Caption Quiz is a contest included in Forest Society News, our monthly email newsletter. (To sign up, go to our newsletter signup page.) Some recent photos, questions and answers are included below.

July 2010

The Winner: Dave Birchenough of Nelson, NH

The Question: Well suited to acidic, low-fertility soils and challenging winters, wild lowbush blueberries are usually less than a foot high. They spread by underground stems, forming mats of plants that cover large fields. Name one Forest Society reservation that's renowned for its wild blueberries.

The Answer: Wild blueberries abound at Gap Mountain (in Jaffrey and Troy), the Ashuelot River Headwaters (Lempster), and the Evelyn H. & Albert D. Morse, Sr. Preserve (in Alton).

June 2010

The Winner: Nancy Chase of Epping, NH

The Question: In New Hampshire, turtles awake from their winter hibernation in early spring and begin the search for an appropriate nest. Throughout the month of June, most turtles prepare nests for their eggs in shallow depressions in sandy, well-drained soils most often near streams, but also in clearings, fields, or other disturbed areas. However, many turtles are in decline, and a large number of turtle deaths are caused by humans. Name one major cause of death to turtles that results from human activity.

The Answer: Automobile accidents. During spring, many turtles find the gravelly roadsides to be prime nesting sites. In their search for food and water, turtles often cross the roads adjacent to their nests, too frequently encountering fast-moving vehicles in their travels.

May 2010

The Winner: Susan Schlough from Chicago, IL

The Question: The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation's Park Bureau manages 73 properties across the state for public recreation. Of those state parks, three were originally transferred to the state by the Forest Society. Name one of New Hampshire's three state parks that were once owned by the Forest Society.

The Answer: Mount Sunapee State Park in Newbury, Rollins State Park in Warner, and Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area in Winchester were all owned by the Forest Society, then transferred to the State of New Hampshire.

April 2010

The Winner: Paul Daniello of Swanzey, NH

The Question: The unique features of vernal pools prevent what predator from reaching the amphibian eggs and larvae that develop here?

The Answer: Fish. Fish are top predators in wetlands, but they can't survive in pools that dry out. As a result, vernal pools provide key breeding habitat for amphibians whose tadpoles and larvae are especially vulnerable to fish predation: wood frogs, spotted, blue-spotted, and Jefferson's salamanders.

March 2010

The Winner: Robert Quinn of Webster, NH

The Question: Every spring, seasonal rains combine with snowmelt to flood the Merrimack River. This photo, taken in downtown Concord shortly after an extreme weather event, shows the Tenney Coal Yard along the railroad as seen from north Main Street with the sandy bluffs of "The Heights" in East Concord across the river. Since this photo was taken, flood control structures – dams – have been built along the Merrimack and its tributaries to mitigate flooding. In what year was this photo taken?

The Answer: The photo was taken in 1936, when a combination of heavy rain and melting snow led to flooding throughout New England. On March 9, a warm, moisture-laden front moved in and stalled over New England, resulting in warmer temperatures and heavy rainfall in the days that followed. The event became known as The Great Flood of 1936.

February 2010

The Winner: Claudia Istel of South Acworth, NH

The Question: The Ashuelot River has its source in Lempster, NH at the site of the Ashuelot River Headwaters project just conserved by the Forest Society. Name 3 of the 10 communities through which the Ashuelot River flows on its 64-mile journey to the Connecticut River.

The Answer: The Ashuelot River flows, from northeast to southwest, through the following communities: Washington, Lempster, Marlow, Gilsum, Sullivan, Surry, Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, and Hinsdale.

January 2010

The Winner: Chuck Stata of Groton, NH

The Question: There are 115 organized snowmobile clubs in New Hampshire whose members maintain the trails enjoyed by snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, hikers, and others – like the one pictured here at the Forest Society's Washburn Family Forest in Clarksville. Approximately how many miles of snowmobile trails across the state do these clubs maintain: a) between 500 and 1,000, b) between 1,000 and 2,500, c) between 2,500 and 5,000, or d) more than 5,000 miles?

The Answer: D. According to the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association, snowmobile clubs maintain more than 6,830 miles of trails in New Hampshire.