MMRG's WWW festival all about planting the seeds, while having fun

Jeff Tarbox of Branch Hill Farm explains to youngsters how to plant seeds in soil on Saturday at MMRG's 15th Annual Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival in Milton Mills. (Rochester Voice photos)

MILTON MILLS - The annual Woods, Water and Wildlife festival is one of the region's most long-running summer traditions, but that doesn't keep it from changing with the times to reflect its mission if outreach regarding conservation of our natural lands and wildlife.

So in its 15^th year it should have been no surprise that the former corn maze where kids and parents formerly played hide and seek had been replaced by a thriving permaculture garden.

Nearby Jeff Tarbox of Branch Hill Farms showed how to plant seeds to an engaged and excited group of children.

Patti Connaughton-Burns, executive director of Moose Mountain Regional Greenways which organizes the event, said the permaculture garden is all about teaching the public about "sustainability."

Vincenzo Nicastro of Wakefield pets the crown of Sully, who is held by Strafford County 4-H Club member James Edmonds of Strafford.

"Permaculture gardening teaches us how to grow food in a way that takes and gives back to the earth," Connaughton-Burns said.

Permaculture is a system of agricultural and social design principles focused on replicating the features observed in natural ecosystems.

Connaughton-Burns said volunteers built the beds and later this summer they will harvest them.

While there were some changes to the festival, much was the same to the delight of children and adults who came from all over New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts to try their luck at fishing in the pond, pet barnyard animals, take a discovery walk to find natural treasures in the woods and try out a logger's crosscut saw.
There was plenty of yummy food like burgers and dogs and good fiddle music from the York River Ramblers, too.

Lia Darling, left, of Lincoln, Mass., and Alannah Argyle of Dover, Mass., get close to finishing off a cut using a crosscut saw at Saturday's Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival in Milton Mills.

But what may have been the most pleasant feature of this year's fest was that the rain which had enveloped the area overnight and into the morning gave way to dull, hazy sun that brightened more as the day wore on.

"I was a little worried this morning, but it's turning our pretty nice," said Virginia Long, MMRG's public relations coordinator.

Connaughton-Burns stressed that while the public may know MMRG for its annual Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival, the organization's conservation work is ongoing and year-round.

One of their biggest projects now is the conservation of the Leary Field and Forest, a 63-acre parcel on Hornetown Road in Farmington that includes active agricultural forests and fields, recreation trails, wildlife corridors and connections to the Cocheco River watershed and public access.

For more info on MMRG go to www.mmrg.info.