Bristol– Join the Newfound Lake Region Association (NLRA) on Tuesday, November 18 at 6pm at the Minot-Sleeper Library for a look at local wildlife and student work. Starting in the fall of 2024, students at Danbury Elementary School, Bridgewater-Hebron Village School, and Newfound Memorial Middle School worked with NLRA and the Minot-Sleeper Library to set up wildlife cameras around schools and other watershed locations to record wildlife and human use of different habitats and in different seasons. Continuing at watershed camps during the summer, the project has given students first-hand experience with field research as they help NLRA gather data on wildlife and human presence around the watershed. Images captured include wildlife like bears and foxes as well as hikers, joggers, and people walking their dogs.

On the 18th, NLRA Education & Outreach Manager Mirka Zapletal will talk about challenges, results, and how the project helps students develop data skills and environmental knowledge at the same time that the community gets a better sense of which species are found where. It will also be an opportunity for participants to learn about how to conduct their own studies- as this project moves into its second year, patrons at the Minot-Sleeper Library will be able to borrow wildlife camera kits to do their own surveys at home. 

The Newfound Lake Region Association’s mission is to protect Newfound Lake and its watershed.  Along with educational programs to foster stewardship of our natural resources, the NLRA performs water quality monitoring, stormwater management, invasive species monitoring and prevention, and land conservation. Learn more about NLRA’s work, including upcoming events, at NewfoundLake.org.