Joseph Homer Award
Conservation Educator of the Year
In honor of celebrating the Conservation Districts 75th Anniversary, we are excited to honor an outstanding educator in Coos County that has instilled a conservation ethic in their students and has a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. The Coos County Conservation District is happy to announce this year’s Educator of the Year Award to Joe Homer! Congratulations Joe!
Joe attended the University of New Hampshire and received Bachelor degrees in Soil Science and Environmental Science. After he graduated, he worked at UNH for one year to gain more experience. Adventure was quickly around the bend, and Joe decided to reside in New Mexico for three years where he worked on a Navajo Reservation as a soil scientist. He enjoyed company while in New Mexico with UNH classmate Peter Whitcomb who ventured out to the west coast for soil scientists’ opportunities as well.
After visiting the west coast soils, Joe decided to head back to his roots in New Hampshire and worked as a soil scientist for NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) in Woodsville, NH for six years. Joe was part of a crew of three who completed the Grafton County Soil Survey Report.
Although the North Country was calling Joe’s name, and he transferred to the NRCS office in Lancaster. While at this location, he started as a field scientist, moved up to a project leader, then a resource specialist. He completed the Coos County Soil Survey and was promoted to Assistant State Soil Scientist. His good works did not go unnoticed, because he later became the NH State Soil Scientist!
In January of 2013, Joe decided to retire and spend more time enjoying his hobbies. These include fly fishing, cross country skiing, canoeing, camping, hiking, and cycling. He also makes sure to take time each year to visit his favorite location, the beautiful Mount Washington! Mt. W is very important to Joe, not only has he hiked, skied, bike raced, and snowshoed up the mountain, it is also where he had his first date with his wife Jennifer. What a grand spot to have a first date!
A few other exciting accomplishments on Mt. W that Joe completed was mapping the Mount Washington State Park, mapping the Great Gulf Wilderness with the US Forest Service, and completing the first soil survey mapping on the mountain as well. How exciting!
One of Joe’s favorite memories involved the Mascoma Wetlands Project in Dorchester, NH, where Joe worked with Steve Hundley (NRCS State Soil Scientist) installing instrumentation to collect data on soils, hydrology and plants to refine and regionalize criteria for the identification of wetlands. The project gave Joe the opportunity to work with experts from around the country and received National Recognition.
Joe continues to teach soil science and web soil survey at workshops for adults and youth through out New Hampshire. He also teaches a week-long Wetland ID delineation course at the Eagle Hill Institute in Steuben Maine.
At a CCCD monthly meeting Joe Homer’s name was brought up for the Educator of the Year Award and why Joe would be deserving of the award and one person simply stated, “Y’all know why. Outstanding experience, gifted at presenting so that the learner is motivated, committed to his subject, willing to spread the good news about the foundation of life = SOIL!”
Others brought up how Joe has over 30+ years of experience as a Soil Scientist. His expertise and willingness to help spread knowledge is impeccable! This past year he worked with the CTE Environmental Science program at White Mountain Regional High School to deliver a soil lesson to the students virtually and complete a hands-on lab with digging pits outside to analyze the microbes and other goodies below. He has donated his time to complete multiple soil workshops with the Coos County Conservation District each year and has done so for more than a decade. Additionally, he has been an organizer and presenter at the NH High School Soil Judging contest held at UNH for 20+ years. His experience and expertise truly make him a wonderful educator! His passion for soils also makes him a great partner with the Conservation District. The board is very thankful for all his involvement and volunteering at workshops in our County and the State!
Congratulations Joe! We look forward to continue working with you in the future!
Everette Frizzell
Everette FrizzellCooperator of the Year
Each year, the CCCD honors an individual, business, or organization with the “Cooperator of the Year” award. This is done to reward the recipient for cooperating with the Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conserve the natural resources on their land and exhibiting strong stewardship values.
Everett Frizzell; “Everett has been wonderful to work with and is dealing with some serious health issues these days. Having served on the extension advisory council for a number of years he was aware of NRCS programs, but only recently approached me (County District Conservationist for NRCS) in 2014 for help with maintaining his fields. That conversation evolved into doing a stream habitat improvement project/riparian buffer planting as well as developing a forest management plan.”
