Spotlight on Five Rivers Member Margaret Watkins
Article by Sarah McCraw Crow
Member Margaret Watkins of Dunbarton has been a supporter of Five Rivers almost from the beginning, back when it was known as Concord Conservation Trust. “I know I still have one of the original Concord Conservation Trust t-shirts,” she says.
As a longtime conservation professional and former director of the Piscataquog Land Conservancy, Watkins put her skills to work for Five Rivers, monitoring conservation easements, overseeing conservation projects in Henniker and Dunbarton, and serving as vice-chair and chair of Five Rivers’ board, as well as on all of Five Rivers’ committees. Watkins says that as board chair, she enjoyed the challenging questions related to land conservation. “It was totally worthwhile work,” she says.
Watkins also helped hire Beth McGuinn, Five Rivers’ first full-time executive director. McGuinn (now a former executive director) notes “Margaret really does have the land in her DNA, so to speak. And she has a really nice blend of understanding conservation, but also the details of how to run a nonprofit, including the development and outreach side of things. She was really important to Five Rivers’ growth.”
Watkins’ favorite Five Rivers property: “The one I visit most often is the Sweatt Preserve in Hopkinton. I go to the Contoocook farmers market and stop at the Sweatt trail on the way home, and go for a walk.” She’s been happy to see that the Sweatt Preserve’s trails, like all of Five Rivers’ public trails, have gotten lots of use during the pandemic.
One thing she wishes everyone knew about Five Rivers: “Even though it’s called Five Rivers, the focus is on land.” She adds that she appreciates Five Rivers’ strategic vision in making the preservation of farmland in central New Hampshire a priority.
