The Hanover Conservancy is celebrating the latest addition to its portfolio of protected lands, Black Bear Glen on Moose Mountain. This major property is the generous gift of Clyde Watson
and Denis Devlin.

Located on the mountain’s western slope close to the Appalachian Trail, Black Bear Glen abuts the Shumway Forest, also protected by the Conservancy. Black Bear Glen joins a network of
over 3,200 connected acres of conserved land on the ridge that dominates the town of Hanover.

“This is an extraordinary expanse of mountainside,” observes Adair Mulligan, the Conservancy’s Executive Director. “It reflects all our strategic conservation priorities, and provides climate resilience and flood protection for Etna Village.” Black Bear Glen’s forest and streams support a rich array of wildlife, including moose, black bear, bobcat, fisher, ruffed grouse, raptors, and wild brook trout. The NH Fish and Game Department describes 60 of the property’s 92 acres as the highest quality habitat in New Hampshire. The property also includes over 1/3 mile of Mink Brook, Hanover’s largest stream. Conserving the brook and its headwaters benefits water quality, wild brook trout habitat, and more. “These far-sighted landowners have made a lasting gift to our community.”

“What a wonderful thing it is to place this land in the capable hands of the Hanover Conservancy,” commented owner Clyde Watson, “and to continue sharing its gifts with our neighbors, human and animal alike—secure in the knowledge that it will be cared for and protected for evermore.”

Black Bear Glen is accessible from the Appalachian Trail just east of Three Mile Road and is open for hiking, nature observation, snowshoeing, back-country skiing, scientific research, hunting, and other non-motorized use. The historic Harris Trail—original route of the AT—crosses the property for 4/10 mile. The General’s Trail forms a loop that swings by hemlock-
shaded glens. The Trout Lily Trail connects to the Shumway Forest, leading to Mill Pond.

Traces of Hanover’s agricultural past dot the property, including stone walls and sheep lanes dating from the early 19th century.

The long-term effort to protect ecologically valuable, climate resilient lands on Moose Mountain began in 2013 with the donation of the Mayor-Niles Forest, followed by easements on the Mill Pond Forest in 2015 and Shumway Forest in 2017, donation of the Britton Forest in 2018, and the Conservancy’s purchase of the Headwaters Forest in 2023 and Hewes Ravine in July. The Conservancy recently won a grant from the Appalachian Trail Landscape Partnership’s Wild East Action Fund to help with survey and other costs of receiving the gift of land.

Thank you for participating in the 12th annual Hanover Trails Challenge. More than 120 people registered for this year’s Challenge, including individuals, families, and groups of friends . We hope everyone enjoyed getting outdoors and exploring some or all of our featured trails this summer. New for this year, we have special finisher bandanas for everyone who submitted a completed checklist by the deadline. These are available for pick-up at the Hanover Conservancy office at 71 Lyme Road, or out at our events this fall. Limited in-town delivery may be possible, let us know if you are having trouble connecting with us in-person!

From our stack of completed checklists, we drew names for our raffle on September 26. All winners have been notified and prizes mailed. Congratulations to our lucky winners: Diane and Eric, Kathleen, Debra, Catherine and Joseph, Ken and family, Martha and Lindsey, Daniel and Ellie, Penni, Deborah, Laura, Mert, Gary, Heather, and Peter and Silvia! Please join us in thanking these local businesses for donating raffle prizes: King Arthur Baking Co., Blue Sky Restaurant Group, Ramuntos Brick and Brew, Stateline Sports, Base Camp Café, Umpleby’s Bakery and Café, Hubert’s Family Outfitters, Main Street Kitchens, Molly’s Restaurant, and the Nugget Theater.

Did you find a new favorite trail this summer? Would you like to help us keep it cared for and protected for future generations? Become one of our adopt-a-trail volunteer stewards! Volunteers help us by providing an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands on the trail. If you would like to learn more about this program and how you can get started, please email program manager Barry Matthews at bmatthews@hanoverconservancy.org.

Thank you again for spending some of your time this summer hiking with the Hanover Conservancy! We hope to see you out on the trails or at an event soon!

 

Sarah Kitz

Sarah Kitz has a background in sustainable forest management and conservation. She is currently a Managing Director at The Lyme Timber Company, a forestland investment group in Hanover, NH, where she works on existing and prospective investments. Immediately prior, Sarah served as Manager of Business Development for Green Diamond Resource Company, a fifth-generation forestry company, where she evaluated and managed investment activities, new partnership opportunities, and conservation sales. She has also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Washington Farmland Trust. Sarah earned her M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business and a B.A. in Environmental Analysis from Pomona College. She currently lives in Norwich, VT with her husband Willy and two kids, Sophie and Caleb.

Members are invited to vote on our nominated slate of directors at our Annual Meeting on October 15. More information can be found here. 

Please join us on Saturday, November 4th at 11:00am to celebrate the opening of our new trail crossing at the Mink Brook Nature Preserve. We’ll gather at the Norman Overlook to hear about the challenging project of bringing a 5 ton log from Oak Hill to the Preserve and transforming it into a safe passage across Hanover’s largest stream in one of our community’s most beloved protected natural spaces.

Over 200 volunteer hours went into this ambitious project, led by Hugh Mellert, Hanover Conservancy board member emeritus. Essential partners include Chippers, Liberty Utilities, Hypertherm’s HOPE Foundation, Dartmouth College, Upper Valley Forestry, Friends of Oak Hill, and Royal Trail Works.

Parking for the event is at Tenney Field off Brook Road, just past the gate to the Preserve. Plan on 3-4 minutes’ walk in on the Quinn Trail to reach the Norman Overlook with its view of the new crossing. MORE

We are truly excited to announce that, at long last, the Adams Farm on Trescott Road is to be protected. The Hanover Conservancy is working with a pair of inspiring landowners to permanently protect the majority of this historic agricultural landscape. Surrounded by the Appalachian Trail corridor in rural Etna, the property offers a spectacular view of Mount Ascutney and is listed in Hanover’s Scenic Locales Report. The Adams Farm has long been a key priority for both the Conservancy and the Town. The new landowners wish to revitalize agriculture on this otherwise highly developable piece of prime farmland. MORE