On the heels of the environmental communication course with Eric Eckl at the Great Bay Reserve on August 3rd, the CTP hosted Eric and local environmental leaders and community members for a sunset boat cruise upon our research vessel on the Salmon Falls River.

With Maine on our right, and New Hampshire on our left, we ducked our heads under the Route 101 bridge and cruised up the river discussing the limited development and comparing property owners' strategies for riparian buffers. Captain and Stewardship Coordinator, Tin Smith gave us a detailed account about the land use history along the river from precolonial days up to the present. We remarked how different the now mostly wooded landscape would have looked back in the days when it was cleared for raising sheep.

The conversation only paused to view the wildlife.

After ducking under the bridge on our return we cruised down to the outlet of the Cochecho River. Heading towards Portsmouth the evidence of development is greater and so to is the challenge for maintaining riparian buffers while balancing property owners' desire for a view.

Providing opportunities for community members and people in the environmental field to get together and share knowledge is a priority at the Coastal Training Program. Learn more about about our collaborative work on the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative here.

Thanks to Paul Stacey from Great Bay NERR for taking the photos!