BART HUNTER HONORED AS FOREST SOCIETY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Wilton resident Bart Hunter was honored by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests as the organization’s Volunteer of the Year.
The Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year award, named after the organization’s recently retired long-time volunteer coordinator, is presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and has a history of service to the Forest Society’s mission.
Bart Hunter is one of the organization’s longest-standing Land Stewards, keeping watch over the Forest Society’s Stephens Forest and Heald Tract in Wilton and Temple. As a former professional archaeologist, Hunter created a presentation of the historical resources at the Heald Tract, which he presented to various local groups around Wilton. After the 2008 ice storm devastated eight miles of trails on the Heald Tract, he organized a community of volunteers who worked weekend after weekend to slowly clear the entire trail network.
“He has put in nearly 500 hours of volunteer service in the past two years alone,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley when presenting the award. “Most importantly, he is always thinking of ways to make visits to the Heald Tract more accessible and enjoyable for the community.”
Hunter was honored at the Forest Society’s 109th Annual Meeting, held last Saturday at Camp Carpenter in Manchester, NH. The Annual Meeting was sponsored by Benthien Associates and Cambridge Trust Company.
Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.