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UNH COLSA: MacFarlane Greenhouse Open House

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I’ve been working in the UNH Facilities department for 10 years now. I knew I wanted to work for UNH for the tuition benefit of taking free classes, but over time I’ve found myself  continually impressed by what’s going on around campus. On  April 18 th, 2026   I attended an open house at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) Greenhouse and loved my school a little more. I enjoy seeing older adults at campus events, especially when they bring kids along. Whether they’re master gardeners, retired faculty, or grandparents with a curious little one, it’s great to see intergenerational interest in science and plants. Those moments feel like the exact kind of encouragement we want for kids to get excited about STEM. The Agriculture program here is really thinking ahead about practical problems, like helping local farmers adapt to climate change by trying different or modified crops. Woodman Farm has been adding refrigeration units to figure out how to best move ...
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SELT: Birch Ridge Community Forest's Prescribed Burn

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The US Forest Service tells me through Google Gemini that “Prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, are the intentional, carefully planned application of fire to a specific land area. Executed by fire experts under strictly monitored weather and fuel conditions, they are designed to reduce hazardous wildfire fuels, restore ecosystem health, and manage natural habitats”. I’ve seen this work firsthand at places like Waterboro Pine Barrens (The Nature Conservancy) and Pine Mountain at the Morse Preserve (Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests), and now, more recently, at Birch Ridge Community Forest (Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (SELT)). Waterboro Pine Barrens is one of those places that  literally needs  fire. The pitch pines and scrub oaks are adapted to a fire cycle: regular burns clear the understory and let these species thrive alongside some rare plants and animals.  Pine Mountain, before the Forest Society purchased it, was a mountaintop...
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