Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Nonprofit Organization, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH.

Since 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (Forest Society) has worked to conserve the state's most important landscapes and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources.

The urge to nest during cozy season is understandable, especially as it gets dark earlier and earlier. But we’ve got so ...
10/14/2026

The urge to nest during cozy season is understandable, especially as it gets dark earlier and earlier. But we’ve got so many fun fall events happening over the next month, and we’d love for you to join us before your stick season hibernation kicks in.

Looking for a group outing to meet some new friends? We’ve got two guided hikes at the Merrimack Floodplain Forest and Madame Sherri Forest as part of our 5 Hikes Challenge, a fall nature walk at Powder Major’s Forest, and even a Charcuterie Picnic Hike at Bean Forest if you’re into BYOC (Bring Your Own Cheese).

Aaaand even more: a nighttime owl-banding adventure at Black Mountain Banding Station, a talk with bestselling author Ethan Tapper at the Conservation Center, and an autumn service day at Creek Farm. Phew.

Just kidding THERE’S MORE! Every Tuesday evening in November—as part of the NH Timberland Owners Association’s “Natural Wonders” movie series—come on down to the Conservation Center for free screenings of films exploring the flora and fauna of New England. Okay, we’re done… for now. 👀

Learn more, view our full calendar, and RSVP for events at ForestSociety.org/events or click the link in our bio.

Every forest we conserve has a story. With 215,000+ acres of conserved land across NH, there are a lot of stories we’ve ...
10/13/2026

Every forest we conserve has a story. With 215,000+ acres of conserved land across NH, there are a lot of stories we’ve collected since our founding in 1901. And most of them began long before us.
 
For Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the big history of a small property—just 4.5 acres in Intervale—is top of mind. In partnership with the Town of Conway, this conservation easement protects a historic Abenaki Camp.
 
The S**o River Valley, part of the Eastern Abenaki’s ancestral land, offered abundant opportunities for hunting, fishing, and seasonal habitation. Archaeological evidence suggests that present-day Intervale was a noted stopping point for the region’s earliest inhabitants more than 10,000 years ago.
 
Thousands of years of Abenaki history later, Intervale still proved an attractive place for establishing a seasonal camp. Beginning in the 1880s, Joseph Laurent did just that every spring. Born in 1839 in Odanak, Quebec, Laurent was an accomplished member of his community, serving as elected chief for more than a decade and publishing an Abenaki-English language primer for kids.
 
The 300+ mile journey each spring came after Quebec’s long winters—winters spent making traditional crafts like sweetgrass baskets and corn-husk dolls. Laurent’s party brought these goods along to sell to visiting tourists. His camp eventually grew to include six cabins and an Abenaki shop near the Intervale railroad station.
 
By 1940, Joseph’s sons Stephen and Emanuel had settled permanently in Intervale. Stephen and his wife continued to run the Abenaki store through the late 20th century, while Emanuel remained in one of the camp’s cabins well into his 70s—an impressive feat considering the cabin wasn’t electrified until the 1960s.
 
Following in his father’s steps, Stephen became an advocate for preserving the Abenaki language: translating an 18th-century manuscript into a French-Abenaki-English dictionary. With his passing in 2001 at the age of 92, the family’s living history at the camps and store came to an end. Yet their story lives on—all thanks to a conservation easement.
 
For more, see Alan Leveillee’s “The Intervale Abenaki Camp” at northcountrynhstories.org.

The leaf peepers are peeping, the first of the season’s snow has fallen on Mt. Washington, and everyone’s making soup. A...
10/06/2026

The leaf peepers are peeping, the first of the season’s snow has fallen on Mt. Washington, and everyone’s making soup. As we hunker down for the colder months, our field season is drawing to an end. What does field season mean for us here at the Forest Society?

It’s the warmer-ish months (generally April to October) when our foresters, land stewards, and trail crews are hard at work out in the lands we conserve and protect. From trail maintenance and timber harvests to leading group hikes and monitoring conservation easements, field season keeps them incredibly busy. There are days—beautiful, warm, sunny—when it’s a joy, of course. But when it’s raining, muddy, and buggy...well, the work still needs to be done.

