Greenfield Conservation Commission approves purchase of 40 bluebird boxes, sets community events calendar

The Greenfield Conservation Commission on Feb. 25 voted to buy 40 bluebird boxes, set several community programs for 2025 and opened planning for its April roadside cleanup, members said.

Karen Day, chair of the Greenfield Conservation Commission, called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. and led approval of amended January minutes. Ralph Scarpinio motioned to buy a total of 40 bluebird boxes; Roger Lessard seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Commission members reported that attendees at a recent bluebird presentation ordered 34 boxes and that the commission will cover the remainder so the group can distribute a full 40 boxes to participants.

The vote followed a review of logistics for the bluebird program. Roger Lessard will order poles and rebar from Edmunds and ask the vendor for an adhesive recommendation for attaching clapboards. Karen Day said she will place the box order and have the shipment delivered to member Tom Bregani’s home. The commission also agreed to again pay the program presenter, identified in the meeting notes as Logan, for this year’s presentation.

The commission scheduled several programs for the coming months: Utterly Otter is set for June 18 at the town library (the meeting house is not yet available); a Birdscaping program through the University of New Hampshire is planned for May pending UNH confirmation; and a Crows & Ravens talk is tentatively planned for fall. Members also discussed organizing a Micro Hike (Tom Bregani will contact Phil Brown) and exploring vernal-pool identification on town properties by finding volunteers or interns who can help locate and map pools.

Planning also began for the Roadside Round-Up on April 25. Karen Day said she will ask absent member Brenda Gollihue whether she will again prepare gift baskets for a raffle. The commission plans to use its canopy, hand out seed packets and provide refreshments. Logan offered to help create a digital map showing bluebird-box locations; Karen said she has a two-piece map with house numbers that might be printed at poster size by Hank Amsden.

Other items discussed included adding plantings or shrubs near Winnie's Garden on the parking-lot side and asking Jim Morris and the Department of Public Works to help install a protective fence if desired. Karen noted the garden’s hose reel is currently stored at the cemetery shed. The meeting notes recorded that Jeremy Gagnon will no longer maintain the gardens and that his son Jackson will be employed by the town as grounds maintenance for the summer.

On forestry and conservation, Tom Bregani reported a rough calculation that roughly 38% of town acreage is in conservation (he said he summed track sizes, not parcel sizes) and that current-use acreage stands at about 63%; the commission discussed obtaining updated conservation maps from the Harris Center or the Conservancy.

Guest Mary Tanzer said she found the meeting informative and told the commission she would like to join; Karen Day said she will begin paperwork to add Tanzer to the GCC roster. At 8:24 p.m. Tom Bregani moved to adjourn; Roger Lessard seconded and the motion to adjourn passed unanimously. The commission scheduled its next regular meeting for March 25 at 7 p.m. at the town offices.

Votes at a glance - Approve amended January meeting minutes: Mover Tom Bregani; seconder Ralph Scarpinio; outcome: approved, unanimous. (See meeting attendance for who voted.) - Purchase 40 bluebird boxes (commission purchase to supplement attendee orders): Mover Ralph Scarpinio; seconder Roger Lessard; outcome: approved, unanimous. - Adjourn meeting at 8:24 p.m.: Mover Tom Bregani; seconder Roger Lessard; outcome: approved, unanimous.