The Monadnock Conservancy has accepted the donation of a conservation easement on 92 acres of forests and wetlands in Peterborough, which, when combined with other easements, creates a nearly 400-acre area of conserved land.

Peter and Suzanne Read, the longtime owners of this property, donated the easement, which will limit future development to forestry and agriculture and conserve it forever. The parcel abuts a 112-acre property to the south with a conservation easement held by the Town of Peterborough, which in turn abuts a 195-acre property that has a conservation easement held by the conservancy.

These additional 92 acres will help create a 399-acre tract of conserved land in Peterborough. Contiguous blocks of conserved land are considered valuable for conservation efforts because they store carbon and allow wildlife to naturally adapt to climate change. The Monadnock Conservancy’s staff has observed as many as nine heron nests (known as a heron rookery) on the property, as well as evidence of beavers and other wildlife.