Upcoming Events & Recent News - January 2010
Bear Pond Trail SnowshoeJanuary 23, 10am - 2pm
Hall Road, Canaan, NH
Join us for a winter outing! This event will be hosted by the Upper Valley Land Trust in partnership with the Mascoma Watershed Conservation Council, we will snowshoe and explore the pond and its surrounding wetlands. Bring a lunch, water, and snowshoes and wear warm clothing. Call Nora Doyle-Burr at (603) 643-6626 ext.102 or email noradoyle-burr@uvlt.org for more information. We will be starting along Hall Road, on private, conserved land.
Directions:
From Exit 17 off I-89 in Lebanon, proceed east on Route 4 thru Enfield, then on into Canaan. After crossing the Mascoma River, there is a long straight stretch of highway; near the end pass Mascoma Regional High School on left, then cross the river again, pass Goose Pond Rd. and proceed uphill on Rte 4. 1.2 miles after the high school, turn LEFT onto Hall Rd. We will meet at the end of the town road, about 1/4 mile in from Rte 4.
Thetford Bake Sale a Success!Sarah Martel and her children organized a bake sale on December 24th, in support of the Upper Valley Land Trust's purchase of the 27.3 acre Zebedee Headwaters in Thetford. The parcel is located on Houghton Hill Road, not far from the Thetford Elementary School. Generations of Thetford children have enjoyed this property as their outdoor classroom for the study of natural sciences and ecology.
We are close to our fundraising goal! We're tallying donations as they come in--look for updates soon. For more information about efforts to protect Zebedee Headwaters please visit: http://www.uvlt.org/pdf/A%20to%20Zebedee%201203.pdf or check out the Valley News article Thetford Rallies Over Wetlands.
A Legacy Continues... Weathersfield Wetland ConservedA 38-acre parcel of land owned by John and Fran Wright in the Perkinsville area of Weathersfield is now permanently protected from development. The conservation easement ensuring the land's protection was signed on Friday, December 11. The easement will be held in perpetuity by the Upper Valley Land Trust.
The property has been in Mr. Wright's family since 1796. It was passed to him through a long line of ancestors. Mr. Wright's great-grandfather farmed the land (sheep and cattle) and his father grew up in the area. It is this lengthy history of ownership that motivated the Wrights to protect the property for future generations.
Strafford
Sugarbush Conserved for the FutureOn December 16, Susan Baker signed documents protecting her 212 acre property, located off Sawnee Bean Road in Strafford. She did this in honor and memory of her late husband, Chas Baker, who purchased the land and invested his time and energy in developing and maintaining a sugarbush and sugarhouse on the property. The conservation easement, now held by the Upper Valley Land Trust, will prevent future development of the land.
This land has been leased by Elise and Tig Tillinghast for the past few years. To learn about the Tillinghasts' sugaring operation, please visit www.freshmaplesyrup.com.
"The
Dismal" Has a Bright FutureWhen Ann and Harte Crow purchased their land in northeast Hanover over thirty years ago, they thought of naming the place "Pressey Brook Farm." But says Harte Crow, "that seemed awfully pretentious," for the landscape they had come to know. Instead, their family affectionately refers to the land as "The Dismal," in honor of The Great Dismal Swamp in the southeastern U.S. The land is wet and portions are often flooded due to a hearty population of beavers that is active near the confluence of several brooks.
The Crows recently donated a conservation easement on their 239-acre property to the Upper Valley Land Trust. This agreement will ensure the permanent protection of this land. Learn about ways that this area fits into Hanover's Open Space Priority Plan by visiting www.hanovernh.org/stories/storyReader$94.
Neighbors Unite to Protect Wildlife Habitat and Working ForestlandKathy and Lee Larson have played active roles in the Upper Valley's land conservation community since moving to the Upper Valley and purchasing their land on Pout Pond Lane more than 10 years ago. Kathy Larson is a Trustee and Lands Committee Chair of the Upper Valley Land Trust. Lee Larson serves on the Lyme Conservation Commission, and assists UVLT with boundary monitoring and trail maintenance. The desire to see their property protected for wildlife, responsible forestry, and recreational purposes has led the Larsons to donate a conservation easement to UVLT. The Larsons signed documents conserving 64 acres of their property at a small gathering of friends and neighbors on Monday, December 28.
Nearby, a 7.44 acre portion of the Elder Farm on Acorn Hill Road, owned by Ray and Tina Clark was also recently conserved with UVLT, and another local family is currently working with UVLT. This project will likely be completed in early 2010, and its completion will complement the hundreds of acres of permanently protected open space and wildlife habitat surrounding Pout Pond and Trout Pond in Lyme. This group of projects demonstrates the impact that neighbors working together can have on the future of a landscape.
Town of Unity Celebrates Gift of Conserved Memorial ForestLaura Ryan feels strongly connected to an 83.5 acre parcel of land that has been in her family for more than 250 years because of the many memories and family stories this land holds. Due to her connection to the property, Laura Ryan, and her husband, Walter, generously granted a conservation easement to the Upper Valley Land Trust to preserve the land forever. Immediately following this donation, the Ryans transferred ownership of the property to the Town of Unity. Together, these gifts created "The Nathaniel & Ina Thurber Memorial Forest," named in honor of Laura Ryan's parents. The Memorial Forest will be managed sustainably by Unity's Conservation Commission for low-impact recreation, agriculture and working forestland. The deed signing occurred at the Town Offices where Selectmen and others were on-hand to give warm thanks to the Ryans for this special gift to the community.
Find out more about UVLT's work & upcoming events at www.UVLT.org.
