Giving Tuesday: Your Generosity Pays Dividends Today & For Future Generations

Jack Savage | November 30, 2021
Tags:
Land Conservation
Snow covers the fields of Christmas trees growing at The Rocks in Bethlehem.

The Rocks' Christmas tree farm in Bethlehem, New Hampshire.

DONATE NOW TO THE FOREST SOCIETY'S ANNUAL FUND

 

Dear Friends,

A simple truth seems better understood every day: Forests are very important.

Forests help to cool a warming planet. They absorb and store carbon. They are the foundation of natural systems that provide flood control, air and water filtration, and water supply. They provide renewable resources for heat, building materials, and new manufacturing innovation. Spending time in forests offers us spiritual relief in troubled times, measurably lowers our blood pressure, and improves our health and wellness. And forests are fundamental to the character of New Hampshire.

The Forest Society is the organization that has protected, managed, and advocated for forests for 120 years. This is who we are and what we do.

Today we own and manage nearly 60,000 acres across New Hampshire, and protect an additional 130,000 acres through conservation easements on private land. We welcome more than 250,000 visitors annually at our 191 forest reservations, from Mt. Major to Mt. Monadnock, and from Pittsburg to Portsmouth.

But we don’t, and we can’t, do it alone. You make it possible. And so today, I am asking you to make a year-end gift to our Annual Fund. Your generosity pays dividends today and for future generations.

Consider that in 2021, with your support, the Forest Society:

  • Expanded conservation on Mt. Kearsarge (574 acres) and Moose Mountains (now nearly 2,750 acres) and along the Merrimack River (124 acres) and the Ammonoosuc River (273 acres and 1.8 miles of shoreline).
  • Helped farm families forever protect their land base, with new conservation easements at Tuckaway Farm in Lee and Morrill Farm in Boscawen – both of which include important forest buffers in key watersheds.
  • Improved the visitor experience at Mt. Major in Alton to better serve its 80,000 annual hikers. Now when visitors arrive at the parking area they are greeted by a covered pavilion, information kiosks, and upgrades at the trailhead designed to protect visitors and natural resources alike.
  • Launched a series of new outdoor education programs at Creek Farm in Portsmouth, where we continue to host the Gundalow Company’s summer camp program for children. This 36-acre property along tidal Sagamore Creek is abuzz with activity, offering room to roam within the city limits.

A fly fisherman casts into the Ammonoosuc River, surrounded by vivid fall foliage.
With scenic vistas and key cold-water fisheries in its upper reaches, the recently protected Ammonoosuc River Forest is home to wild brook trout, as well as rainbows and browns. (Photo: David Pushee, Pemigewasset Chapter of Trout Unlimited)

As we look forward to 2022, the opportunities ahead are inspiring. We are working on:

  • Big projects in the North Country, including the acquisition of 3,700 acres stretching from the Androscoggin River to high peaks along the Appalachian Trail – as well as our signature project to renovate The Rocks in Bethlehem as our Forest Society North center for stewardship, education, and recreation.
  • Expansion of the Evelyn H. and Albert D. Morse, Sr. Preserve, by conserving nearly 500 acres that will link with Town Forest lands to create a contiguous area of over 1,250 acres overlooking Alton Bay and the Southern Belknap Range.
  • Expansion of the Michael M. and Claudia Yatsevitch Forest in Plainfield and Cornish with a 164-acre addition, bringing this Upper Valley gem to more than 1,200 acres conserved.
  • A focus on trail work at Mt. Monadnock, with plans to improve the Marlborough Trail and to engage more affinity groups than ever for our annual volunteer event, Monadnock Trails Week.
  • Launch of our new mobile trails app powered by OuterSpatial, a great new tool for exploring Forest Society reservations using technology to help guide the way for users of all ages.

The sun shines through the forest at an addition to the Morse Preserve.
Two additions to the Morse Preserve in Alton would create a protected area (pictured) at the Morse Preserve of almost 950 acres.

The Forest Society was founded in 1901 in response to the unsustainable logging that deforested what later became the White Mountain National Forest. Now, in the era of climate change, the Forest Society's strategic mission remains as relevant as ever: to protect the state's most important landscapes and promote the careful use of its renewable natural resources.

I hope you will take a moment to make a year-end donation, as generous as you can, to join us in remaining dedicated to conserving forests and managing them for the many benefits of clean air and water, wood, wildlife, wellness, and a way of life. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Jack Savage

President

 

P.S. Your year-end gift, large or small, when combined with the help of others, makes great accomplishments possible. Thank you so much.