HCT 50th Anniversary
Celebrating 50 Years of Land Protection
Throughout 2023, the Harvard Conservation Trust (HCT) celebrates 50 years of protecting the natural resources, scenic beauty and areas of historic importance that make Harvard such an extraordinary place. HCT is funded exclusively through donations and volunteer efforts of the Board of Trustees, committed volunteers, members and partners whose support makes it possible to preserve and steward the land, offer education and recreation opportunities where possible.
Over 1,100 acres have been protected to date, allowing HCT to:
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Protect and monitor wildlife habitats and water resources
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Secure points of connectivity to preserve & re-open wildlife corridors
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Build and manage over 50 trails
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Create outdoor educational and recreation opportunities
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Support local agriculture and protect farmland
Preparing For The Next 50 Years
As HCT looks forward to the next 50 years, we remain committed to our simple, powerful vision. We will continue to tackle complex conservation issues such as habitat loss and fragmentation, water conservation, invasive species, land development and climate change. We will continue to protect land. And we will work to engage every member of our community in successful conservation strategies at a large scale as well as at an individual level. At the heart of this vision is the new 50th Anniversary Fund. We will use the 50th anniversary to secure a foundation that ensures continued land protection for years to come. The 50th Anniversary Fund will leverage HCT donations, grants and public funding to maximize and extend each dollar raised for land protection.
It Began With A Gift From Erhart Muller
The amount of land that has been protected in Harvard is a monumental accomplishment made possible, in part, by Erhart Muller, one of HCT’s co-founders who bequeathed $1.5 million exclusively for land protection in 2016. This gift, known as the Muller Conservation Collaborative (MCC), had a multiplier effect on HCT’s impact. The fund unlocked a 1:1 match for every dollar raised from other donors. Since 2016, HCT has doubled its protected lands.
