As the weather warms and summer peeks around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about the ways you can keep the environment in mind as you head outdoors. And do you know what’s great about that? You don’t need to make sweeping changes to your daily life to make a difference. Small changes have a big impact. Here are some small ways you can make positive changes:

Over 275 students from 14 different schools across New Hampshire gathered to learn about keeping water clean at this year’s New Hampshire 4th Grade Drinking Water Festival, State Science Fair and Poetry Contest on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

Pictured above, from left to right: Andrea O’Brien and Sara Johnson; and Collin Marchant of Nefab and Renee Lesjak Bashel, Wisconsin Small Business Environmental Assistance Program.

It was another lovely Earth Day in New Hampshire on April 22, and I took the opportunity to celebrate it by joining NHDES staff and partners on a field visit to a local vernal pool to study the area for evidence of amphibian and salamander eggs. Vernal pools are a type of wetland that provides critical wildlife breeding habitat, and they typically only “appear” from March to May every year. It’s a good time to get out and see one for yourself, but please maintain a safe, respectful distance from any wildlife when you do so.

North Country Hard Cider (NCHC) in Dover is the first cidery in New Hampshire to be recognized in the New Hampshire Sustainable Craft Beverage Recognition Program. The Sustainable Craft Beverage Recognition Program is a free, voluntary program offered to environmental leaders in the craft beverage industry who go above and beyond to produce high quality eco-friendly craft beverages. Recognition requires the completion of an application and a site visit by New Hampshire Pollution Prevention Program (NHPPP) staff for verification.

As the weather warms this year, be on the lookout for potentially harmful cyanobacteria blooms! Always perform a personal self-risk assessment of the water, looking for discoloration or unusual growth before recreating or letting your pets in the water. Cyanobacteria can look like scums, mats, spilled paint or paint chips. The color of the water can turn green, blue, yellow, white, or brown. If you see something unusual, take pictures and report it with our NEW Bloom Report Form. Remember, when in doubt, stay out!