As a proper goodbye to field season—and as a thank you to our field staff for all that they do—we wanted to share some of the photos sent in from the woods over the summer. Enjoy some fun snaps and selfies from the field!

We’ve got one month left in our annual 5 Hikes Challenge, friends, and we’ve got some updates to share. 🚨🌲 🍂 This year, ...
09/30/2026

We’ve got one month left in our annual 5 Hikes Challenge, friends, and we’ve got some updates to share. 🚨🌲 🍂

This year, as part of yearlong festivities celebrating our 125th anniversary, we added a scavenger hunt to the 5 Hikes Challenge. All across the state on Forest Society properties and trails, our staff hid 25 hand-carved tree cookies for hikers to find while out exploring. Find a tree cookie, follow the instructions on the back, and we’ll send you a prize! It’s just one more way to have some fun with our members during an important year for the Forest Society.

So far, we’ve sent out 21 prizes to hikers who’ve located tree cookies. And some were pretty well hidden, so good job. 14 have been found, and 11 are still out there waiting. And if you find one... take it, it’s yours! (Some have been found and put back, including one that has been found four times, thus the extra prizes—whoops?)

Looking for a lil hint on where to find some of the still-hidden tree cookies? 👀

Well, one of them might be on a tree that’s possibly near a rock that’s potentially by a stream theoretically at Bretzfelder Park. Theoretically.

Another one may be at The Rocks, alongside a hiking trail, probably hanging on a yellow birch because the staff member who hid it loves yellow birches but genuinely can’t remember. Good luck with that one. 🙃

We’ll see you out there enjoying the beautiful fall weather. And keep on sharing all those trail sign selfies and hiking photos… we love them!

Nelson Highlands Field Trip Report: A+ We recently spent a full day out in western NH exploring a 650-acre piece of land...
09/26/2026

Nelson Highlands Field Trip Report: A+

We recently spent a full day out in western NH exploring a 650-acre piece of land we’re raising money to conserve and protect. Staff and members of the public learned about Nelson Highlands’ important role as a critical connection point between large swaths of conserved land and then headed off to explore the landscape on a guided bushwhack and a group paddle trip.

Time in the field isn’t just for our foresters and conservationists: it’s for you, too. That’s part of who we are and has been since our founding in 1901. Forest Society field trips help us showcase the landscapes we’re committed to protecting, of course—but they’re also about building community and fostering connection between our members, our staff, and our partners.

Partners, for example, like Harris Center , who have worked alongside us from the very beginning to protect the Nelson Highlands. The work we do is never-ending, but it’s easier (and more fun) with good partners, good friends, and YOU.

Interested in our field trips and events? We’d love to meet you. Head on over to our website to learn more and view our calendar.

And—lastly—we are still actively seeking support to purchase Nelson Highlands! Our deadline is February of 2027, and we’re working hard to fund the last $400,000 toward the purchase price. That deadline means you can make a tax-deductible gift this year *and* next year to help us protect Nelson Highlands. Visit ForestSociety.org/ProtectNelsonHighlands to learn more, donate, and make a difference for New Hampshire’s forests.

We take the word “Society” in our name pretty seriously. What’s it mean to be part of a society? For us, it means coming...
09/08/2026

We take the word “Society” in our name pretty seriously. What’s it mean to be part of a society? For us, it means coming together as a group of like-minded folks moved to action by both concern and hope. It means planning for the future, celebrating our wins, acknowledging our challenges, and honoring our past. And every year we do just that at our Annual Meeting.

If you’ve never attended, this year in particular—as we celebrate our 125th anniversary—is shaping up to be a rather special event. Jam packed with guided field trips exploring our historic role in conserving the state’s forests, a buffet lunch, business meeting, awards, recognitions, and a keynote speech… it’s an occasion you won’t want to miss.

This year, we’re holding our Annual Meeting at The Rocks in Bethlehem on Saturday, September 26th. And we’re thrilled to welcome as our keynote speaker Dr. Tony D’Amato, Professor of Forestry and Director of the Forestry Program at the University of Vermont. A nationally recognized expert in ecological forestry and forest adaptation, D’Amato’s research focuses on managing forests in a changing world while sustaining the many benefits they provide.

