Mount Grace Land Trust

09/04/2026

🌲 ICYMI: 43 acres of Winchendon forest are now permanently protected!

Mount Grace partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game to permanently protect the 43-acre forest, expanding MassWildlife's Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Management Area and connecting it to a larger, contiguous block of protected forest stretching south from downtown Winchendon.

Thanks to the vision of the Boucher and Mroz families, this special forest will remain a place for wildlife, clean water, outdoor recreation, and future generations to enjoy.

Read the story here:

 WINCHENDON — Forty-three acres of forest in Winchendon have been permanently protected, expanding MassWildlife’s Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Management Area east of Route 140 and connecting to a large, contiguous block of conserved land stretching south from downtown Winchendon.    The undeve...

08/28/2026

A beloved Lake Monomonac landmark will soon be permanently protected!

The Monomonac Lake Sailing Association (MLSA) is donating Commodore Island to Mount Grace, ensuring this special little island -- and the loons who return there to nest -- will be protected for generations to come. 🌿

For decades, Commodore Island has been part of life on Lake Monomonac, serving as a gathering place and the start and finish of summer boat races. Now, thanks to the generosity and vision of the sailing association and the Lake Monomonac community, its natural habitat will be protected forever.

We’re grateful to everyone helping make this conservation partnership possible! 💚

Learn more about the project and help us protect Commodore Island:

Rindge, New Hampshire — Commodore Island is small, but it plays a big role in life on Lake Monomonac, both for the people and for the wildlife that call the lake home. The tiny landmark island sits near the entrance to the lake’s Coot Bay, on the New Hampshire side of the lake.

08/27/2026

🎶 Fields & Forest Forever is back -- and Hayden Blount is headlining! 🌲🍻

Join us Saturday, September 12 at Stone Cow Brewery in Barre for our fourth annual Fields & Forest Forever Music Fest, featuring live music from headliner Hayden Blount, local beer from Stone Cow Brewery, great food, and a celebration of land conservation. 💚

📍 Stone Cow Brewery, Barre, MA
🎸 Hayden Blount + The Crop Dusters
🍺 Stone Cow Beer + Food
🌾 Celebrating 40 years of land conservation

Come celebrate the land, the people, and the community that make this place home. Grab your tickets today: https://www.mountgrace.org/about/news/post/fields-forests-forever-music-fest 🎟️

08/24/2026

Welcome to our newest conservation team member!🌿

Emily, who you might recognize from this past year, served at Mount Grace as one of our 2025-2026 TerraCorps members. She has now transitioned into a full time role with us as Conservation Project Manager!

Emily studied Natural Resources Conservation at UMass Amherst. During her time there, she studied abroad in Costa Rica researching insect pests on local farms and held an internship where she helped create an art-science exhibit on North Atlantic right whales. Her background also includes working as a Park Ranger in Southern New Hampshire. In her role as Conservation Project Manager, she will be working with deedholders and Mount Grace partners to conserve land across our region. Welcome, Emily!🌱🐋🌟

08/19/2026

HUGE thanks go out to the Sunset Lake Volunteer Stewards who put in a long workday at Paul Dunn Woodland Preserve in Ashburnham! Together, we built four new footbridges along the scenic loop trail.

All the lumber was hiked in and the old bridges were hiked out -- no easy feat!

Thank you to our partners Mass DCR for donating the lumber used for this project.💚

08/14/2026

We had a great time at Huntstock! 🦌

It was a great opportunity to connect with the Northeast hunting community and talk about the shared connection between hunting, healthy wildlife populations, and land conservation.

Conservation takes all of us, and we’re proud to work alongside people who care deeply about the land, wildlife, and outdoor traditions that make our region special.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, shared a conversation, and helped make Huntstock such a great event!

🎥 Check out our Huntstock video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgOK9vd2Wao

Mount Grace is proud to sponsor Huntstock 2026—a weekend-long celeb...

08/12/2026

🌲 43 acres protected in Winchendon!

We’re excited to share that 43 acres of forest in Winchendon are now permanently protected, expanding the Nineteenth Hill Wildlife Management Area and connecting to a larger network of conserved land.

A huge thank you to the Boucher and Mroz families, Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, and everyone who helped make this conservation success possible. Together, we’re protecting habitat, clean water, and the special places that make Winchendon home.

👉 Read the full story: https://www.mountgrace.org/about/news/post/department-of-fish-and-game-mount-grace-partner-to-protect-43-acres-in-winchendon

07/24/2026

Join us for Maintenance Monday at Guiney Memorial Forest! 🌿

Help Mount Grace staff remove invasive species, assess forest health, and care for this special conserved landscape.

📅 Monday, July 27
🕘 9:00–11:00 AM
📍 40 Morse Rd, Royalston, MA

Please wear sturdy shoes and bring water. To RSVP, email [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

Event Link: https://www.mountgrace.org/get-involved/events/event/maintenance-monday-guiney-memorial-forest

07/16/2026

We're delighted to be featured by the Land Trust Alliance for our work creating more age-friendly and accessible trails! 🌿

Thanks to these improvements, more people will be able to experience the beauty of our protected lands. Soon, trail upgrades at Eagle Reserve and Alderbrook Meadows will be complete, and we can't wait to welcome you to explore these refreshed trails.

Stay tuned for opening updates -- and happy hiking! 🥾

Some land trusts are working to make conserved lands places that more people can experience, not just admire from a distance.

As folks in the North Quabbin region grow older, the accredited Mount Grace Land Trust has evolved its stewarding practices to reflect the needs of its community through age-friendly design on the trails.

The land trust has partnered with graduate students from the Yale School of the Environment and with Columbia University’s Applied Practice Experience Program to improve Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary and Eagle Reserve. These two conservation areas feature stable, wide and mostly flat trail surfaces.

Help from additional partners has allowed the land trust to improve signage and add age-friendly benches. Additional regrading and resurfacing work will take place at Alderbrook Meadows.

For some people, a "good" trail is not much use if they can't safely walk it, rest along it or bring family members with different mobility needs. Green space for enjoying the outdoors should be accessible to everyone.

Photo: Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust celebrated the opening of a new accessible trail at Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Massachusetts.

07/13/2026

🌿 We're hiring! Join Mount Grace’s team as our next Donor Engagement Manager and help connect people with local landscapes through fundraising, community events, and meaningful donor relationships.

We are looking to add a dynamic, enthusiastic member to our team to strengthen our community presence and boost our fundraising capacity. Mount Grace is a proud equal opportunity employer and strives to be an inclusive and diverse organization.

This full-time, hybrid position is based in Athol, MA and offers a competitive salary plus excellent benefits.

Learn more and apply today: https://www.mountgrace.org/about/news/post/careers-donor-engagement-manager 💚