Education
Educaitonal activities are conducted on town lands by Camp Waukeela, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Green Mountain Conservation Group, Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, Purity Springs Resort and Conway Lake Conservation Association. Green Mountain Consrvaiton Group, Conway Lake Conservation Association, and the Eaton Conservation Commission all contribute to scientific research based on water sampling in town lakes and ponds.
Camp Waukeela for Girls is located on the north shore of Crystal Lake and is open from late June until the middle of August. The camp has been in operation since 1922 and uses Crystal Lake, local woods and Foss Mountain for nature study, hiking, camp skill development, swimming and boating.
Tin Mountain Conservation Center, of nearby Albany, NH has members and staff that use Eaton's woods and wetlands for nature study and bird watching, especially on Foss Mountain during hawk migrations on a more or less yearly basis. They have also done aquatic studies and added woody debris to the Shepards River and Linscott Brook to study the potential for enhanced brook trout reproduction due to this improvement of the in-stream habitat.
Upper Saco Valley Land Trust has conducted many programs in the Eaton area related to assessment of conservation easements of their properties on Foss Mountain and Upland Apple Farms. They have also done field work on identifying cellar holes and historical buildings. Their Local Farm Guide lists the three primary commercial farms in Eaton which supply vegetables, meat and fruit to residents and regional stores.
Eaton resident Mark Carbone conducting water testing 2019
Purity Springs Resort has programs and trails in the far southwest corner of Eaton that cater to visitors eager to learn about the local woods and wildlife. The 168 acre NH Audubon/Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary on the eastern shore of Purity Lake offers trails past old cellar holes, the Blaisdell Mill and Dam that was once a bustling village, a kettle hole pond, beaver dams, a heath and old growth woodland sections. Maps and explanatory materials are available at the main office.
Green Mountain Conservation Group, of Effingham, NH has used Long Pond for water quality sampling as a base line of the water conditions flowing south into Danforth Pond, then Ossipee Lake. These efforts will resume in the near future but likely further south, beyond Purity Lake. This group also informs local businesses and land owners about best management practices (BMPs) for controlling surface water runoff and limiting excess salt application on roads.
Conway Lake Conservation Association conducts yearly water quality and aquatic invasive species surveys on Conway Lake, the southern one-third of which is in Eaton. The Eaton Conservation Commission conducts yearly invasive species surveys on Crystal Lake and water testing for coliform bacteria is conducted by the state. Related educational efforts are made by signage on the lakes and newspaper articles to inform the public about the presence of loons and their need for “privacy” during nesting season in all of Eaton's lakes.
Sources
Conversations with Camp Waukeela, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Green Mountain Conservation Group, Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, Purity Springs Resort and Conway Lake Conservation Association
Related topics: historic and archaeological sites, aesthetics