For the Love of the Land

Tucked away from the hum of busy roads, two clear streams wind through landscape alive with color, lush trees, and healthy underbrush. The ground rises from fields of wildflowers, leading you to a scattering of ancient glacial boulders called erratics. These enormous sentinels of time further lift up the hill to reveal the breathtaking view of the snow-capped Presidential Range.

This is a sanctuary that feels both wild and peaceful. Here, hawks glide above the treetops, and the chatter of warblers fill the air. Thanks to a woman’s steadfast love for her land, and her partnership with the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, these 52 acres are now protected while remaining in the ownership of her family. As with other lands conserved with a conservation easement, an agreement that stays with the land forever, this land will be managed by the family and future landowners in a manner that respects the long-term conservation goals.

Most of this land will be allowed to return to old growth forest, providing refuge for many wildlife species. A portion is also set aside as grasslands, one of the most rapidly disappearing terrains in New Hampshire, ensuring space for species that depend on open fields. The conservation easement encourages thoughtful consideration and maintenance, ensuring wildlife thrive and find respite in the ever-developing Mount Washington Valley.

A vision years in the making

This conservation story began with a simple observation and a quiet act of courage. For decades, one woman who wishes to remain anonymous listened to the morning songs of birds outside her window. In recent years, those songs grew fainter. She worried for them—their shrinking habitats and dwindling food sources—and decided to act. Her vision was to protect not just her land, but the life that depends on it.

Now, through her determination and the lasting protection of a conservation easement, that vision is secured.

The land will remain a haven for wildlife and nature, no matter what the future brings. While it can be sold or passed on, its conservation goals will endure, honoring the compassion of the woman who made it possible.

Two Brooks is a living promise: that the songs of birds will continue, that fields will bloom with wildflowers, and that the wild heart of this valley will keep beating for generations to come.