Get outside for a good cause - Easement Monitoring Program

Do you love being outdoors and want to help protect the land in your community? Join Bear-Paw Regional Greenways as a Volunteer Easement Monitor and play a hands-on role in caring for permanently conserved forests, farms, and wildlife habitat across southeastern New Hampshire.

Bear-Paw works with landowners to protect private properties through conservation easementslegal agreements that ensure land stays undeveloped while remaining in private hands. These easements need to be monitored annually, and volunteers are a key part of that effort.

As a monitor, youll be assigned one or more conserved properties to visit between July and October. Your role includes walking the land, observing and photographing current conditions, and submitting a brief report. Before your visit, youll review the easement deed and property maps, reach out to the landowner to invite them along if they wish, and prepare for a safe outing in the field. No prior experience is neededBear-Paw provides all the training, resources, and support to help you succeed.

Program Highlights

• Time commitment: 35 hours per property, once a year

• Training: Two required free trainings (classroom + field) held in July, then you'll be paired up with a mentor before taking on a property of your own

• Experience needed: None! Just an interest in conservation and the outdoors

• Support: All materials and guidance provided by Bear-Paw staff

Volunteers help monitor properties across the Bear-Paw region, which includes the New Hampshire towns of Allenstown, Barnstead, Candia, Deerfield, Epsom, Hooksett, Northwood, Nottingham, Pittsfield, Raymond, and Strafford.

Whether youre looking to gain field experience, give back to your community, or simply explore beautiful conserved lands, volunteering as a monitor is a meaningful and rewarding way to get involved.

Protect the land. Get outside. Make a difference with Bear-Paw.

Please note: Monitoring visits often involve walking off-trail through woods, fields, and uneven terrain. Many property boundaries are not marked trails, so volunteers should be comfortable navigating through natural, and sometimes challenging, landscapes.