The Last Ice: Glacial Lake Hitchcock

What and where was Glacial Lake Hitchcock? What evidence is left in our region’s valleys, rocks, soil and waterways? On November 21, the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) brings filmmaker Greg Stott to White River Junction to show his new documentary about the effects of the last ice age in the Connecticut River Valley. Stott is a middle school science teacher who made the film after winning a Christa McCauliffe Sabbatical supported by the NH Charitable Foundation in 2023. The screening is co-hosted by the Upper Valley Food Co-op in conjunction with its Documentary Club.

“Many of the resources that the Upper Valley Land Trust works to protect, including the prime agricultural soils that are some of the best in the world, exist because of Glacial Lake Hitchcock,” says Jason Berard, VP of Stewardship for UVLT. “Those rich sediments were the floor of a lake that filled the Connecticut River valley to an elevation of about 720 feet.”

Stott, a teacher, artist and filmmaker, has been teaching science at high school and intermediate levels since 1997. His sabbatical work was aimed at helping students from elementary to high school notice and better understand the geology of the environment around them. In a 2023 interview for the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation he explained, “What I want people to realize is that no matter where you are, there is something interesting that kids can look at, there is some interesting earth science everywhere.” ​ For example, he noted that his classroom, “Where I’m sitting right now, was under water.”

Berard says that many, but not all, of the 42 Conservation Areas owned by UVLT were under water or partially under water. This leads to some interesting research opportunities. UVLT has worked with Dartmouth professor Meredith Kelly whose students have studied core samples from Smith Pond in Enfield, shown in the film. If cores are obtained that go all the way back to glaciation, then a timeline may be known for when the glacier retreated, and which species repopulated the land after retreat. Geology doesn’t just look back into history. Knowledge about past conditions in our landscape can help us understand current conditions and anticipate what may be ahead as our climate changes.

On November 21, Greg Stott will be joined by director of photography Nick Natale to answer questions and discuss making the film. The showing is scheduled at 7:00pm at the Bugbee Senior Center in White River Junction. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP's will help set up the space but are not required: contactus@uvlt.org

The Documentary Club of the Upper Valley Food Co-op is a new initiative, explains the Co-op’s Ben Fletcher. “Each month we will watch a documentary, then engage in a discussion led by a local person who specializes in that topic. Our goal is to learn together and build community through our inquiry and conversation.” The club plans to show films on the third Thursday of the month. “The Last Ice” is the second film to be promoted by the Documentary Club.