Tyler Road
477 acres of fields, forestland, and stream frontage
No public access
June 2020

The Janeway Conservation Area has many attributes that make it a conservation priority. The Blackwater River, one of the “Five Rivers,” flows along ¾ of a mile of the Conservation Area’s southern boundary. Rich Cook, Five Rivers Project Manager for the project says, “For paddlers, this part of the river feels like wilderness.”

The property represents an extraordinary gift by Harold and Betsy Janeway of their home and 477 acres of land in Webster and Hopkinton to Five Rivers Conservation Trust.

On the north side of the property lies 1¼ miles of frontage on Deer Meadow Brook and its associated wetlands, an important water filtration system that slows frequent heavy rains.

Included in the Conservation Area are hayfields managed by Bohanan Farm, producing Contoocook Creamery milk products locally and pastureland used by the Drown Farm’s heifers each summer. Combined with hundreds of acres of forestland and frontage on Chase Pond, the Conservation Area is a haven for wildlife – songbirds and hawks, foxes and bears, salamanders, snakes and fish all use the habitat provided by these 477 acres.

The donation of the Janeway Conservation Area ushers in a new era for Five Rivers, conserving land by ownership in addition to its use of the conservation easement as a conservation tool. This is the third and by far, the largest property where Five Rivers will own and manage conserved land. The others are the Sweatt Preserve in Hopkinton and the Armstrong Forest Preserve in Concord. The Janeways’ remarkable gift is the largest property conserved by Five Rivers Conservation Trust.

Rt. 127 and Pearson Hill Road
12 acres of fields and forest
No public access
August 2013

The Phelps property contains productive forest, supports a habitat for migrating barn swallows and provides a scenic view from both Route 127 and Pearson Hill Road, gathering enough natural resources criteria to be a protected area, and borders the State-designated Currier and Ives Scenic By-Way.

Divided between field and forest, there are a few very old stately oak trees in the mowed area, a small pond and plenty of grassland used by migratory birds for feeding and resting. The property also abuts conserved land, some of which is privately owned and some of which is owned by the town and is also under a conservation easement. Much of the area was owned by Phelps’ extended family for many years, including the Mock Forest.

This easement was possible through a generous donation of Ms. Phelps and the strong support of the Webster Conservation Commission. Five Rivers and the town of Webster are especially pleased to have completed their first project together. The Phelps easement brings the number of properties protected by conservation easements, which are held by Five Rivers, to 52.