DOVER and WESTWOOD, Mass. – A land conservation project that was years in the making has now been achieved with the completion of two conservation restrictions (CRs) acquired by The Trustees of Reservations on Aug. 21, on land owned by Hale Education, a non-profit outdoor education provider. The Trustees, the state’s largest holder of CRs, worked with Hale to forever protect 1,109 acres of Hale’s land in Dover and Westwood.

The Hale Education land is home to the organization’s extensive outdoor recreation programs, and is open to the public for hiking, birdwatching, mountain biking, swimming, and wildlife viewing. This popular recreation land includes critical habitat and climate resilient forest.

One of the conservation restrictions covers 973 acres of Hale land in Dover and Westwood and is the largest single CR acquired by The Trustees since 1972. A second conservation restriction covers 136 acres of Hale property in Dover and is located adjacent to The Trustees’ Powisset Farm. A conservation restriction is a method to permanently protect environmental values and limit the ways privately-owned land can be used, forever.

“The Trustees is thrilled to partner with Hale to secure this significant conservation outcome,” said Katie Theoharides, President and CEO of The Trustees. “The Trustees protects places where people and nature can thrive together, and Hale is a powerful example of why that work matters. Landscapes designed for outdoor recreation, like this one, give communities room to learn, play, gather, and connect with the outdoors while also protecting forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and climate resilience. By helping ensure Hale remains conserved and accessible forever, we are advancing a model of conservation that supports both healthy ecosystems and healthy communities.”

The two Hale CRs connect to existing protected land to create a 2,172-acre contiguous block of protected open space in Westwood and Dover. The adjacent land includes Powisset Farm and Noanet Woodlands, both owned by The Trustees, and land protected by the towns of Westwood and Dover, and the Dover Land Conservation Trust.

With these two CRs, The Trustees has protected over 2,137 acres of dense forest, important farmland, and critical water resources across Massachusetts in 2026. Since announcing a goal in 2025 of protecting 12,000 additional acres by 2030 as part of its For Everyone, Forever Campaign, The Trustees has protected 5,520 acres, which is more than a sixfold increase in the pace of conservation for the organization.

“Conservation of the Hale Education land reflects what is possible when committed partners work together with a shared vision for conservation. These partnerships have created the foundation for The Trustees reaching our ambitious state-wide conservation goals over the next five years,” said Jennifer Dubois, Vice President of Land Conservation for The Trustees.

To learn more about The Trustee’s strategic plan to conserve land, elevate stewardship, connect more people to nature, and inspire climate hope, go to https://thetrustees.org/our-strategic-plan/.

About The Trustees

The Trustees is Massachusetts’ largest—and the nation’s first—land conservation and preservation nonprofit. Today, through the support of Members, donors, and partners, The Trustees helps conserve nearly 52,000 acres and welcomes the public to more than 120 inspiring locations across the state to experience landscapes where nature, wildlife, and people all thrive.