At its 2026 Fall Equinox Celebration, Hale brought together leaders and community partners to celebrate the permanent protection of its land, demonstrating what collaboration can achieve.
More than 1,100 acres of forests, wetlands, ponds and trails in Dover and Westwood are now permanently protected from development, marking a major conservation achievement for Massachusetts and securing a natural resource for generations to come.
Hale celebrated the milestone at its Sept. 24 Fall Equinox Celebration, bringing together conservation leaders, community partners, volunteers and supporters to recognize the years of collaboration behind the effort. The gathering also highlighted a broader challenge facing conservation organizations across Massachusetts: ensuring that protected natural spaces remain accessible and welcoming to the communities they serve.
Two newly completed conservation restrictions, both held by The Trustees of Reservations, protect more than 1,100 acres of Hale's approximately 1,200-acre property. Together with neighboring protected properties, the effort contributes to a connected conservation landscape spanning more than 2,000 acres, preserving wildlife habitat, waterways and recreational opportunities in Greater Boston.
State Sen. Becca Rausch, who chairs two legislative committees with responsibilities touching environmental and municipal issues, praised the achievement as an example of what partnerships can accomplish.
“It was such a pleasure to celebrate the fall equinox at Hale Education, one of Greater Boston’s natural treasures,” said State Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. “The setting, occasion, and company were both fun and inspiring, especially the opportunity to speak with Mardi Fuller about inclusion and belonging in the outdoors. Thanks to Hale’s monumental work to protect 1,100 acres in Dover and Westwood, thousands of people will be able to access this land for generations to come. Hale’s collaboration with The Trustees of Reservations and local land trusts sets the standard for protecting vital habitats while uplifting our shared communities. I’m proud to partner with the Hale Education team on environmental preservation and outdoor engagement.”
The milestone represents the culmination of a conservation effort that began decades ago and required cooperation among Hale, The Trustees of Reservations, the Dover Land Conservation Trust, the Westwood Land Trust, donors and local and state partners.
Hale Executive Director Aaron Morehouse told attendees that the significance of the achievement extends well beyond the organization's property boundaries.
"Long after we leave this gathering, these forests will still be forests. The ponds will still be ponds. Wildlife will have a safe habitat here," Morehouse said.
The conservation restrictions were officially recorded Aug. 21, legally securing the land's permanent protection while allowing Hale to continue its educational and recreational mission.
Jennifer Dubois, vice president of land conservation at The Trustees of Reservations, described the Hale partnership as part of a conservation commitment that extends far beyond the celebration.
"It really is the beginning. It is the beginning of forever," she said.
The achievement also demonstrates the importance of smaller, community-based conservation organizations working alongside larger statewide institutions. Nancy Dempze, president of the Westwood Land Trust, emphasized that local land trusts play an essential role in protecting Massachusetts landscapes, often preserving smaller parcels that collectively form important wildlife corridors and natural areas.
"We'll protect land one piece at a time and add it together and then you have a wildlife corridor or a really beautiful viewscape," Dempze said.
The achievement also carries significance for communities across the South Shore, where local land trusts, watershed organizations and municipal conservation commissions are working to preserve open space amid ongoing development pressures. Organizations such as Wildlands Trust and the North and South Rivers Watershed Association have long championed the protection of forests, wetlands and waterways throughout the region. While the landscapes and individual projects differ, Hale's success illustrates how partnerships among nonprofit organizations, municipalities, private donors and community members can secure lasting protections for natural resources.
During the celebration, Hale recognized the Dover Land Conservation Trust and Westwood Land Trust with its Community Service Award. Jack Wiggin and Rob Warren received Outstanding Service Awards for their contributions to the conservation effort.
While the evening celebrated the permanent protection of land, speakers emphasized that conservation's success should also be measured by who benefits from it. The event's keynote speaker, Mardi Fuller, is a writer, outdoor advocate and lifelong adventurer who became the first known Black person to complete winter ascents of all 48 of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks in 2021.
Fuller challenged conservation organizations to think beyond simply opening their properties to the public and consider whether people from different backgrounds genuinely feel they belong in outdoor spaces.
"Being welcome does not equal belonging," Fuller told the audience. "To belong, you must be a stakeholder, a co-owner."
She praised Hale's conservation achievement and its elimination of entrance fees as meaningful steps toward expanding outdoor access. But she cautioned that permanently protecting a landscape does not automatically guarantee that everyone will feel comfortable using it.
"It is only a foundation, and this is why Hale's programming is so critical to this larger mission to make nature for all," Fuller said.
That message reflects Hale's longstanding role as an outdoor education organization. Founded in 1918, it continues to serve thousands of children, families and community members through educational programs, summer camps and recreational opportunities every year.
The celebration also recognized individuals helping translate that mission into action. Ryan LaCroix received Hale's Volunteer of the Year Award for leading the construction of a 60-foot raised walkway along a flooded trail, protecting surrounding wetlands while restoring recreational access. Colleen Hachey was named Counselor of the Year for her work helping young students feel welcomed and supported through Hale Outdoor Learning Adventures (HOLA), which has been closing the nature, opportunity, and summer learning gaps for students from Boston Public Schools since 2011.
The significance of Hale's conservation milestone reaches beyond Dover and Westwood.
As communities across Massachusetts balance development, environmental protection and demand for outdoor recreation, the project offers an example of how private nonprofit landowners, statewide conservation organizations and local volunteers can work together to preserve large, connected natural landscapes.
For South Shore communities balancing growth with the preservation of their natural landscapes, Hale's achievement offers a compelling example of conservation at work. The project demonstrates that protecting open space is not simply about preventing future development. It is also about safeguarding wildlife habitat, preserving recreational opportunities and ensuring that children growing up decades from now will still have places to explore and experience nature.
For Hale, the next chapter will focus on maintaining that balance between conservation and community access.
Morehouse closed the evening by encouraging attendees to introduce others to the outdoors and help extend the benefits of conservation beyond those already familiar with Hale.
"Protecting this land forever is an extraordinary achievement, but tonight is hardly an ending," he said.
With the land now permanently protected, Hale and its conservation partners face the ongoing responsibility of caring for the property, maintaining public access and ensuring that future generations also benefit from the landscape.
