United Church of Penacook, located at the corner of Community Drive and Canal Street in Penacook, is now renting spaces for their indoor/outdoor Spring Fair 2019 on April 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spaces can be rented inside for $20 ($5 extra for a table) and outside for $10. Handmade craft items, product vendors, attic treasures, and baked goods will be available. Fair proceeds support the United Church Food Pantry. If you have questions, please call 715-1227 or email SpringFair@ucpnh.org.
Come discover what makes Girl Scouts the leading expert on girls! Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains will host a free information session for girls and parents on Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Union Sanborn School, 5 Elm St., Northfield. Girls and their families can meet local Girl Scouts and volunteers; learn about expanded STEM and outdoor programs; enjoy fun, girl-led activities; explore programs; learn about volunteer opportunities; and register to become a Girl Scout. Plus, girls will receive a free Discover Girl Scouts embroidered patch. Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves over 10,000 girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. Offering hands-on, girl-led, girl-centered activities in STEM, the outdoors, and entrepreneurship, and abundant opportunities to develop invaluable life skills, Girl Scouts helps all girls take the lead early and often. Visit girlscoutsgwm.org or call 1-888-474-9686.
What’s happening with the birds this winter? Some species are missing, others may be back. Help N.H. Audubon track our bird populations by taking part in the annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey on Feb. 9 and 10. Biologists need assistance from citizens all over the Granite State to get a clear picture of what’s been happening with our winter birds. N.H. Audubon biologists particularly want to find out if the Black-capped Chickadee population has recovered. This popular backyard bird was at a record low last year. Evidence indicates more of them were in the woods eating the abundant natural food supplies and staying away from feeders, but it also appears they had a poor breeding season so there were fewer of them around to begin with. Biologists are anxious to see what this year’s numbers show and they need your help to get data from throughout the state. Last winter the exceptional natural food crop of berries, seeds, nuts, and cones, provided birds (and squirrels) with plenty of natural food. Wild Turkeys took advantage of abundant acorns and were at record numbers (2,876). This fall, natural food crops were very poor. That means some birds have left for the winter. Blue Jays are linked to acorn crops and with so few acorns this year, they have headed south for better feeding. N.H. Audubon needs your help to track the chickadees and other feeder birds. Anyone can participate in the Backyard Winter Bird Survey by counting the birds in their own backyard on the survey weekend and reporting on-line or sending the results on a special reporting form to N.H. Audubon. To receive a copy of the reporting form and complete instructions, email your name and address to bwbs@nhaudubon.org or call 224-9909. Forms are also available at N.H. Audubon centers in Auburn and Concord, and on-line. Find more information about the survey at nhaudubon.org under Get Outside-Birding. All New Hampshire residents are encouraged to take part. Results from past years are on the web site. For more info, call 224-9909 or go to nhaudubon.org and click Birding.