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Showing posts with label Squam Lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Squam Lake. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
A Favorite Spot on Squam
By Sue Smith Palmer
My favorite spot on Squam Lake was discovered over thirty years ago and is the glorious porch of the Bettencourt family's summer home on Mooney Point. As teens we delighted in afternoons of puzzles, board games, home cooked meals with fresh produce, and Mrs. B's desserts. It seemed those big beautiful forest green rocking chairs synchronized as the family shared the details of the day. The other sounds heard were those of the loons and owls and the gentle repetition of water hitting the rocky pine sheltered shoreline. This was an era when senses were full of the natural sounds and smells of the lake devoid of electronic stimulants like play stations, televisions, cds, dvds, and ipods.
I feel a responsibility to help keep the life here on Squam Lake simple, quiet and carefree. In restoring the Black Horse Motor Court to some of it's original beauty, we have resisted the requests to install internet access, dish washers, and whirlpool tubs, in hopes that families will come to experience the simple pleasures of family chat, laughter, and the warmth and glow of an outside fire by the lakefront.{mosimage}
One of our favorite guests, Donna Bunnell, describe what Squam Lake means to her in these words "The lure of Squam is waking up to the cry of a loon, the pull and fight of a three pound bass, and the perfect placement of mountains and islands and the lake's simple way of making you realize with every breath of fresh air, that..'life is good'..."
Sue Smith Palmer and her mom are the owners of the Cottage Place on Squam Lake. You can visit them virtually at www.cottageplaceonsquam.com
Related Posts
“Stretched for Glistening Miles”
By The Reverend Sidney LovettThe Squam Lakes provide a sensual experience which leads toward voluntary participation in maintaining no less than the dignity of life. The visual beauty of the hills from the lakeside and the gem-like quality of the lake as seen from the hilltops is best described by the poet, John Greenleaf Whittier:
“Before me, stretched for glistening miles,
Lay mountain-girdled Squam;
Like green-winged birds, the leafy isles
Upon its bosom swam.”
The Hill-Top
John Greenleaf Whittier
So precious is this view of a century ago that the majority of shore land dwellings are deliberately concealed within the woods. And a pair of nesting eagles crown a remote island in an equally crafted nest.
The sounds of Squam are numerous, but the eerie calls of the loons infiltrate every part of the watershed. Over 50 loons take up residence here from May to October. Their conversations together with the roll of thunder bouncing from hill to hill are inimitable to our ears.
More subtle are the awakened senses of taste and smell. The small mouth bass, the lake trout and the landlocked salmon are highly sought after. Alas, air pollutants from afar have reduced the amount for safe eating. As for the receptors of the nose, there are ever present options of chimney wood smoke and the scent of the abundant pine trees. The occasional defensive boundary of the skunk will penetrate even the stuffiest nose.
The fifth sense is that of touch, and the tactile joy is discovered by immersion in clear water and feeling the sandy bottom created twenty thousand years ago by the retreating glaciers.
These notable sensory experiences have, over the years, developed some uncommon habits of research and generosity. For example, the depth measurements of the lake, courtesy of Brad Washburn and the Boston Museum of Science, make Squam topography and the subsequent measuring for water quality simply beyond compare. The Squam Lakes Association, now in its 101st year, acquired years ago two islands totaling 60 acres for public low-impact use. The Association maintains over 40 miles of trails, attacks the invasive weed, milfoil, and sponsors countless programs for all ages. Add to this the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center with its year round educational opportunities for thousands of school children of our state. The trails, exhibits of wild life from bears to birds encourages a wide appreciation of our surroundings.
With an eye to preserving the watershed from inappropriate development, the Squam Lakes Conservation Society has effectively encouraged and supervised land easements to preserve the wilderness quality of the watershed. These living “hands-on” associations are underwritten by the generosity of many people in times past and the present. The best history of the lake, the land and the people is contained in the recent book, “Squam,” by Rachael Carley.
As a result of the sensory stimuli and the prolific voluntary stewardship, there is a symbolic crown which sums up the Squam experience. It is Chocorua Island, set aside solely for the public worship of the Creator of life in whom sensuality, stewardship and the spirit are combined. The generations have come to this pristine island sanctuary for over 100 years to experience, in Whittier’s words, “the silence of eternity interpreted by love.”
The Reverend Sidney Lovett is a well known figure along the paths and shores of Squam Lake and in the hallowed halls of the NH Legislature.
Related Links
LakeThere's Something About Squam
Stretched for Glistening Miles
Working to Preserve the Beauty of Squam
Protecting Our Resources
The beauty and tranquility of Squam Lakes is the result of years of work by thousands of volunteers and the organizations they have built to preserve the legacy. Each of these organizations has its own unique story to tell and we hope in the future to play a part in telling their story. Their work is a significant part of the ongoing story of Squam. We encourage you contact them to contribute land, financial assistance and to volunteer your time and energy.
The beauty and tranquility of Squam Lakes is the result of years of work by thousands of volunteers and the organizations they have built to preserve the legacy. Each of these organizations has its own unique story to tell and we hope in the future to play a part in telling their story. Their work is a significant part of the ongoing story of Squam. We encourage you contact them to contribute land, financial assistance and to volunteer your time and energy.