I’ll tell you what I know from my relations with him
- He was a school teacher for many years, probably his career. I think he taught at Profile, but other schools as well.
- He was a selectmen in Stark for many years
- He had a mowing business for his retirement. He mowed the roads at the Nash Stream Forest for many years and quit that only a few years ago. That is where I first met him.
- Owns land in Stark under my management. He had a management plan written, and conducted a small timber sale. The trailhead for the Devil’s Slide trail is on his land and his land has a deed restriction held by the Society for the Protection of NH Forests
Other than being a good friend and all around a really great person, that is what I know about him.
-Dave
Cooperator of the Year Award
In celebrating the New Hampshire Conservation Districts 75th Anniversary, the Coos County Conservation District is excited to honor a couple with the Cooperator of the Year Award. This reward goes to a recipient who has been cooperating with the Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conserve the natural resources on their land and who exhibit strong stewardship values. We are pleased to announce this year’s Cooperator of the Year Award goes to Everett and Margaret Frizzell! Congratulations to this wonderful couple!
Everett and Margaret have lived in Stark for over 45 years! Their passion and enthusiasm for conservation over their lifetime is evident! The love for science all started at the University of New Hampshire where Everett studied for his Bachelor’s Degree in Dairy Science. Wanting to learn more he then went on to pursue Science Education at the University of Vermont, which led him to becoming a science teacher for 35 years! He taught at the Essex Junction Education Center in VT, Berlin High School, and Profile High School in Bethlehem. The subjects he taught ranged from Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry and Physics!
Everett served on the UNH Advisory Council for many years and was aware of the NRCS programs, however he finally approached staff in Lancaster in 2014. He inquired for assistance with maintaining his fields. The simple conversation ended up turning into a much larger collaboration that involved NRCS and forester David Falkenham. NRCS provided assistance for both a stream habitat improvement project/riparian buffer planting and a forest management plan!
Everett explained the stream habitat improvement project to be “a major river project” where stream bank restoration and erosion control was important! He stated willows, pine trees, maple trees, and other shrubs were planted along the bank to help with the project, bird houses were also installed on the bank as well. Overall, he is pleased that many years later it is still “doing what it was designed to do”.
The fields on his property are currently in delayed mowing with NRCS through the EQIP program. This means he waits to cut the field until after the beginning of August due to the summer songbirds nesting. He does not want their nests and habitat to be disturbed. Once the August date passes then he completes the needing mowing since the hatchlings are all grown and out of their nests.
In 2018 the couple worked with David Falkenham (forester and associate board member of the CCCD) on a forest management plan for the timber on their property. They decided to clear cut one spot with old age spruce and fir to make room for regenerative new growth. This would allow for habitat improvements for rabbits and other small mammals. The young growth is coming back nicely! When I asked Dave to describe Everett, he said he is, “a good friend and all around a really great person.”
Another environmental resource that they decided to improve on their property is the wetland habitat in a small oxbow pond in their field. They wanted to make the environment more attractive to salamanders, turtles, and frogs.
When asked where their favorite spot is in the North Country, Margaret stated she “likes the mountains and the open areas of the North Country”, however if she had to choose one spot it would be traveling through Dixville Notch and seeing the Balsams back in its prime. Whereas Everett enjoys the Pond Brook Falls in the Nash Stream Forest. Both are absolute gorgeous places!
When the two are not out in nature, Margaret enjoys quilting and Everett delights himself in collecting stamps and coins. He even has all 50 state coins collected!
Wrapping up our conversation I asked them, what is their favorite memory of the North Country. The couple recalled 15 years ago when there used to be an Old Time Fiddlers Contest in Stark, people all got together to make wonderful memories at this event! This Contest ran for 30 years prior and seemed to be a great place for locals to enjoy the beautiful town and company.
In closing, Everett explained how lucky they are to live in a nice spot (Stark), it has nice views with the Pilot Range and when you go away it is always good to come back. “There is no place like home.” I think most North Country residents can absolutely agree with Everett, there truly is no place like home in the North Country!
Congratulations Everett and Margaret on receiving the Coos County Conservation District’s Cooperator of the Year Award! We are absolutely honored to present this award to you!