Lorenz Tecumseh Weather Station Returns!

Hooray! The Lorenz Tecumseh Weather Station is back up and running and just in time for the snow and ski season! Several people and organizations helped make this happen.

Volunteers Matt Bedard and Ken Vallery gave a lot in terms of time and expertise. Matt drove several hours and used his technical expertise to reset the programming that runs the instrumentation. Ken spent many hours, both off the mountain and on, planning and overseeing the relocation of the weather tower and its equipment. That happened on October 19th and it was a cold day! Ken was joined by Kim Votta, the Rey Center's Research Coordinator, Josh Roberti, our weather station intern, and Jim VanGyzen, the Rey Center's Graduate Research and Education Assistant. We were very happy to jump in a warm truck for the trip back down the mountain at the end of the day.

Thanks also are due to the Waterville Valley Ski Resort and their staff for the transportation of people and equipment up and down the mountain as well as their assistance in helping us choose its new location. Lastly, thank you to Plymouth State University's Meteorology Department and their continued support of our efforts.

The Lorenz Tecumseh Weather Station continuously collects meteorological data and transmits it to the Margret & H.A. Rey Center offices in Waterville Valley. The meteorological data complements existing climate observation sites in the state and provides important climate data to support the Rey Center’s research efforts on climate change. The station honors the memory of Edward Norton Lorenz, (1917 – 2008) a close friend of Margret & H.A. Rey and summer resident of Waterville Valley. Edward Lorenz was also a mathematician and meteorologist best known as a pioneer of Chaos Theory and for coining the phrase “butterfly effect.”

Check out current weather conditions on Mount Tecumseh at any time at www.thereycenter.org.

The Lorenz weather station is managed under a special use permit from the White Mountain National Forest.

Mushrooming is Fun!

Mushroom lovers had fun looking for fungi this past Saturday, October 9th, with Dr. Roz Lowen, a Lincoln, NH resident and mycologist. This Walk-Talk began with an indoor program where we learned about the various types of mushrooms to be found in our northeastern woods and which ones were safe to eat, or not! We even had a tasting! A good amount of time was also spent outdoors exploring the woods around Livermore Road where we found many species of mushrooms - all that was required was a keen interest and a willingness to dig through the leaves. Look for our winter walk-talks this upcoming season.

Fun on Welch Ledges with WVES students

On September 14, Rey Center staff joined the Waterville Valley Elementary School students on their all-school hike on Welch and Dickey Mountains in Thornton, NH. The kids split into two groups, one climbing just to the ledges and the second hiking the entire loop over both Welch and Dickey. Along the way, each group participated in a Welch Ledges Stewardship Program with Rey Center Research Coordinator, Kim Votta. Kim engaged the students in learning about the development of granite domes, such as Welch, and the unique plant communities that develop on their exposed ledges. Students then participated in a plant ID activity and helped restore some of the rock islands that were built to protect these amazing plants.

Lorenz Weather Station On the Move...

Seems like this is a year for relocating things at the Margret & H.A. Rey Center. Like the Curious George Cottage, which made a short trip up the road this summer to its new home as part of the Waterville Valley Elementary School and Recreation Department Campus, the Lorenz Weather Station is being moved. And a very short distance too! The steel pylon the weather station was anchored to these past two years (see photo at left) was recently removed, prompting the Rey Center staff to find an alternative site - about 20 feet north of its former home. It will be anchored to an existing concrete pad atop the ski slopes of Mount Tecumseh. The purchase of a higher tower will allow us to set the weather instrumentation at the same height; the new tower will also allow us to anchor the station properly in its new spot. Look for the station to be back up and running by the end of October. Once it is, you can get up-to-date weather conditions and web-cam images on our website. Thanks to the White Mountain National Forest, the Waterville Valley Resort, Plymouth State University's Meteorology Department, and volunteer Ken Vallery for their assistance with the relocation plan and its implementation.

Landscaping the Curious George Cottage

Remember all those plants we potted up in the spring from the gardens surrounding the Curious George Cottage? Well, they survived the hot, dry summer and they are now back in the ground in front of the Cottage's new location recovering from their ordeal. Many thanks to Birdie Britton for joining the Rey Center staff for a morning of planting. We look forward to seeing these plants take off next spring.
There were many more plants than we remembered potting up, and fortunately, we were able to plant the entire area in front of the Cottage with this collection of salvaged plants. We hope to put in more flower gardens along the side of the Cottage in the spring with the help of local gardeners. Having substantial flower gardens will be a fitting tribute to Margret Rey and her love of gardening. Thank you again to all who helped us save these plants in the spring and to Birdie and David Britton for watering plants over the summer.

Monitoring Phenology on Mount Tecumseh

by Jim VanGyzen, Plymouth State University Graduate Research Assistant

As the summer progresses and eventually welcomes the cool air of fall, here at the Margret and H.A. Rey Center we are continually monitoring our research transect located on Mount Tecumseh. This transect, maintained in partnership with Plymouth State University's Center for the Environment, is an on going research site that will eventually create a new phenology database. Our last field visits were 7/15, 7/16, and 7/23.  With the help of two REU students (Research for Undergraduates program), we assessed tree health of each of our 28 trees. On top of that we recorded species inventory of six herbaceous plots. The monitoring of phenology and phenophases requires time intensive field visits, which will kick into full swing with our observations of fall color change and leaf drop.  Over time, this research will provide data on phenology of our northern mixed hardwood forests, which will in turn help us understand the climatic changes that we are enduring each passing year. This transect is spread over the entire length of the Mt. Tecumseh trail which during a humid day with passing thundershowers can create some difficulty, but the information gained from these experiences shall create new insight to our environment.

Stop and Look Around by Jeremy Phillips

“…stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” Leo Tolstoy.

In the midst of summer there is plenty to do. Work is tiresome as you stare out the window wishing you were outside, visiting neighbors and complementing them on the yard work, attending parties, swimming, driving from place to place. Phew… where did the season go? Even our fun activities can seem like work in times like these. So, remember, “…stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” There are seasons within seasons that can get overlooked with a blink.