Couple Bob and Binney Wells gifted 455 acres to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests for permanent conservation, continuing their family's legacy of stewardship.
The donation spans from the Hopkinton-Everett Flood Control lands to the Stumpfield-Mudgett Recreation Area and increases the total acreage of protected areas in the region to 10,000.
"We've always felt the Forest Society was an extremely responsible organization," Bob said in a statement, per the Concord Monitor. "There's a balance between how property is managed and used for recreation as well as for silviculture that we really appreciate."
Most of the land lies within the Contoocook River Watershed, with the southernmost parcel part of the Merrimack River Watershed. The area includes open forests of hemlock-hardwood pines and Appalachian oak pines, open grasslands, wet meadows, shrub wetlands, rocky ridge habitats, and even a beaver pond.
These diverse ecosystems offer sustenance and shelter to a wide range of native wildlife. For example, the forests play host to animals such as black bears, timber rattlesnakes, and bald eagles.
However, the University of New Hampshire notes that they are susceptible to construction, as residential and commercial developments are the leading cause of deforestation in the state. That makes the contribution from the Wellses — as well as similar efforts from Canada to Australia — a huge win for preserving natural landscapes.
"Land conservation is critical, not just for enjoying outdoor recreation, but in preventing massive loss of biodiversity in the age of climate change," said their son, Ted.
The Wellses, who have lived in Hopkinton since 1971 and first donated an easement to the Forest Society in 1984, drew inspiration from their respective families, both of which have a long history of land conservation and stewardship.
Bob became passionate about the subject after growing up on a 2,000-acre farm in Missouri that has been part of his family since the 1800s. Meanwhile, Binney's grandmother bought and donated 1,000 acres of land in Connecticut, which is now part of the Algonquin State Forest.
They have passed those core principles on to the next generation, as Bob and Binney donated the parcel along with their two children and their spouses as well as their four grandchildren. Their daughter, Hylah Wells Patton, told the Forest Society that her parents had considered gifting the land for a while.
"I think that it's by introducing people, and children specifically, to the natural world that you create caring for the landscape around us," Binney said. "We are so happy that we instilled these values in our children and that they and their spouses and their children (our grandchildren) are conserving this wonderful land."
"We're honoring the legacy that Bob and Binney started here 50 years ago," added daughter-in-law Anna. "They've shaped these hundreds of acres that we're on right now over those 50 years. That's a huge legacy that will now go on in perpetuity."
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