Click the link in our bio or head on over to our website to learn more, check out the field trips, and sign up!

09/05/2026

Vista and Vibes this year at The Rocks was pure late summer magic. Thank you to Wicked Smart Horn Band for putting on such a great show and to everyone that came out to enjoy the fresh air and solid tunes. We’ve never seen this many people here at once!

The most common thing we heard from folks all day: “we didn’t even know this was here.” Welp, we’re here, it’s beautiful, and you should definitely visit.

1,400 acres of conserved land with a working Christmas tree farm, maple tours, gift shop, event space, walking paths, net-zero facilities, stunning views, and friendly staff to help you learn all about the work we do across the state to protect NH’s forests.

🚨 Update! We’ve rescheduled the Bald Cap Peak Forest hike to Wednesday, September 9th due to spicy weather. ☔️ Chilly ni...
09/02/2026

🚨 Update! We’ve rescheduled the Bald Cap Peak Forest hike to Wednesday, September 9th due to spicy weather. ☔️

Chilly nights, crisp air, and those giant Halloween skeletons at every hardware store. Like it or not (and we’re still very much enjoying the summer vibes) autumn is just around the corner. And that means… fall hikes!

We’ve got six guided group hikes coming up as part of our annual 5 Hikes Challenge and we’d love for you to come join us. They’re free hikes at some of our most iconic forests throughout the state. And best of all: anyone can join, even if you’re not signed up for 5 Hikes Challenge.

So if you’re looking to explore beautiful trails and meet new hiking pals all while basking in that early autumn air—we’re looking for you.

The first is coming up this Thursday, September 3rd at Bald Cap Peak Forest in Shelburne, so sign up while you can.

Check the link in our bio or head on over to our website to RSVP for a guided hike and learn all about our annual 5 Hikes Challenge.

Chilly nights, crisp air, and those giant Halloween skeletons at every hardware store. Like it or not (and we’re still v...
08/29/2026

Chilly nights, crisp air, and those giant Halloween skeletons at every hardware store. Like it or not (and we’re still very much enjoying the summer vibes) autumn is just around the corner. And that means… fall hikes!

We’ve got six guided group hikes coming up as part of our annual 5 Hikes Challenge and we’d love for you to come join us. They’re free hikes at some of our most iconic forests throughout the state. And best of all: anyone can join, even if you’re not signed up for 5 Hikes Challenge.

So if you’re looking to explore beautiful trails and meet new hiking pals all while basking in that early autumn air—we’re looking for you.

The first is coming up this Thursday, September 3rd at Bald Cap Peak Forest in Shelburne, so sign up while you can.

Check the link in our bio or head on over to our website to RSVP for a guided hike and learn all about our annual 5 Hikes Challenge.

Did you know that the Forest Society offers field trips? We sure do. They’re unique ways to explore the special places w...
08/26/2026

Did you know that the Forest Society offers field trips?

We sure do. They’re unique ways to explore the special places we’re working hard to protect—and a bit more adventurous than the grade school trips you remember from childhood. Plus, you don’t have to save up your allowance for a gift shop tchotchke.

We’ve got one coming up this Thursday, August 27th in Hancock, NH. Choose between a rugged bushwhack up Rollstone Mountain (seriously, this one is... strenuous and we’re pretty stoked about it) or a flatwater canoeing expedition on pristine Lake Nubanusit. Learn about our efforts, in partnership with the Harris Center, to conserve and protect this rugged and beautiful landscape known as the Nelson Highlands.

Before your hike or paddle, you’ll get a chance to learn all about this project and ask questions of Forest Society and Harris Center staff.

Why is this 650-acre property so important? One word: connection. Large blocks of connected land create vital corridors for wildlife, support biodiversity, and protect entire ecosystems at scale to reduce the ecological effects of fragmentation. For habitat, watershed, and viewshed (it’s spectacularly scenic, friends), Nelson Highlands is a place worth protecting. And we think if you see it—you’ll agree. So come join us, break a sweat, and learn all about it.

For more info and to RSVP, check out our website.

Address

54 Portsmouth Street
Concord, NH
03301

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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