to introduce
peace I find in the dunes. The plants one finds out refuge visitors to both the dune lands and to these
there, rooted in the loose sand, always strike me as very special wetlands. Staff and volunteer-led cran-
rugged and independent. The animal tracks I most berry bog programs, conducted in October and No-
frequently see in the dunes are those left behind by vember, have proven to be VERY popular.
the eastern coyote, a critter that, again, I associate
with rugged independence.
Clockwise from top:
Nodding Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes
cernua), an orchid sometimes
found in the interdunal swales on
Plum Island.
An interdunal swale dominated by
American cranberry, viewed from
the Lot 2 boardwalk.
The tiny spatulate-leaved sundew
(Drosera intermedia) is a carnivo-
rous plant often found alongside
American cranberry.
A close-up of American cranberry.
(Vaccinium macrocarpon)
All photos: Matt Poole/FWS
The Wrack Line Page 17A Great Day at Great Bay
by Jean Adams, Outdoor Recreation Planner
The second annual Great Bay “Walk-About” Open to this Walk-About Open House, Stacy and Josh have
House was held on Saturday, October 19. This is a been spearheading the Great Bay shoreline cleanups
special event held during National Wildlife Refuge throughout the spring and summer and have hauled
Week when closed portions of Great Bay NWR out tons of trash from the shores of this refuge. They
(located in Newington, NH) are opened to pedestri- also maintain the Great Bay Facebook page and if
an traffic. Normally, only the Peverly Pond Trail and you are ever curious about this refuge’s happenings
the William Furber Ferry Way Trail are publicly ac- or want to view the very interesting game cam foot-
cessible, but on “Walk-About” day, visitors are en- age, I encourage you to bookmark this page.
couraged to take the very scenic walk through the
closed area to Woodman Point. It’s two miles round- Throughout the day, volunteers Mark Schultz and
trip and offers stunning views of the Great Bay. Of- John Brothwell patrolled the area via foot and bicy-
tentimes, eagles and osprey are seen on this walk as cle, answering questions and making sure people
both species regularly nest at this refuge. didn’t get lost. They reported many happy people
enjoying the great weather and the great views.
On a glorious fall day with lots of sunshine and blue What I noticed most was the variety of people who
sky, the refuge’s parking lot was full to overflowing enjoyed the hike. Not only were there the expected
all day with an estimated 100 – 120 people walking birders and photographers, but there were many
the trail to Woodman Point. For those that didn’t families with young children, seniors with their
want to walk, volunteers Janet and Peter Hickey, a trekking sticks, and groups of twenty-somethings
brother and sister team from Newburyport, con- who took advantage of this unique opportunity.
ducted van trips to the Weapons Storage Area
(which is notable for its Cold War bunkers and New If you missed this year’s Walk-About Open House,
England Cottontail rearing pens) and to Stubbs make a note in your 2020 calendar for next October.
Pond (a scenic wooded route which culminates in During National Wildlife Week (always in October),
another stunning view of Great Bay). At least 80 – there are many special events on refuges through-
100 people took advantage of these tours. out the country. So if you’re travelling, be sure to
look up the refuge nearest you. There might be
Just like last year, our intrepid and highly active something special going on. Regardless of the time
Great Bay Volunteers Stacy Mazur and Josh Quigley of year, there’s always a reason to stop and visit one
were key in organizing this special day. In addition of your national wildlife refuges.
Photo: Jean Adams/FWS Photo: Jean Adams/FWS
Volunteer Peter Hickey shows visitors the Cold War era Volunteer Josh Quigley orients visitors to Great Bay National
bunkers inside the refuge’s former weapons storage area. Wildlife Refuge.
The Wrack Line Page 18The Child’s Paradise
(Continued from page 10)
One trip started with cranberry picking and ended
on the beach at Lot 2. The other one started with a
hike on the Stage Island trail, with tide pool explora-
tion of Boater’s Beach, and ending up at the Lot 6
beach. In these trips, my boys and their friends got
to stomp around a bog in their boots, run along the
trail ahead of adults and explore things that cap- Photo: Nancy Pau/FWS
tured their attention and imagination. The other Places on the refuge like “boater’s beach” (located near
parents and I leisurely trailed behind the kids hav- Stage Island) are wonderful places for children and adults to
ing great conversations, able to keep a distant eye connect with nature.
on them. One Dad commented how wonderful it is
to spend a day with the kids at a distance where we
can only hear screeches. A Found Poem
In this hectic and highly scheduled world we live in
moments like these, unfortunately, are all too rare.
