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The Upper Valley Land Trust has new leaders in two top positions as of July 1. We are quite fortunate in that both bring many years of experience and participation in UVLT activities.
Manning Rountree (at top) is leading UVLT as interim president while a nationwide search is underway for former President Jeanie McIntyre’s permanent replacement. He served more than 20 years as an executive of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., including the last eight as CEO, before retiring at the end of 2025. He has rejoined the UVLT Board of Trustees after previously serving two terms from 2011 to 2017, and he also serves as a director of the St. Simons Island Land Trust in Georgia. Manning and his wife, Kendall Hoyt, have been active conservationists for decades.
Harry Pease (below), a member of the UVLT Board of Trustees since 2021, is now chair. Harry and his wife Linda own and operate Brackett Brook Farm in Orford, NH, which has been in Harry’s family since 1866. They make maple syrup, cut hay, pasture beef cattle, and manage the forest on the 103-acre farm. Harry and Linda conserved the farm with UVLT in 2020. Prior to coming back to the farm in 2011, Harry served in various financial management positions with the Department of the Army in Massachusetts, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Texas. He retired in 2011 after serving 11 years as chief financial officer for Western Area Power Administration in Lakewood, CO.
| | UVLT kicks off its next 40 years! |
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“Raise the Roof” Celebration Marks Four Decades
We welcomed friends and supporters from across the region to our Raise the Roof: 40 Years Strong celebration on June 27. Event highlights at the Ely Mountain Conservation Area in Thetford, VT, included the raising of a beautiful timber-frame pavilion, naturalist tours, a fascinating discussion on “now and then” farming and land conservation history, music, and more. We welcomed summer with delicious strawberry shortcake and lots of pride in all that we’ve accomplished by working together.
The event was documented by Junction Arts & Media (JAM), a nonprofit based in White River Junction, VT, whose mission is to build the community through the media arts.
| | Room (and lots of places) to Roam | |
Since 1985, UVLT has worked with Upper Valley landowners to create and maintain trails and open lands. We invite you to visit some new sites this summer – there are so many to choose from!
- 34 Conservation Areas
- 37 Public Access Trails
- 10 River Access, Picnic Areas, and Campsites
Our trails cross farm and forestland and provide access to scenic vistas and birding areas. Some conserved land is in public ownership, managed by towns or state agencies for parks and public use. We maintain picnic spots and primitive campsites for use by boaters on the Connecticut River and we have conserved two sites for cartop boat launches. We thank the dozens of volunteers who pitch in to help care for our trails and campsites!
You can plan your next adventure with our Room to Roam brochure by clicking the link below, or feel free to visit our office to pick up a copy.
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Meet Chief Philanthropy Officer
Mitch McMonigle
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The Upper Valley Land Trust is pleased to introduce Mitch McMonigle, who recently joined our team. Mitch is building relationships with the people and families who support UVLT's mission, helping connect donors' generosity with the conservation work happening across the region.
Mitch comes to UVLT after more than a decade working in the financial industry, where he spent his career building long-term relationships and helping people make thoughtful decisions about how to use their resources.
Before that, his path looked quite different: he studied ecology and environmental studies in college and spent ten years working as a chef, developing a strong appreciation for community farms along the way. An avid canoeist and cyclist, Mitch has always felt most at home outdoors, and cares deeply about protecting public access to the land we all enjoy.
Mitch and his family have relocated to the Upper Valley as his wife begins her medical residency at DHMC. He’s looking forward to getting out into the community and meeting the people who make UVLT’s work possible.
| Or tell a friend! UVLT is a great place to work for talented people who care about the Upper Valley and want to make a difference. We currently have two important job openings: Community Engagement Coordinator and Conservation Project Manager. | “Passionate about community service and conservation” | |
Audrey Dowell is coordinating UVLT’s food pantry gardens this summer, but like all staff she’s multitalented and eager to pitch in where needed. She recently assisted volunteer Phil Harrison on a much-needed renovation project at the Lyme Pinnacle.
“Audrey and I built three new bridges, repaired an existing one that needed new boards, placed a few steppingstones in muddy spots, and dug several drainage swales to divert water off the trail and to try to keep it from puddling,” says Harrison. “Audrey was a huge help. The work is way more efficient with two and carrying the assembled bridges down the trail is much easier.”
Audrey is a graduate of Thetford Academy and is currently studying forestry at UVM.
“I wanted to work with UVLT because of the opportunities it presented,” she says. “UVLT has a finger in almost every pie; conservation work, community work, even a bit of forestry and land management. I think that as I grow and develop professionally, I am going to really value having a variety of experiences under my belt. In addition, I am very passionate about community service and conservation, so it really just was the perfect fit for this summer.”
Chances are you’ll encounter Audrey at one of our food pantry gardens, which produce fruits and vegetables for distribution to hunger relief programs throughout the Upper Valley. Be sure to thank her for all that she’s doing on behalf of our communities.
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Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) workshop
Wed., July 29, 9 a.m.-noon
"Lingering ash" are mature, native ash trees that remain healthy after most other ashes have been killed by invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) in a particular locale. US Forest Service scientists have shown that material from lingering ash can be used to breed EAB-resistant trees, providing significant hope for these trees. However, this hope hinges on active participation by forestland managers and citizen scientists – perhaps you!
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Stargazing Party
Saturday, August 8, 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Join the Upper Valley Land Trust and the Orford Conservation Commission for one of our most anticipated events of the year, the Annual Stargazing Party at Mountain View Farm in the Quinttown region of Orford, NH. It’s the perfect place to take a tour of the night sky with a remote location, 360-degree view, and lack of electric light pollution, which allows you to see the whole sky on a clear night.
| | We know you love the Upper Valley. We do too. | | | | |
