(by Anita Fernandez)

Continuous rain didn’t stop Enchanted Forest attendees from joining us on the trail this past October 20-21; we had 20 tour groups over the two days totaling 250 people.

This year’s event celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the Endangered Species Act with skits about the Frosted Elfin butterfly that lives in the Concord pine barrens; the “Endangered Species Graveyard” where we learned how humans are working to help species at risk like the Common Loon and Karner Blue Butterfly; and the rivalry between the Little Brown Bat and Flying Squirrel, explaining what is affecting bats and where they overwinter. Everyone sat around a roaring fire and listened to the story of the Hermit Thrush’s beautiful song and got to meet the enchanted “Farewell Tree” who made sure we all learned something about the wild creatures and places here in New Hampshire. The event also held indoor activities for the first time since 2019. Attendees were able to participate in crafts, games, refreshments, and even face-painting.

As you can imagine, the Enchanted Forest takes a lot of dedicated people to pull together, and dedicated people we had. Over the two evenings, 61 amazing volunteers and staff gave their time and skills to help with everything from carving pumpkins to leading trail tours. We would like to thank all of them on behalf of New Hampshire Audubon; this was no small commitment. We would also like to thank our sponsors for their generosity in helping to support this event: Jim Fitts, Bangor Savings Bank, and Grappone Automotive. We also displayed over 90 hand-carved pumpkin designs: our thanks to Apple Hill Farms, Market Basket, Moulton Farms, TDC & Son Concrete Floors, and Windswept Maples for their donations.

If you’d like to volunteer for next year’s Enchanted Forest or would like to learn more about becoming a corporate sponsor, please contact Anita Fernandez at afernandez@nhaudubon.org or 603-224-9909 x 400.