Places like the Refuge are wonderful places for chil-
dren to explore where parents can keep an eye from
a distance, knowing they are safe. These wild places
offer up endless and surprising treasures to capture
their interest and imagination. In the cranberry bog
and along Stage Island trail, the kids found interest-
ing seeds, mushrooms, lichen, insects, and the occa-
sional snake and toad. But the beaches offered up a
treasure trove of entertainment. Here they engi-
neered coffers and dams to hold in runnels, design
and constructed forts and moats in the sand, and
collected horseshoe crabs, wrack, rocks, sea glass,
shells, bones, and human artifacts. It was a gift to be
able to give my kids unstructured playtime with
their friends, a few hours when parents do not have
to fight boredom or iPads. The afternoon passed
idyllically as the kids showed off their latest find or
engineering projects to friends and parents alike.
People often ask Refuge staff why we do not offer
beach amenities or clean the beach debris, like other
beaches do. I have responded that the wrack pro-
vides the food and shelter that wildlife needs. I will
now add that the natural wrack is also a critical
component to children’s creative play. I have This poem was created during a public program called
worked for US Fish and Wildlife Service for 21 “Found Poetry” led by Jenn Bogard, an adjunct professor at
years, and have always loved our mission of protect- Lesley University. She describes found poetry as the least
ing wild places for wildlife. I now recognize that it’s intimidating form of poetry, as it uses phrases that already
exist, like words from signs, posters, book excerpts, etc. This
just as important to protect these wild places to pro-
poem was created by writing words or short sentences on
vide for carefree childhood memories. An afternoon pieces of paper, putting them in a jar, and then randomly
spent at such a place does wonders for a parent’s selecting a few pieces of paper to work with.
peace of mind too.
— Lauren Healey, Biological Technician
The Wrack Line Page 19Former Managers Gather to Share Their Memories of Parker River
by Peggy Hobbs, Administrative Officer
The 75th Anniversary of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was commemorated on September 27th with a
special oral history interview with past refuge managers. The panel-style interview was recorded using video
and audio equipment, and gave a very interesting chronological perspective of how the refuge was managed,
as well as the challenges that were faced, as far back as the 1960s. The interview was conducted by Peggy
Hobbs and Libby Herland, both members of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Heritage Committee. The record-
ed interview will be transcribed at the agency’s National Conservation Training Center (in Shepherdstown,
WV) and used as archival material.
Panelists included:
Ed Moses (manager from 1969 – 1973)
George Gavutis (manager from 1973 – 1980, as well as a student trainee in the 1960s)
Pat (Martinkovic) Pascuzzi (deputy manager/manager from 1988 – 1995)
Frank Drauszewski (deputy manager from 1992 – 2016)
Janet Kennedy (manager from 2002 – 2005, as well as Outdoor Rec Planner in 1989)
Graham Taylor (manager from 2006 – 2013)
Photo: Peggy Hobbs/FWS
Left to right: Graham Taylor, Janet Kennedy, Frank Drauszewski, Pat (Martinkovic) Pascuzzi, George Gavutis, and Ed Moses.
The Wrack Line Page 20Thoughts from the Gatehouse
by Shelby Stoll, Gatehouse Attendant
“Have a great day!” I say while closing the window
as quickly as I can, trying my best to keep the green-
head accumulation at bay. It’s not working well. A
brief glance at the window behind me reveals clus-
ters of these enormous pests; clusters so prevalent
that the next visitor to pull up to the window com-
ments on them. I use the following gap between cars
to ruthlessly swat as many as I can. It’s a side to me
I’ve never seen before. I’m typically more of a “take
the spider outside” kind of person, but I’ve also nev-
er seen flies like these before. Greenhead season,
one of the many new and unexpected adventures of
moving across the country to join the staff at the
Parker River gatehouse.
When I packed up my car and left the California
coast back in April, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d Photo: Jean Adams/FWS
never been to Parker River, to Massachusetts, nor to
Refuge volunteer Shelby Stoll working the gatehouse.
much of the East Coast. I was excited to meet new
people and see a different kind of natural beauty.
