The yellow-throated Blandings turtle and docile black racer snake are two of the many species inhabiting southern New Hampshire’s verdant forests. With its characteristic rolling and rocky terrain dotted by bogs, vernal pools, marshes, floodplain forests and beaver ponds, this area of the Granite State is critical not only for wildlife but also for reducing flooding and filtering drinking water for nearby communities.
Despite southern New Hampshire’s undisputed ecological importance, the region is under extreme development pressure from nearby Boston and New Hampshire’s largest cities. OSI has concentrated our grants in this region around two large state parks — Bear Brook and Pawtuckaway — providing essential wildlife habitat even as the climate changes.