Volunteers sought to plant needed cover for endangered N.E. cottontails

Volunteers are needed to plant 10,000 shrubs this spring to help the state-endangered New England cottontail rabbit. (Emily Lord, UNH Cooperative Extension)

DURHAM - New Hampshire Fish and Game and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension are seeking volunteers to help restore the habitat of the endangered New England cottontail rabbit. Volunteers will plant native shrubs, which the rabbits use for shelter, at Bellamy River Wildlife Management Area in Dover on April 21 from 9 a.m. to noon or 1-4 p.m.

"Volunteering to plant shrubs is a great way to spend time outdoors while working to help create important habitat for an endangered wildlife species," said Haley Andreozzi, UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Outreach Coordinator.

New England cottontails are a state-endangered species and rely on dense shrubland habitat ("thickets") to survive, so habitat management is a large part of the work dedicated to conserving the species. Bellamy River Wildlife Management Area is the site of the largest New England cottontail restoration project on state lands in New Hampshire. In looking to plant 10,000 native shrubs this year, it is a task that can only be accomplished with the help of volunteers.
For more information and to sign up, visit:

naturegroupie.org/events-training?jobId=a020f00000eGwmnAAC.

For more info contact Haley Andreozzi at haley.andreozzi@unh.edu or (603) 862-5327.