The outstretched arms in the logo above radiate the enthusiasm of those of us involved with a young organization dedicated to the preservation of the Tucker Mountain Town Forest. FRIENDS OF TUCKER MOUNTAIN was incorporated at the end of 2020; we received our non-profit 501(c)3 status in March of 2021. Our mission is to support the the Tucker Mountain Management Committee financially and by volunteering. We aim to advance projects that prioritize ecological stewardship and promote recreation and outdoor education in the Town Forest.

The Friends of Tucker Mountain is presently focused on raising funds that will go towards needed projects scheduled for 2024 and beyond:

• We are in planning stages for an all persons trail that will follow the Vance Brook Trail with a benches and a viewing area above Vance Brook. A spur trail will give people access to a lower viewing area nearer to the level of the brook. Peter Jensen and Associates has presented a design plan, funded by the National Park Service. Jennifer Waite of the NPS is assisting us with planning.
• The all persons trail project includes construction of a footbridge across Vance Brook directly north of the east parking lot
• Clearing patches of young trees growing near the summit to preserve the view
• Eradication of invasive honeysuckle, barberry and Japanese knotweed

We’ve achieved some exciting projects over the last three years:

• With grant funding from our donors and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, we installed ten laminated informational signs throughout the town forest. These offer insights into the Native American and agricultural history of Tucker Mountain, geology, forestry, plant identification, and wildlife.Educational signage along our trails identifying historical, geologic, botanical and wildlife features.
• Volunteers installed a StoryWalk© along the Vance Brook Trail. The walk includes 20 wooden signboards with clear plastic covers that display the pages of a selected children’s book. Families, kids and friends can walk the trail and read the story as they go. Stories that are appropriate to the season are changed out every few months. Elementary students and leaders from the Newbury After School Club built and installed the signs. This project was funded by the Vermont Community Foundation.
• We completed the High Meadows Trail, a major multi-use trail project on the Tucker Mountain Summit, reversing years of severe erosion and providing access to people who would not otherwise be able to get to the top. The project included a short all persons trail and a rebuilt fire-pit area. The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation and Recreational Trails Program joined with individual donors to fund the trail.
• Partnered with Tucker Mountain Town Forest Management Committee to co-host the Tucker Mountain Town Forest Day Celebration
• Successfully hosted the second annual Tucker Mountain 5K
• Did outreach and tabling at several community events, including hosting a float for the West Newbury Summer Festival parade and tabling at the River end Career and Technical Center EXPO