I am delighted to welcome you to the Granite State News Collaborative's newsletter. My name is Caitlin Agnew, and as a freelance Assistant Editor at GSNC, my mission is clear: to foster enhanced communication between us.

Here, you'll find an array of insights into our ongoing activities, thought-provoking stories, and exciting projects. But it's not just a one-way street – your feedback is invaluable to us. We want to hear your thoughts on the stories we bring to life, the projects we're diligently working on, and the topics that pique your curiosity.

Throughout this newsletter, you'll discover handy links that lead to deeper dives into our stories and projects. Plus, we've provided spaces for you to voice your ideas and opinions on specific subjects or initiatives we're passionate about.

Your input matters greatly to us, and we encourage you to reach out. Feel free to drop us a line at the email address below – we're all ears! Your feedback fuels our commitment to delivering meaningful content that resonates with our incredible community.

Email us at: caitlin.agnew@collaborativenh.org

Thank you for being part of the Granite State News Collaborative family. Your engagement enriches the conversation, and together, we can build stronger, more connected communities.

GOT SEAWEED? - Along the shores at Odiorne State Park, sparkling tide pools and gray boulders provide the perfect environment for Gabby Bradt, a marine biologist and fisheries specialist at the New Hampshire Sea Grant, to forage for  yellow-green tendrils of Rockweed, a seaweed also known as Bladderwrack. Bradt is working to expand the public’s understanding of the roles seaweed can play in our lives, as seafood production declines due to climate change.

NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK FIGHTS NEW OBSTACLES TO FOOD SECURITY - For food insecure state residents, the New Hampshire Food Bank is more than “worth it” — it is a lifeline. But lately, food has not been flowing so freely for this nonprofit organization. A perfect storm of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have fueled food price hikes that have impacted the organization. But a still larger threat looms on the horizon for those laboring to bring nutrition to the food insecure: climate change.

The State We’re In - Melanie Plenda talks with University of New Hampshire grad students, Shantel Palacio, and Nathan Harris, founders of Beyond the Border, a critical dialogue series, and James Rinker, Digital Community Engagement Journalist for The Keene Sentinel, and part of the current cohort of the solutions journalism networks Complicating the Narrative Fellowship, to find out what it takes to have a respectful conversation on a sensitive topic without resorting to shouting and personal attacks.

Granite Justice Podcast - Far too often, people don’t know that when they are facing a problem – like a landlord who won’t give back a security deposit, or a denial of a program like food stamps – that they have legal rights, and there are ways to advocate for those rights in the civil legal system. Granite Justice: conversations about the civil legal system with Shane Cooper, an Associate Dean at UNH Franklin Pierce, aims to provide a road map of sorts. By the end of an episode, we hope more people will recognize and understand that if they are facing a civil legal problem, you can ask yourself ”Do I have any rights here?” and “What do I do now?” This podcast will help you navigate some of those questions.

The State We’re In - Even with the advancement of science, space has always been a fascination for many humans and this fall and spring residents of New Hampshire will get an opportunity to experience two solar eclipses. On this episode of The State We’re In, Associate Professors from University of New Hampshire , Amy Keesee and John S. Gianforte, also the director of the UNH Observatory, and Lori Harnois, Director of Division of Travel and Tourism Development discuss two important events coming up: a partial solar eclipse in October and a total solar eclipse in April.