Coastal Research Volunteers

02/03/2026

Help Study the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary!
February 11th | Hampton Community Room (24 Park Ave) | 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Let’s collaborate to find new ways to connect with the outdoors and collect valuable data!

Join members of SHEA and UNH for an evening of exploration and conversation focused on the science conducted to better understand and monitor the health of the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary. SHEA invites you to share your interests to help shape future community-based programs. Nature Groupie Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance Great Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveNH Sea GrantUNH ExtensionBlue Ocean Society for Marine ConservationNH Fish and GameHampton Beach - "Official"Gundalow CompanyNH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup

Click below to register for the event
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kxgk1i1R3EaNK75H4l9WZkLUuGWgd31HjcpMizVrhjVUM0U0Sk81UkQ4T0pOSURFVFZXQTRNUTBDMC4u&route=shorturl

02/18/2025

Come join us!
https://naturegroupie.org/experiences/rainbow-run-2
Nature GroupieNH Sea GrantUNH ExtensionNH Fish and Game

Every spring, rainbow smelt spawn in the rivers and estuaries surrounding Great Bay. Unfortunately, migratory populations of rainbow smelt have declined in recent decades. With the help of citizen scientists, this research will help future managers better protect and enhance rainbow smelt population...

12/04/2024

What I love most about CRV is bringing people together.
A huge thanks to everyone for helping transplant beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) last week just before the freeze. NH Sea GrantNature GroupieUNH ExtensionGreat Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveSeacoast Science CenterSeabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance

09/20/2024

Walking in the dunes on a cooler morning, I thought someone was having pancakes on their porch. However, the maple syrup fragrance I was smelling was coming from Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, commonly called "sweet everlasting" or "rabbit to***co."

The plant’s common name comes from the way it lasts for years after being cut and dried. In addition, Indigenous people noticed rabbits liked to gather where these plants grew (hence its other name), and they used it in traditional medicines to treat colds, fevers and many other ailments.

Sweet everlasting is native to NH and is usually found in openings, woodlands, disturbed areas, and coastal dunes. The leaves are alternate and narrow. The upper sides of leaves are green, but the undersides have wooly hairs, giving it a silvery appearance. The branches give way to pale yellow or white, tightly-packed flowers. The almost sticky, sweet-smelling aroma is one that reminds me the season is changing. Nature GroupieSeabrook-Hamptons Estuary AllianceSeacoast Science CenterNH Sea GrantUNH ExtensionGundalow CompanyGreat Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

08/16/2024

Join the Seacoast Public Health Network and Flood Ready Neighborhoods for a FREE workshop on building community resilience at the Seabrook Public Library (25 Liberty Lane, Seabrook, NH) from 4:30-6:30 pm! Learn how to create your own emergency plan, build an emergency kit, and take necessary actions during a disaster.

Dinner and childcare will be provided. Registration is free but required.
Nature GroupieNH Sea GrantUNH ExtensionGreat Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveGundalow CompanyHampton Beach - "Official"Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary AllianceSeacoast Science Center

01/03/2024

Plenty of projects to choose from in 2024!
https://seagrant.unh.edu/volunteer/coastal-research-volunteers

We hope to see you soon!
Nature Groupie, UNH Extension, NH Sea Grant, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Gundalow Company

10/31/2023

NH Sea GrantNature GroupieUNH Extension

10/24/2023

Dig in the dunes!
Help replant sand dunes in Hampton Sunday Oct 29 or Monday Oct 30: https://naturegroupie.org/experiences/just-dune-it-1

Coastal Research Volunteers NH Sea Grant

08/16/2023

We were out in the salt marsh monitoring nekton with NH Deprtment of Environmntal Service Marsh Monitoring Program and we found this "worm" swimming in the water!
My companions Izzy and Merissa, salt marsh monitoring technicians, were much braver then I was and picked it up as if it were a baby bunny. The way it moved and its segmented worm-like body was too much for me to stomach. We were so intrigued by what this critter was.

We found the larvae stage of what we commonly call green heads, or horse flies. Beachgoers this time of year know them all too well. Like all other members of the fly family, these go through complete metamorphosis, starting out as eggs, which hatch into grub-like larvae (which can grow in this stage for years), pupate, and emerge as winged adults.

Most larvae are aquatic, living in streams, ponds, or wetlands, where they prey on insects and other small animals. Adults eat pollen and nectar from flowers and females (not males) are the only ones that drink blood.

We also learned that even in the larvae stage they are known to leave a nasty bite. We were lucky! So next time you swat your legs at a green head, be happy it's a fly and not this large biting worm! NH Sea Grant Nature Groupie UNH Extension Photo by Photo by Izzie Leo

08/08/2023

We have been having some great turnouts at our Green Crab Hunts this summer! A huge thank you to everyone who comes out. Only a few more left! UNH Extension NH Sea Grant Nature Groupie

Join the New Hampshire Green Crab Project to search the coast for green crabs! Volunteers will contribute to a study evaluating the potential for a commercial fishery to help control this invasive species. Green crabs are edible, but because they are smaller than other popular crabs, they are not co...

04/21/2023

Glad to see residents and UNH students have started to plant dune grass on the dunes and new beach in front of reservation terrace.

03/29/2023

Happy research Wednesday! Looking to get involved in research around the bay? This is a fun citizen science volunteer opportunity and we are looking for more help. Email [email protected] to register for training!