Graylag Nature Preserve

Graylag Nature Preserve
Established1946
Location
Coordinates43°16′50″N 71°14′51″W / 43.28056°N 71.24750°W / 43.28056; -71.24750
Websitegraylag.org

Graylag Nature Preserve is a 300-acre (120 ha) nonprofit nature preserve located in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, in the United States.[1] It is listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.[2]

History

Graylag was opened as a camp for boys in 1946 by the Geib family, and in 1952, basketball player Bob Cousy became a partner in what was then called Camp Graylag, and established its basketball program. Paved, collegiate regulation courts were built alongside the shores of the Wild Goose Pond.[3] For more than 20 years, Cousy coached boys in summer.[4]

Later, the property was purchased by environmentalist Carl Wallman who established Graylag as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to preserve and protect the property.[5][6]

Land stewardship

Under Wallman, Graylag entered into a conservation easement with Bear Paw Regional Greenways in 2017 that protected 175.77 acres (71.13 ha) of land. The specific purposes of this conservation were to protect habitats, ecosystems, biodiversity, and watershed quality on the property while maintaining the scenery to be enjoyed by the public. The conservation easement also served to enlarge the protected area of thousands of acres of adjacent unfragmented lands.[7]

Programs

Graylag hosts artistic and scientific programs that focus on the local environment. Programs, led by specialists, include vernal pool ecology walks,[8] loon educational programs,[9] and woodland management workshops.[10]

Ecology

Graylag and the Wild Goose Pond watershed include ecological features such as vernal pools, headwater streams, scrub-shrub wetlands, wet meadows, and freshwater wetlands that rely on beaver dams. The property and surrounding watershed mostly consists of Appalachian hemlock–northern hardwood forest,[3] a forest type commonly overlooked by conservation efforts. This forest type covers over 50% of New Hampshire, and hosts species such as the bald eagle, black bear, moose, beaver, and wood frog.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "The Preserve". Graylag. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  2. ↑ "NH's deep history reflected in most recent listings to the NH State Register of Historic Places". New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Snyder, Ellen. "A Story of Water, Wildlife, Woods, People and Place" (PDF). Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Boston College Honorary Degree Citations 2014". Boston College. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ Harris, Elizabeth (November 20, 2009). "Start Small and Think Long Term". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  6. ↑ Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, Brandon (May 9, 2013). "Graylag Nature Preserve Inc - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Wallman, Carl. "Conservation Easement Deed and Deed Restriction" (PDF). Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Graylag Vernal Pool Ecology Walk". Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Graylag Nature Preserve Loon Program". Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Woodland Management Walk at Graylag Nature Preserve". Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Habitat Types and Species". New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
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