Good Evening Hubbard Brooker’s,
As of today, New Hampshire is under a state of emergency, with 17 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 5 of which are in Grafton County. We have established a Hubbard Brook coronavirus task force with representatives from the Forest Service,
the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, and leaders of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. This group will continue to meet regularly and as needed to keep pace with changing circumstances, and provide updates to the Hubbard Brook community
Here is what you need to know today:
- The USFS Hubbard Brook headquarters buildings are closed to the public. All conferences, tours and walk ins are cancelled until further notice. The building is still available to essential staff and onsite
‘resident’ cooperators working for the LTER and the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation.
- If you need entry to the USFS Headquarters buildings, please contact Ian Halm, and he can arrange for an escort, as per USDA policy guidance.
Ian.halm@usda.gov or 603 397 7966. No one is allowed in the buildings without a USFS escort.
- The forest is still open for research, although the road is still snow covered. As a courtesy, please let Ian Halm know if you plan to do field work in the forest. Further guidance will follow if the situation
changes.
- All efforts are being made to insure the integrity of the long-term record. If you have samples or data being collected by onsite personnel, please check with them. We have created a backup staffing list,
in case individuals are unable to come in, but we have limited depth in this list.
- On the positive side, we are investigating creative opportunities to make Hubbard Brook educational resources available to teachers and classrooms nationwide with virtual classrooms and webinars. We will
provide more information on these opportunities shortly, as well as ways that you can contribute!.
Please be safe, and avoid unnecessary risks to yourself and the community. We will get through this!
Lindsey (on behalf of the COS, FS, HBRF, LTER HB Leaders
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