And — spoiler alert — I haven’t been disappointed! many their “happy place”. Many of the little chats I
have with visitors leave me smiling from ear to ear
Over the last six months I have watched the seasons and on more than one occasion I’ve said to myself, “I
change, the tides shift, the birds migrate, and the love people,” after such an interaction.
crowd of visitors evolve all from within the little box
that is the gatehouse. Working at the gatehouse can Over the course of my time here, getting to know my
be isolating and yes boring but also so enjoyable coworkers, figuring out who the regulars to the ref-
and unpredictable. Not to mention it is a fabulous uge are, and becoming more familiar with the area
view and whenever I take a second to stop and look as a whole and Parker River in particular, I have
out over the marsh or listen for the glorious sound started to feel so much more at home. Even if I’m
of the ocean, I can’t help but feel extraordinarily battling the long line of beachgoers on a hot summer
lucky to have it as my workplace. day or fighting off boredom on a rainy afternoon by
diving into my own thoughts and staring out the
Each day in the gatehouse presents both routine and gatehouse window, each day presents a different
a hint of mystery. My day doesn’t feel complete until kind of joy. I feel so fortunate to have a job where I
familiar faces start showing up. Even just the famili- can enjoy the refuge every day. The amount of time I
arity of the people with whom I might not have said spend at the gatehouse has made it a really im-
much but are there every day, pass in hand ready to portant place to me. It feels like my own special lit-
enter, I find absolutely wonderful. Yet I also relish tle box, a connection that recently led me to repaint
the interactions with the visitor who is excited to the gatehouse’s interior!
reveal that it is their first time to Plum Island and is
looking for guidance so as not to miss any of the Parker River is a magnificent place and my position
highlights the refuge might have to offer. My posi- allows me to understand the various aspects that
tion in the gatehouse allows me to see and interact draw people to the refuge. Be it the contagious ex-
with the many different kinds of people who visit citement of the visitors or my own experiences be-
the refuge. From the birders to the fishermen to the ing on the refuge, I feel extraordinarily lucky to be
families going to the beach, it has been a delight to able to be a part of the staff here at Parker River.
be that person they meet before entering what is for
The Wrack Line Page 21Meet Refuge Volunteer Victor Tine
by Jean Adams, Outdoor Recreation Planner
Nearly every Monday afternoon for the last two
years, Victor Tine has volunteered at the refuge’s
information desk at the visitor center. For four years
before that, he was a fill-in at this desk, helped edit
The Wrack Line, and served on the board for the
Friends of Parker River NWR. On non-refuge time,
he serves as Thursday’s front desk volunteer with
our partners across the street, the Mass Audubon’s
Joppa Flats Education Center.
Before he retired in 2011, Victor worked for more
than 30 years as a reporter and city editor of the
Newburyport Daily News. As a reporter, he covered
Newburyport government and Plum Island during
the worst of the beach erosion crisis. As city editor
for 20 years, he supervised the reporters covering
Newburyport, Newbury and Rowley. He recalls that
he was the one who recruited our very own
Nancy Pau to write a monthly column in the News.
Photo: Jean Adams/FWS
During his career, Victor accumulated a lot of infor-
mation about this area's politics as well as local and Refuge Volunteer Victor Tine at the information desk.
natural history. He says that the best part of his vol-
unteer job is sharing that information, especially
with people who are not local or are new arrivals.
The Wrack Line is the official newsletter of the
Victor, an avid reader, always has a book with him
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Published
at the front desk and will gladly recommend a good
quarterly in the fall, winter, spring and summer.
read to anyone interested. He particularly enjoys
passing on his knowledge and love of the refuge, Story editor: Evelyn McKay
relating to visitors something that they did not Design & page layout: George Pardi
know about the refuge or this area. He says this in-
formation helps folks better appreciate the mission
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
6 Plum Island Turnpike
It’s volunteers like Victor who add a personal touch Newburyport, MA 01950
to the refuge experience. Stop by, say hello, and per- (978) 465-5753
haps discuss with him your favorite read or your
favorite part of the refuge. You’ll be glad you did — www.fws.gov/refuge/parkerriver
and so will Victor.
The Wrack Line Page 22You can also read
