Fremont Field Conservation Land

The 178-acre Fremont conservation land on Old Jaffrey Road is a magnet for humans and wildlife. Entries in the trail logbook give a sense of both--whether the Rivermead walking group, neighbors, a preschool outing, visitors from afar, or Peterborough Elementary field trippers reporting on wildlife signs (including bear markings on a pole to the left of the trail as it crosses a power line).

The back forested acreage was conserved through a state grant secured by neighbor Duffy Monahon who knew the land well, and the front field through Conservation Commission fundraising with generous assistance from neighbors. Most recent was a fundraising that included money voted at Town Meeting to purchase two building lots at the edge of the front field that were offered by a neighbor for a bargain price.

Land conservation often requires many partners – appropriate since there are many beneficiaries. Peterborough Elementary students explore the Fremont land in all seasons with Harris Center teacher-naturalist Janet Altobello. Beaver activities are studied as a window into the workings of the natural world. Many wildlife species depend on the water world created by beavers, and on the meadows left behind when the beavers move on or their dams give way.