Pollinator Plants Find New Home

Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks Posted on May 12, 2026

Volunteer gardeners Joan McGovern, Barbara Slaiby, and Jessy Elfstrom joined Recreation, Arts, and Parks Department staff gardener, Susan Johnson Sunday, May 10, 2026, to carefully transplant a mature pollinator garden from the Mascoma River Greenway trailhead, where construction of the new Mechanic/High/Mascoma Streets Roundabout is beginning. The garden was established by Pat McGovern, and without the relocation effort, the established plants would have been lost during construction activities.

With permission from Goss Logan Insurance, the garden was successfully moved to the hillside near the Lebanon Pedestrian Tunnel entrance, creating a new space for both pollinators and visitors to enjoy. The transplanted garden will continue to provide important habitat and seasonal color along the Greenway.

Plants relocated during the project included Purple Coneflowers, Rudbeckia, Asters, Daffodils, Grape Hyacinths, Golden Alexanders, Bellflowers, Coreopsis, Daylilies, Bearded and Blue Flag Iris, Obedient Plant, Chrysanthemums, and Liatris.

Special thanks to the volunteers and community partners who worked together to save and replant this pollinator garden.

Here’s a message of this chilly morning’s missed photo op on the MRG from Dan Moriarty:

“I missed a unique photo op this morning . I was walking down MRG and had just passed Terrace View Condos. I was looking to the right downhill towards the pond for wildlife.

Out of the corner of my left eye, I noted something moving onto the trail uphill from Gardner Supply. It was a huge magnificent beaver. He waddled onto the trail, stopped, sat up and looked at me. He was about 20 feet away.I was dressed warm because it was 30 degrees out. My phone was zipped in my anorak front pouch and I had big mittens on. I tried to get my mittens off fast, unzip my pouch, take my phone out, cycle it on and take a photo. Phone took too long to cycle on.

Beaver sat there watching me fumble around, then turned around and went back downhill toward Gardners Supply. He was out of sight by time phone cycled on. I thought he would have headed across trail toward pond downhill on other side.”

If you spot this magnificent beaver or other interesting wildlife on the MRG please submit your photo and story to mcgovern.patricia(AT)gmail.com

Tuesdays, May 5 through May 26, 2026 9:30am to 10:30am. Lebanon’s Downtown Tunnel

Get outside with your tots in tow and join Leb Rec on the Mascoma River Greenway. Bring your little ones in a stroller or carrier, or let them walk, and let’s explore together. It is a proven fact that moving and getting fresh air at least 30 minutes a day helps little ones to sleep, helps build immunity, and decreases stress for everyone! Come make new adult and tot friends! Registration is free online at LebanonNH.gov/Register

Lebanon, NH: Mechanic Street/Mascoma Street/High Street Roundabout Project Update – Week of April 27, 2026

Fairway Electric has completed the installation of new utility poles and Fairway, Eustis Cable, and other utility companies will be transferring cables next week. Message Boards have been strategically placed in proximity to the project corridor to alert motorists of upcoming and ongoing construction, traffic pattern shifts, and traffic delays. The Message Boards will remain in place throughout the duration of the project.

The contractor will be on-site next week to commence construction work on the roundabout. Activities will include test pits, island removal, installation of project signs, and project layout.

As a reminder, the south side of the Mascoma Street sidewalk (Eastman Automotive side) will be temporarily detoured to the north side (Tanglez N Tanz side) between Granite Street and the crosswalk to the Mascoma River Greenway, and detour signs will be placed.

For more information about the project, please visit LebanonNH.gov/Roundabout. https://alrt.se/u/MRRbfqsMX64

Lots of coltsfoot in bloom along the MRG

Today was warm and sunny – a perfect day to get out on the MRG with volunteer trishaw pilot Dan Moriarty, The CWA Trishaw program is a wonderful feature of the Lebanon Parks & Recreation to get seniors and those with disabilities out on the MRG and Northern Rail Trail. Fresh air, turtles sunning themselves on logs, coltsfoot blooming in many places . . . and a Spring Azure Butterfly flitting about, gaining sustenance from these early bloomers. (Spring Azures are rather drab when wings are closed, but flash a brilliant purple-blue as the flit from flower to flower.) Dan pointed out an otter slide I had never noticed and told tales of turkeys, beavers, deer, bears, snapping turtles, foxes and other life he has encountered on the greenway. (A broken hip last fall has limited my range beyond recliner . . . what a treat to get outside to this larger life!)

For seniors and folks with disabilities, you can schedule a trishaw ride on the MRG by filling out this form with Lebanon’s Recreation Dept.

The adult Spring Azure butterfly uses its proboscis to drink nectar from early spring flowers.