Lakes Region Conservation Trust
Since 1979, the Lakes Region Conservation Trust has protected more than 17,000 acres of shore frontage, islands, forests, and mountaintops, including the 5,500-acre Castle in the Clouds property. LRCT needs your help to preserve the unique character of the region and teach the benefits of conservation to our children and grandchildren. We encourage you to learn about the Trust, to visit their protected lands, and to invest in preserving our precious natural heritage.
Lakes Region Conservation Trust
P.O. Box 1097, Meredith, NH 03253
603-279-3246
www.lrct.org
lrct@metrocast.net
Squam Lakes Association
The Squam Lakes Association (SLA) is dedicated to conserving for the public benefit the natural beauty, peaceful character and unique resource values of the lakes and surrounding area. In cooperation with local and state authorities and other conservation organizations, the Association promotes the protection, careful use and shared enjoyment of the lakes, mountains, forests, open spaces and wildlife of the Squam Lakes Region. Since 1904 the Squam Lakes Association has worked to preserve the character of the Squam Lakes.
Squam Lakes Association
P.O. Box 204, Holderness, NH 03245
603-968-7336
www.squamlakes.org
info@squamlakes.org
Squam Lakes Conservation Society
The Squam Lakes Conservation Society's mission is to preserve the unique quality and character of the Squam watershed by protecting lands forpresent and future generations. SLCS was formed in 1960 by long-timeresidents of the area, making it one of the oldest land trusts and theonly one exclusively focused on the Squam watershed. The SLCS, with 57properties in their care, envisions a unique region of islands,shorefront, back lands, and mountains wherein a harmony between thenatural environment and mankind is preserved forever. SLCS achieves the long-term protection of land by seeking, holding, andmonitoring conservation easements and by accepting land ownership. Asland values and property taxes continue to rise, conservation effortsbecome more urgent to counteract the pressure to subdivide, sell ordevelop Squam's special places. SLCS staff can offer advice andassistance to landowners interested in taking conservation action.
Squam Lakes Conservation Society
P.O. Box 696, Holderness, NH 03245
603- 968-7900
www.squamlakes.com
info@squamlakes.com
Loon Preservation Committee
For over 25 years, the Loon Preservation Committee has worked to preserve loons and their habitats in New Hampshire through research, management and education activities.The support of members and volunteers allows LPC to monitor the abundance and breeding successof loons; to record trends in loon populations and assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts; to build and float nesting rafts and protect nesting sites and much more. Their Wildlife Sanctuary and Educational Facility, commonly known as the Loon Center is located in Wolfeboro.
Loon Preservation Committee
183 Liss’s Mills Road, Moultonborough, NH 03254
603-476-5666
www.loon.org
ahodges@loon.org
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is a private non-profit organization located in Holderness whose mission is to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire's natural world. At the main center visitors will find exciting exhibits including many of the most interesting animal species from the region and educational programs that teach conservation principles to school children and visitors. The Center’s exhibits and trails are open seasonally but the educational mission of Squam Lakes Science Center continues throughout the year with educational programs and conservation work for the community and visitors alike.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
PO Box 173 • 23 Science Center Road
Holderness, NH 03245
603-968-7194
www.nhnature.org
info@nhnature.org
There's Something About Squam
Perhaps it’s the hauntingly beautiful call of the loon as it echoes across the lake in the evening calm; or the quiet peace of countless coves, sweet spots, towering pines, and rocky outcrops; it may be the happy sounds of children preceeded or followed by the splash; or that quiet trail that skirts the lake with views that never seem the same, painted by season, wind, weather, and clouds. For residents and visitors alike the kept and un-kept secrets and special places of Squam make it a gem in a region already renowned for its beauty. The Lakes Region is beautiful. . . but there something about Squam. . . something that speaks to the corner of our souls that long for peace and beauty even in the midst of flash, fun and culture,
The story of Squam is first and foremost a story of the marvels of nature – the work of glaciers, mountain building, erosion, destruction, growth, renewal, change.
But it is also the story of generations of families and people who have built their lives around this place - eeking their living from the land and water or simply designating it as their place of renewal. In recent years, it is the story of both land-owners, residents and visitors, who have been drawn here by the beauty and peaceful feeling of this place and have struggled to find the balance between protecting this place and recognizing that it is indeed a resource that belongs to all of us. In short to assure that we do not love this place to death.
While almost everyone who works on a day to day basis to protect the beauty and charm of the Squam Lakes will tell you that there is much still to be done, it is fair to say that the success of efforts make the Squam Lakes area a model of conservation and intelligent use, built on years of struggle, creative conflict, at times rancorous debate . . . even class “warfare”. Fortunately for all of us, Squam itself and the love and reverence for this special place served as the vehicle around which consensus could be built.
Ironically, the tranquility and beauty of Squam owes much to both geological and geographic as well as historic happenstance. Along with human effort, these things have paved the way to this conservation success story. The rocky nature of the Squams make them less desirable for high speed boats. The fact that transportation modes that drove population growth for the most part passed by rather than through the immediate region has, in hindsight, been a blessing. Finally, one cannot discount the proximity of nearby Winnipesaukee where speed, hustle and bustle and crowds are the norm. Without Winnipesaukee the pressure for development and heavier use on Squam would probably have been overwhelming.
Intellectual reasoning aside, the outcome does not change. Squam is something special. There just something about Squam . . . with apologies to Cole Porter . . . something delicious, delightful, delovely.
Related Links
Stretched for Glistening Miles
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