WILLIAMSBURG, Mass. – The Trustees of Reservations and Hilltown Land Trust are working to purchase the Beaver Brook Golf Course in Williamsburg and Northampton with the intention of rewilding the property to create a dynamic hub for recreation and conservation. A fundraising campaign has been launched to raise $1.5 million by June 30 to complete the purchase of 288 acres of floodplain, wetlands, and forest.
The Beaver Brook acquisition would fulfill many of The Trustees’ objectives in its new five-year strategic plan, which will accelerate conservation of large landscapes, build climate resilience, and connect more people to nature.
The property is highly visible along Route 9, the busiest east-west road in Hampshire County. As a new Trustees’ reservation, the floodplain will be rewilded, creating a community park with accessible walking trails and scenic views. The surrounding wooded hills have informal trails that The Trustees will improve, providing enhanced connectivity and access. The property and trails will support snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and mountain biking, among other activities. The existing cart paths will provide accessible trails to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers.
Existing buildings on the property will be repurposed in the future to provide flexible space for community gatherings, a potential western Massachusetts headquarters and office space for The Trustees and its affiliate Hilltown Land Trust (HLT), and workshop space for The Trustees’ and HLT’s stewardship staff and equipment.
“Protecting and restoring Beaver Brook, one of the largest remaining tracts of open land in the Northampton area, will provide new opportunities for people to get outside while enhancing critical wildlife habitat, and building climate resiliency,” said Katie Theoharides, president and CEO of The Trustees. “As an organization, The Trustees is committed to continued support for critical conservation work in Western Massachusetts and look forward to stewarding this important community resource.”
The acquisition will include restoration of the Beaver Brook floodplain, focusing on replanting native species and restoring the floodplain habitat, which will allow the brook to naturally meander and store floodwaters. Recognized by the Commonwealth as a cold-water fishery and Core aquatic habitat, restoration will also enhance the property’s biodiversity and climate resilience. The remainder of the property’s roughly 175 acres of forest will provide significant carbon storage and vital habitat for plants and wildlife. The restoration process will be documented for scientific study to help inform future approaches to restoration and interpretative signage will engage visitors in the hopeful work of nature-based climate solutions.
The Trustees has until June 30 to raise the $1.5 million needed to purchase Beaver Brook, said Wendy Ferris, The Trustees’ vice president for the Central and Valley Region.
“Beaver Brook is a great opportunity for residents of the Valley to come together to save the largest remaining undeveloped property so close to a city in Hampshire County,” Ferris said. “It’s a rare location that is part of a connected wildlife corridor, on a busy road and bus route, and part of a neighborhood. The property will feature accessible walking paths, diverse trails through the woodlands, restored ecosystems, and amazing potential for environmental and ecological education. It is our plan that it becomes a destination for education and recreation pursuits.”
Ferris said the property is also attractive because the existing 250-person pavilion will provide a beautiful and flexible sheltered gathering space with sweeping views.
The communities of Northampton and Williamsburg play important roles by applying for state grants which, if successful, will result in Williamsburg holding a conservation restriction on most of the property owned by The Trustees, with Northampton acquiring a smaller portion of the property that lies within its city limits.
“Hilltown Land Trust is thrilled to be involved in this transformative project which is one of the best opportunities to improve the region’s climate resilience and offer new recreational opportunities,” said HLT Executive Director Sally Loomis. “A project of this size requires the capacity of a statewide land trust such as The Trustees and the community connections of a regional organization such as HLT. This project highlights the original purpose of the formal affiliation between these two organizations.”
The total cost of acquiring, activating, and endowing the project is $5.5 million, and The Trustees have public and private grants in the pipeline totaling $4 million. The Trustees is seeking donations for the remaining $1.5 million by the end of June 2025. It will take approximately two years for the new reservation to be fully activated, which includes rewilding the golf course area, installing signage, completing trail work, and converting the existing clubhouse into office space.
For more information on the project or to make an online gift toward the purchase of Beaver Brook, go to www.thetrustees.org/beaverbrook.
More about The Trustees
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for over 130 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit, supported by members, friends and donors and our 123 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. www.thetrustees.org.
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