In this slide/lecture program, we will take an ecological look at Spring in the North Woods.  Our adventure begins at the summit of Mount Washington, where man has been able to adapt in order to survive some of the most severe weather ever recorded.  In this land above treeline, rare and intriguing alpine flora can be seen surviving the harsh Arctic-like conditions.  We'll then descend into the forest and valleys below to take a closer look at some of the wildlife that calls New Hampshire home.  What strategies are adopted to survive the drastic changes in New England's seasons, and how birds and mammals are shaped by this northern environment, will be some of the questions answered.  The northern forests provide the scenic backdrop as we take this fascinating closer look at Spring.

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Chris Lewey, author of The Science of Watching and the Art of Seeing and the Power of Nature Absorption, is the Executive Director and Founder of RAVEN Interpretive Programs, holds a BA degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine, and a  Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch University. Chris has led tours and programs for RAVEN, as well as such organizations as the Maine Audubon Society, Smithsonian Study Tours, Road Scholar, Tauck World Discovery, and the National Wildlife Federation.  He has taught ornithology for the National Audubon Society at their Hog Island ecology camp on the coast of Maine, where he was the Director of their Joy of Birding and Breaking into Birding programs for many years. A native New Englander and licensed Maine Guide, he has taught biology, ecology, and ornithology. RAVEN offers historical and ecological insights into the diverse environs of northern New England, Canada, the western United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and beyond. Chris has personally led many trips from Alaska to Eastern Canada, South America to the Antarctic peninsula, Arctic Greenland, Europe, and East Africa. He is a well-known lecturer to travel companies, as well as to local schools, libraries, and nature centers. RAVEN leads birding outings and nature walks regularly, as well as day trips and group tours. Chris has appeared on several radio and television programs, including Animal Planet's "The Most Extreme" series, Maine Public Television's “Quest" nature series, Maine Public Radio’s “Maine Calling,” and ABC's Good Morning America. As a nature photographer and licensed master bird-bander, he continues to enthusiastically share his perspectives and interesting interpretations of the natural world. He and his family live in downtown Fryeburg, Maine.  His wife, Carolyn, is the principal at a local elementary school in Lovell, their two boys have graduated from Fryeburg Academy with one now at Bates and the other starting at UNH this coming fall. Their eleven-year-old daughter will be going into the sixth grade at Molly Ockett Middle School in Fryburg and their three Labrador retrievers stay mostly close to home.