The so-called sentinel gardens spanned three continents and four countries, including Sweden, China, Italy, and the United States. New Hampshire is home to one of two sentinel gardens in the US. The other is located at the Waterman Farm on the Ohio State University Campus in Columbus, Ohio.
Researchers involved in the project hoped to make new discoveries about which insects and pathogens harm different plants.
Isabel Munck, a plant pathologist for the US Forest Service who works in Durham, N.H., was among them.
“One of the biggest threats, if not the biggest threat to our forest in this part of the world are invasives, like pathogens and insects,” said Munck.
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If the researchers noticed a tree struggling, they could investigate which pathogens or pests were likely to blame.
Foreign invasives can hitch a ride into the US in wood products, packing materials, or on live plants imported by nurseries, for example. But native plants haven’t developed any resistance to those insects or diseases, which means they can be especially damaging or even lethal.
Some of the trees planted in New Hampshire’s sentinel garden in Portsmouth, N.H., when they were younger.Isabel Munck
Munck said she was especially interested in learning more about fungi, which make up most forest pathogens.
“The point of this project is to try to detect them before they spread,” Munck said. She likened the trees planted abroad to a canary in a coal mine, capable of alerting people to a problem before it becomes lethal.
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She worked on one of the sentinel gardens, located at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, N.H., where plants from China and Europe were grown.
Gardeners in Italy, Sweden, and China reciprocated by growing plants from New Hampshire in those three countries to see how they would respond to pathogens located in those countries.
Researchers in China found several new pathogens that impact red maple that had never been reported before, according to Munck.
These observations could be used to inform policy decisions about monitoring and preventing harmful pathogens from entering the country to protect forests.
“We’re not going to stop international commerce and movement of goods and services and people. It’s an attempt to not be surprised by things that have surprised us in the past,” said Pierluigi Bonello, a plant pathology professor at The Ohio State University. Bonello also directed the sentinel garden research project.
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“This is just step zero, not even step one, just to see what’s out there,” he said. “Once you know there is a potential threat, theoretically then, you can alert the border inspection facilities in the United States, for example, to be on the lookout for that specific organism.”
When invasive species go undetected, they can create big problems.
Beech leaf disease is one of the top concerns Munck sees in the region today, caused by nematodes, or microscopic worms, that are believed to come from the Pacific Rim. First detected in the US in 2012, it prevents beech trees from developing shoots so the trees stop making new leaves. It has been found in 13 states so far, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine.
Scientists are concerned about the rate of spread, and that the invasive can kill trees just a few years after symptoms first show up.
Munck is also studying trees at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University to see what kinds of fungi are already present here. The 281-acre arboretum has over 16,000 trees, including species from all over the world. Some of the same species that grow in the arboretum were planted in the sentinel gardens around the world, so Munck can compare the fungi present in Boston to those in Jiangsu Province in China, for example.
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“We’re trying to exclude the things that are always present from the ones that are causing disease,” Munck said.
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Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
Sunflowers are my absolute FAVORITE flowers. I truly feel like they have magical uplifting abilities. Hence, why I’ve always kept fresh sunflowers in my house, brightening up my kitchen table or even my TV stand.
Obviously, it was a dream of mine to have my maternity photos taken in a sunflower field. They reflect sunshine and exude happiness.
Not to mention, one of my favorite quotes is about sunflowers! “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” Helen Keller
A beautiful reminder to keep an optimistic outlook on life and not dwell on the negative.
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So, you can imagine the joy I felt when I learned that New Hampshire had its very own Sunflower Festival at Coppal House Farm in Lee!
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
About the Sunflower Festival:
During the summer, the farm transforms into a sea of golden blooms, giving visitors the chance to wander through thousands of sunflowers, snap photos, enjoy local food vendors, artisan crafts, listen to live music, and experience one of New Hampshire’s most beautiful summer traditions.
Other unique activities on the itinerary? Sip-n-snip! Guests can enjoy a cocktail or mocktail of their choice and cut their own fresh bouquet of flowers.
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
Or maybe you’re a yoga fan? You can join a 60-minute sweat session from Lee, New Hampshire yoga instructors right in the heart of the flower field.
And because the farm grows oilseed sunflowers for culinary oil (which they harvest in the fall months), the flowers only stay at their peak for a brief window, making the festival a limited-time experience, according to the festival organizers…
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What makes this event even more special is the reason behind it. The festival started as a way to share the beauty of the sunflower fields, but it has grown into something much bigger. Organizers say the event has raised more than $90,000 for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire over the years and now shares a portion of its proceeds with several local nonprofit organizations serving the Seacoast community.
Anyone who knows me knows that paying it forward is something that’s incredibly important to me. It’s right up there with my love of sunflowers because both fill my cup in the best way. So, when I found out this festival celebrates my favorite flower and gives back to the community, I knew I had to share it.
Sunflower Festival Details:
This festival only runs from Saturday, July 25th until Sunday, August 2nd. You can get the full list of activities and more on the Coppal Farm website.
Daily Field Hours
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10:00 AM – 6:30 PM (last admission at 6PM because fields close at 6:30) Weekend Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free Weekend Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm): $16 per person ages 13 & older $14 per person ages 5-12 $14 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free includes: access to sunflower fields, craft fair, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, farm animals, & live music
Weekday Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $8 per person ages 13 & older $6 per person ages 5-12 $6 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
Weekday Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
What tickets include: Access to sunflower fields, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, and farm animals
READ MORE: A Classic Fairy Tale Comes To Life At Portsmouth’s Prescott Park This Summer
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This festival might just leave you smiling long after you leave the fields!
What Flowers Thrive in New England
See what flowers thrive in New England weather: Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Gallery Credit: Logan
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering Locally Grown Strawberries
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering PYO Strawberries
Ed. Note: If this was you and you are interested, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP.
“Dear PoPville,
I was biking home from a doctor appointment a little before noon on Friday, and stopped at a red light on New Hampshire & L st nw. There was a woman across the street who was looking fine in her dark blue (I think they were) scrubs. I might be crazy, but it felt like we kept checking each other out. By the third time,
if we were in a romcom, one of us would have waved. Sorry I didn’t, but if you are reading this and date men, reach out to the Prince if you are interested in that man on the bike. Have a great weekend!”
Ed. Note: If this is you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. PoPville is not affiliated with either party, please proceed with any potential connection at your own risk using caution as you would any online encounter. For those curious about past missed connections, many have been made and when possible I’ll try to update when/if more are made.
A New Hampshire motorcyclist who had been missing since the Fourth of July was found dead in Shelburne late Thursday night.
State police say they received a request from the Berlin Police Department just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday for help locating 41-year-old Wesley Grondin — the Berlin man was last seen riding his motorcycle on Saturday, July 4, and had been reported missing.
Troopers received a call a couple of hours later, around 10:10 p.m. Thursday, from a concerned resident who had been out looking for Grondin along Route 2 in Shelburne. The person told police they had found Grondin dead, along with his Harley Davidson.
According to state police, a preliminary investigation determined that Grondin was riding his Harley on Route 2 westbound in Shelburne when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he crossed over into the opposing lane, struck a post, and came to a final rest in the wood line.
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The crash is believed to have occurred just before midnight on July 4. At this time, police say there’s no indication that another vehicle or person was involved.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, however. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact Trooper Hunter Newsham at Hunter.P.Newsham@dos.nh.gov.
