Annual Woods, Water and Wildlife fest nets small, but appreciative, crowd

Sandra Shea, left, and her daughter, Olivia, 8, of Milton, work a saw during Saturday's Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival at Branch Hill Farm in Milton Mills. (Rochester Voice photo)

MILTON MILLS - Moose Mountain Regional Greenways held its annual Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival on Saturday, and while it was a scaled-back version due to the pandemic, visitors were still able to enjoy a quality experience that sought to engender and enrich people of all ages in an appreciation of a fragile environment.
The event was billed as "a daylong celebration of the great outdoors that features fun and educational outdoor activities."
Peter Goodwin, a member of the MMRG's Board of Directors, estimated that some 300 showed up to take advantage of the many exhibits, which this year were spread on fields across the street from Branch Hill Farm, fields that formerly served as a parking lot when pre-pandemic crowds often reached near 1,000.
While many perennial exhibitors, including Squam Lake Natural Science Center, were back, there was no petting zoo, live music or food options due to COVID.
Goodwin said while the crowds were down he was still happy with the turnout.
"The ages of the children today were older than in the past, but they were asking a lot of great questions," he said.