RINDGE — As we enter the last month of summer, the Rindge Conservation Commission plans to showcase natural New Hampshire with a hike and paddle at Converse Meadow on Sunday. All are welcome — people and pooches alike — in line with the theme “Dog Days of Summer.” “This is the perfect property to hike with a canine friend,” David Drouin, conservation commission chairman, said in an email.
Starting at the parking area for Converse Meadow on Converseville Road, north of Route 119, at 1:30 p.m., the commission members invite lovers of the outdoors, including families and dogs, to join them for the free hour-and-a-half informational hike, or canoe and kayak trip around the pond.
Dog owners will be expected to keep their dog on a leash and pick up after them. Participants interested in the water tour are required to bring their own canoe or kayak, paddles and life vest. Each tour will be led by a commission member providing insight into the natural and historical surroundings that make up Converse Meadow.
According to Drouin, the loop trail is about 1.7 miles with some side trails that make it a little longer, and it is considered a moderate hike. This event is part of the Rindge Conservation Commission’s annual hike and paddle series focused on providing educational opportunities for people to experience Rindge’s trails, wildlife and wetlands, according to a news release.
Deni Dickler, a conservation commission member, said this series has taken place once a month from June to October for seven years. Converse Meadow is one of eight conservation lands in Rindge, according to the town’s website. With an open wetland, marsh and historic mill site, Dickler said this is one of the most popular trails and described it as a beautiful hike.
The water tour will provide a glimpse into what normally cannot be seen from the trail, she added. The conservation commission works to promote the conservation lands and educate people in the Monadnock Region about the importance of preservation. Members meet twice a month to develop plans to maintain, protect and monitor the properties, and are aided by the Conservation Corps, a volunteer group that meets monthly to enact the commission’s plans for tasks like cleaning up trails or offering educational activities.
“Our goal is to help people explore the outdoors and really appreciate the beautiful outdoors we have out here,” Dickler said. The commission will host two more hiking events before winter. Everyone is invited to celebrate National Honey Month at Tetreault Park on Sept.
22 with a local beekeeper and National Raptor Month at Miriam Hunt Memorial Forest on Oct. 20. Members and volunteers work year-round to ensure Rindge’s conservation lands are also available for future generations.
“We’re preserving the natural habitat for Rindge for the future,” Dickler said. “We want our children and grandchildren to have the New Hampshire lifestyle and we can only do that if [it] is protected.”.
