Join us for a day of special activities, speakers, and learning about the Connecticut River Valley
Saturday, August 2nd
10AM - 4PM
The Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center is open to the public from 10am - 4pm. Observe the fish ladder from above and below, explore interpretive exhibits, and speak with a knowledgeable environmental educator about our local watershed!
10:30 - 11:30 Sea Lamprey Dissection (registration required)
Sea Lamprey are an awesome anadromous fish of the Connecticut River! They are native, healthy, and beneficial to the river’s health. The Bellows Falls migration of lamprey typically ends in early June, but join us for this special session to add to your understanding of these proto-vertebrates, dissect some specimens, and “sea” what lampreys are all about! Registration and a signed waiver are required, and participants under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Hard copies of the waiver will also be available at the event.
1:00 - 2:00 Rivers of Time: 13,000 Years of Native American History in the Connecticut River Valley with Dr. Robert Goodby
We’re thrilled to welcome local expert Dr. Robert Goodby for an afternoon presentation focusing on the indigenous peoples of our region and their close relationship with waterways as part of our Open House event. Almost 13,000 years ago, small groups of Paleoindians endured frigid winters on the edge of a river in what would become Keene, New Hampshire. From this beginning, rivers were a focus of Native American life, with settlements at waterfalls, rapids, and confluences occupied repeatedly for thousands of years. Rivers became highways for long-distance travel, the centers of traditional homelands, and a rich source of fish, one of the foundations of the traditional Native economy. Drawing on sites from Keene, Hinsdale, Walpole, Bellows Falls, and a 4,000-year-old stone weir in Swanzey, this presentation will share the archaeological evidence for the prominent place of rivers in the lives of the Abenaki and their ancestors.
Presenter Bio: Robert Goodby is a professor of Anthropology at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge. He holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Brown University and has spent forty years studying Native American archaeological sites in New England. He is a past president of the New Hampshire Archeological Society, a former Trustee of the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner, and served on the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs. His book A Deep Presence: 13,000 Years of Native American History won a Benjamin Franklin Medal from the Independent Book Publishers Association and the People’s Choice Award in Non-Fiction from the New Hampshire Writers’ Project.
Presenter Bio: Jocelyn Saltzman has worked for The Nature Museum over the past five summer seasons as the Interpreter at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder & Visitor Center. Prior to working for The Nature Museum, Jocelyn led outdoor environmental education programs across New England. Her passions include hiking, backpacking, skiing, chattering about sea lamprey, and helping foster a love for students’ local outdoors.