Rockingham Conservation Commission

06/23/2026

Rockingham Nature Walks: Oak Hill Trails

When: Jun 24, 2026, 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Meet at the parking lot at the Rockingham Recreation Center in BF, 10 Playground Rd
Some trails are steep, and dress for ticks.
For more information contact Hayden Smith at (802) 881-6407

--Peter Bergstrom • Co-Chair, Rockingham Conservation Commission,

06/18/2026

One of the challenges for the weatherization of Vermont homes is the age of our housing stock. When was the last time a new home was built near you? I grew up in suburban CT in the 1950’s and new homes seemed to sprout near me like mushrooms.

I’ve heard it claimed that VT has the oldest housing stock in the US, and that’s close to the truth. This analysis of 2024 data shows that DC has the highest % of pre-1939 housing, at over 16%. VT is tied with three other Northeastern states, RI, MA, and NY, at about 13%. ME is close behind at 12%, while NH and CT have slightly newer housing (about 9% of their houses are pre-1939).

Weatherization is always a good idea, but it can be more of a challenge in older homes. —Peter Bergstrom, Rockingham Energy Committee

05/22/2026

We have a venue and dates for our fifth WindowDressers community workshop, where we will assemble insulating window inserts for local residents. It will be held from Nov 5 through 12 (Thursday to Thursday) at 335 Leach Rd, just west of Saxtons River, in a shop belonging to Energy Committee member Mike Stack.
Please write to me at [email protected] if you would like to get your windows measured for inserts. Also please write to me if you have some 8 foot work tables that we could borrow for the week, since we’ll need at least a dozen. —Peter Bergstrom

05/08/2026

The second in our series of free Rockingham Nature Walks will be in just over a week on Saturday May 16 starting at 1 PM. We'll meet at 20 Mill St in Bellows Falls in the parking lot below the Adams Grist Mill, in the Bellows Falls Riverfront Park. We'll walk south on the Bellows Falls Riverfront Trail to the mouth of the Saxtons River (less than a mile), then walk up that river on an old road through a lovely gorge and the Basin Farm, and return to Bellows Falls via Forest Rd and Rt. 121 (on a sidewalk). Questions? Call or text Peter Bergstrom at 802-289-3271.

04/22/2026

The weekend after this one (Sat May 2) is Green Up weekend!! Hope you can pick up some bags and pick up some trash. There will be a meetup at the Exit 6 Park & Ride at 9 am on Sat 5/2 if you want to work with a group. All bags will be picked up by town crews on Monday May 4.

04/22/2026

Mark your calendars for this nature film festival held next Thursday, April 30 from 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM at the BF Opera House, presented by the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC).

Enjoy an evening of short films about environmental stewardship, adventure, and fellowship in the natural world at the Bellows Falls Opera House. In addition to a film program hand-picked by CRC, there will be refreshments and raffle prizes. This is also a great opportunity to learn about CRC’s programming and how to get involved.

Festival-goers can expect family-friendly films featuring people working around the globe to promote cleaner water, healthier habitats, and more resilient communities. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the door.

Tickets prices: Adult tickets: $12 in advance, Youth under 18 in advance: $10; $15 at the door. For advance purchase: https://crc-wild-and-scenic-2026.eventbrite.com/

Doors open at 6:00pm, and the films will commence at 6:30pm. There will be a 15-minute intermission. After the films, raffle winners will be announced!

04/21/2026

Here are two local opportunties to plant trees next month, May 7 & 9. No prior experience is needed. We will provide know-how, swag, and snacks! If you have a favorite shovel, feel free to bring it along. Register to get directions at https://www.windhamcountynrcd.org/

04/08/2026

This Saturday, April 11, 10 am-12 pm, load your car with styrofoam to recycle! No packing peanuts accepted.

Styrofoam Recycling ♻️ Collection: Saturday, April 11

*Can you spare a few hours to help reduce waste? See below for more info. *
*What:* Styrofoam Recycling ♻️ Collection
*Where:* Lebanon High School, 195 Hanover Street, Lebanon, NH
*When:* April 11, 2026, from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm; rain or shine
*Who:* All Hartford and Upper Valley residents (this includes Rockingham) may bring their expanded polystyrene (EPS) (a.k.a. Styrofoam) to this collection, co-sponsored by Sustainable Lebanon, Rotary Club of Lebanon, and Casella.
Donations gratefully accepted to cover the cost of transportation to the Gilford Recycling Center for processing.
*VOLUNTEERS are urgently needed.* Please contact Cindy at [email protected], 603-543-1307 if you can help.

04/05/2026

If you ever hear animal calls that you can't ID, the free "Merlin" app is great for birds, but I have not found a reliable equivalent for frogs & toads, or insects. Luckily there are only 11 species of frogs & toads in Vermont, and you can hear them all on this website. All of these are found in Vermont except the Eastern spadefoot (a toad which occurs as far north as Mass.).

Calls of Frogs and Toads of the Northeast Presented roughly in the order that they are heard through the season. CREDITS: Photos and descriptions taken from Frogs and Toads of North America by Lang Elliott, Carl Gerhardt, and Carlos Davidson. Photos © Lang Elliott, unless otherwise indicated. Recor...