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When was the last time you stood at the top of Jockey Cap, soaking in the view... or paddled past a quiet beaver pond, listening to the wind in the trees?

If you’re like many of us, those peaceful moments in nature are more than memories—they’re part of what makes this place home.

You know how special the Upper Saco Valley is. Its woods, waters, trails, and farms are not only beautiful — they’re vital to the health of our land and our community.

But these places need you.

This summer, we’re working to protect three irreplaceable landscapes—places that connect children to nature, provide habitat for wildlife, and offer a quiet refuge for all of us.

Places that are at risk right now.

Will you make a special summer gift of $75 or more to protect them and enhance a beloved trail? Some of our donors are surprised to learn that they can also donate stock, and help avoid capital gains, or give from a Donor Advised Fund.

That’s because all gifts matter, and it’s easy to do.

Your special gift will change the future for the better.

• Save Chain of Ponds, a peaceful stretch of forest and shoreline, just months away from permanent protection or… being lost. The deadline is September. It’s home to nesting loons—and perfect for skipping rocks or a quiet family walk.
• Provide critical repairs to Jockey Cap, where crumbling trails have kept many visitors away. With your help, it will become safe and welcoming again—for schoolkids, hikers, and older adults alike.
• And launch a new initiative to conserve community lands, and help local landowners protect farmland, woodlands, and wetlands for the next generation of wildlife and people alike.

Why now?

Because the need is urgent — and so is the opportunity. Kids and families need nature as never before.

Right now, one in three children in New Hampshire and Maine face emotional or developmental challenges.

Nearly half report feeling persistently sad or hopeless. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among teens.

But research proves what you likely already feel deeply: nature helps.

Time outdoors reduces anxiety and depression, builds resilience, and reconnects people with one another.

And when we protect natural places, we’re protecting the future — of our youth, our wildlife, and our way of life.

Will you help today? A gift of $75, $100, $250, or any amount will make a lasting difference.

Every dollar will protect land, open trails, and bring more people — especially kids — into healing, joyful, green spaces.

Thank you for being part of this community, a community who year after year steps up and makes an amazing difference.

Thank you for believing that nature matters — not only for wildlife, trails, and clean water, but for the people who need them most.

With deep gratitude,

Eric White,

Executive Director

Upper Saco Valley Land Trust

ewhite@usvlt.org | (603)662-0008

P.S. When you become a monthly donor, a local family will donate $1,000 in your honor (for the first 20 monthly donors).

It’s an easy way to make a bigger impact all year long. Some people donate $5 a month. Others give over $200. It’s completely up to you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. It provides us with the confidence to ensure that conservation can happen all year long.