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Thank you from Beaver Brook Association in Hollis as we celebrate 50 years

To the Editor:

This is a letter to the people of Hollis, Brookline and Milford.

In 1964, as a gift to their community, cousins Hollis Nichols and Jeff Smith founded Beaver Brook Association. It began with the purchase of a 20-acre parcel in Hollis known as the Gerry Colburn lot, plus the donation of another 18 acres with buildings off Love Lane to be set aside as both an outdoor classroom and an example of land stewardship for all to enjoy. In May of that year, the private nonprofit educational organization was chartered to provide educational and recreational opportunities focused on the environment and our relationship with nature.

Since that time, Beaver Brook has added approximately 1,900 contiguous acres in Hollis, 100 acres in Brookline, and 200 acres in Milford to form one of the largest collections of permanently protected land for public use in southern New Hampshire. With its acquisition and management of that land Beaver Brook has contributed to the protection of the largely undeveloped watersheds of several area streams, many of which flow into the major watersheds of southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Throughout its history, Beaver Brook has had the backing of not only the citizens of Hollis, but those of several other southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts communities. While support has come from thousands of individuals and families over the last half century, it has also been the municipal boards, committees and officials of the towns of Hollis, Brookline and Milford who have nurtured this nature based organization via their labors, contributions and endorsements.

As Beaver Brook celebrates its 50th birthday in 2014, we extend our sincere thanks to those officials and committees who have supported, served and protected our organization throughout those years. For their countless examples of help and support, Beaver Brook Association thanks the boards of Selectmen, the Police and Fire departments, the Public Works departments, Conservation commissions and all other committees in Hollis, Brookline and Milford without which our first 50 years would not have been as productive. We also extend our thanks to the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, the Colonial Garden Club and the Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce for their contributions and long-standing support of our organization.

There are undoubtedly others we have inadvertently missed with this letter of thanks and to them we humbly apologize. As its founders’ vision of providing an outdoor classroom continues into its second half century Beaver Brook sincerely appreciates the continued support of all who value this gem of nature with which we have been entrusted.

THOM DAVIES

Executive Director

Beaver Brook Association