“Tell Tale”*

Vital Communities is celebrating the 30th year of their Upper Valley Quests. Questing is a fun way to discover hidden gems and new places in the region, get outside, and have adventures with friends and family. One of those quests is on the Mascoma RIver Greenway, originally written by Frank Gould. You can check out the MRG Quest Here

Even if you have traveled many times on the MRG, this quest might make you aware of something new, such as the “Tell Tale” pictured above. Valley Quest has helped people of all ages slow down, look closely, and build meaningful connections across the Upper Valley—to the land, to local history, and to one another.  

*Prior to the modern era of air and pneumatic brakes, a brakeman was required to scale the tops of freight cars, while the train was in motion, and manually set each car’s braking system. This practice was extremely dangerous, making the position of brakeman one of the most dangerous within the industry.  The purpose of the tell-tale was to warn the man, who was concentrating on the job at hand, that an impending obstacle, such as a bridge or tunnel, was imminent down the line. (If he were facing in the opposite direction from the danger, the rods hitting him on the back or the head  would give an instant warning to duck or scramble down the end ladder.)

(Sat., May 30, at the Lebanon Library from 10:30 AM-12:00 PM. Join Vital Communities for an opportunity to learn more about Valley Quest, meet other Questers, make your own stamp, and participate in one of two Guided Quests located in Lebanon. )

Bloodroot is a native, perennial shade plant that supports the earliest pollinators in New Hampshire. This fragile spring flower develops and rises from the center of its curled leaf, opening in full sun, and closing at night. You can find it right now in the MRG Overpass garden by APD.

As spring melts the snow and the weather warms up, New Hampshire’s approximately 6,000 bears are coming out of hibernation, hungry and looking for food. This morning, Lebanon’s Dan Moriarty spotted a black bear (or two?) just off the MRG

“After I turned around at Glen Rd and headed back to Lebanon, this guy was sitting on hill just off MRG behind Renihan Meadows at 8:15 this morning. It could have been same bear I had seen earlier but the first bear had run off down the trail behind Renihan towards the river. Same or different bears, these were  good photo ops.”

This is not Dan’s first encounter of a bear on the MRG. Here is another story:

“I walk the MRG about four times a week at various times and have since before it opened. I’ve seen otter, fox, beaver, numerous deer and fawns, various ducks, geese and birds at various locations. I usually walk from the APD parking lot to the gate at the intersection of Glen Road and then back to the trail marker opposite Lumber Liquidators and then back to APD parking lot.

Last early October, I walked the trail at first light on a foggy dark morning. I like to walk at that time on the chance of seeing wildlife and because it’s so quiet with no one on trail. I had just crossed over the bridge on the downhill section near Renihan Meadows toward West Leb and was near the high tension electric wires when I had the sense that someone was coming up behind me. I looked back toward the bridge and could see a shape through the fog coming toward me and thought that it was an early runner who was coming pretty fast. I continued walking and didn’t hear anything and was anticipating that I’d say hello to runner in a couple of seconds. I turned to my left to see where runner was to say hello. About fifteen feet behind me was a bear coming fast. I didn’t even have time to react. He took an immediate right turn off the trail and plowed down the hill toward the river right under the electric wires. He was gone in a couple of seconds. I know nothing about size or maturity of bears other than to say he was big.

I’ve seen lots of bears in Upper Valley having lived in Cornish and in my neighborhood in Lebanon. I’ve seen them at a distance in Northern NH and ME. I’ve also seen many Grizzlies in Alaska and British Columbia in my travels. I’ve never though had the “up close and personal” contact that I had with the bear on the MRG. I never heard him coming. I just had the sense from being in the woods over many years that something was behind me.

So bottom line lesson is pay attention to your surroundings when on the MRG. Forget about wearing headphones and occasionally turn around to see what might be behind you on the trail especially in the early morning or at dusk.”

What You Should do if you Encounter a Black Bear? From https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/black-bears-new-hampshire

• Normal trail noise should alert bears to your presence and prompt them to move without being noticed. However, if you see a bear, keep your distance. Make it aware of your presence by clapping, talking or making other sounds.
• Black bears will sometimes “bluff charge” when cornered, threatened or attempting to steal food.
• Stand your ground and slowly back away.
• Black bears do not typically exhibit aggressive behavior, even when confronted. Their first response is to flee. Black bears rarely attack or defend themselves against humans.
• Enjoy watching black bears and other wildlife from a distance. Respect them and their right to live in wild New Hampshire.

So many people enjoying the MRG on this beautiful, warm, sunny day!

Mindy (looking very fluffy ) and Darla. No parkas, boots, mittens, or umbrelllas, yay!

Even the gardeners were out! Though Pat McGovern is the official maintainer of the MRG Overpass Pollinator Garden, it was the 10 year younger sister doing the heavy lifting. Please note those little green shoots in the foreground! An exhausted Joan says, “Forget paying for gym membership, volunteer to maintain the MRG gardens!”