Contact: Haley Andreozzi: (603) 862-5327 haley.andreozzi@unh.edu January 11, 2022

Durham, NH – The NH Coverts Project is accepting applications from new volunteers interested in participating in the 2022 NH Coverts Project volunteer training program. This year’s training will take place over the course of four weeks, with one virtual session to be held on the evening of April 28, and three in-person field workshops to be held in Peterborough on May 6, Milton Mills on May 13, and Walpole on May 20.

Since its beginning in 1995, the NH Coverts Project has trained over 500 volunteers in promoting wildlife conservation and forest stewardship throughout the state. Each year, 25 conservation-minded residents connect with a team of natural resource professionals to learn more about wildlife and forest ecology, habitat management, land conservation, and effective outreach to share their new learnings. There is a $50 registration fee, however, program sponsors cover all other program costs. In exchange for the training, participants commit to volunteer at least 40 hours of their time during the coming year to educate and motivate others to become stewards of the state’s wildlife and forest resources.

A covert, pronounced “cover” with a “t,” is a thicket that provides shelter for wildlife. The term symbolizes the project’s goal of enhancing, restoring, and conserving habitat for native wildlife in New Hampshire. Once trained through the Coverts Program, participants become members of a knowledgeable statewide network connected through newsletters, field trips, and workshops.

“I had been working on a conservation project in my town for over 5 years since becoming a Coverts volunteer,” one participant shared this year. “With the support and resources of the Coverts program, I was able to see the work through to completion with the end result being a conservation easement finally being placed on an ecologically important woodland property.”

Coverts volunteers give their time in a variety of ways. Some lead field walks or organize volunteer workdays, while others serve on town boards or manage their own property for wildlife habitat. Volunteers come from many backgrounds and professions, but they are united in their desire to help New Hampshire’s wildlife and forests.

The NH Coverts Project is sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The program also receives support from the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Forests and Lands.

To apply for this year’s NH Coverts Project training, download and complete the 2022 NH Coverts Project Application at nhcoverts.org. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2022. For more information, visit the project website at nhcoverts.org or contact Project Coordinator Haley Andreozzi at haley.andreozzi@unh.edu or 603-862-5327.