LENOX, MA—Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) is proud to announce a year of milestones in its mission to conserve, care, and connect people with the natural landscape of Berkshire County. Over the past year, BNRC expanded its footprint of conserved lands, enhanced public access to the outdoors, and strengthened community ties through volunteerism and community engagement.
“BNRC’s work this year balanced every part of our mission,” reflects BNRC President Jenny Hansell. “Conserving nearly 1,170 acres in a single year, maintaining over 60 miles of trails while opening a new reserve, and cultivating a deeper level of participation from the community is a big undertaking. We didn’t do this work in a vacuum; it was fueled by the members, partners, donors, and volunteers who value these lands as much as we do and make this level of work possible.”
Conserving: BNRC saw a significant expansion of conserved land in 2025, closing a total of 8 land protection projects, moving nearly 1,170 acres of Berkshire greenspace—roughly the equivalent of 880 football fields—into permanent protection. In June, BNRC received a donation of over 560 acres in Sandisfield. This project--a combination of land now owned by BNRC and private land permanently protected from development through conservation restriction—serves as a connection between two existing state forests. This critical linkage helps solidify an approximately 10,000-acre block of protected landscape that is crucial for regional wildlife and habitat.
By working alongside neighbors through direct land purchases and conservation partnerships, these efforts help protect the natural character of the Berkshires from development, keeping local wildlife corridors connected and climate resilience at the forefront of BNRC’s goals.
Caring: The Stewardship team, including BNRC’s seasonal trail crew, completed several major projects this year to keep reserves safe and accessible. In June, BNRC officially opened Tom Ball Mountain reserve to the public, adding almost four miles of new trails in Great Barrington and Alford.
Key infrastructure accomplishments in 2025 included rebuilding four bridges at Three Mile Hill and replacing the footbridge at Thomas and Palmer Brook.
Alongside this essential maintenance, BNRC continued to make significant strides on the High Road, a long-term project aimed at establishing trail connections throughout Berkshire County.
Connecting: BNRC’s work is driven by the community. In 2025, that local impact was felt through the dedicated service of 240 total volunteers (including 72 new faces!), who together contributed 620 hours of service. This spirit of connection extended to the public through 45 programs and 14 donor series events designed to bring people closer to the land they help conserve. Notable among these was a partnership with the Eagle Eye Institute in Peru, which focuses on providing hands-on nature experiences for urban youth.
The generosity of the community and our partners fueled an impressive year of growth. Fundraising totals for 2025 reached $3,024,744.41, supported by 1,115 individual and corporate donors, including 127 monthly sustaining donors and 101 new contributors.
Grant funding continues to play a pivotal role in advancing BNRC’s work. More than $1,400,000 was awarded from state agencies and private foundations to support two key efforts: a 66-acre expansion of Thomas and Palmer Brook reserve in Great Barrington and the conservation of 109 acres within the critically import Appalachian Trail corridor.
These projects help BNRC meet multiple goals in the organization’s strategic plan: expanding key reserves, protecting climate resilient habitat and ecological integrity, and improving public access to nature.
Additionally, BNRC received approximately $175,000 in unrestricted, multi-year operating grants, and several smaller grants for trail improvements and community engagement. Most recently, the year concluded with $255,000 in grants to support visitor improvements at eight of BNRC’s most popular reserves.
“The numbers of 2025 tell a story of incredible community support,” says Emily Daunis, BNRC’s Director of Advancement. “Seeing over 100 new donors and dozens of new volunteers joining the BNRC family shows that the people of Berkshire County are more invested than ever in the future of their green spaces. It’s this collective commitment that allows BNRC to exist and continue to do this important work.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
As BNRC moves into 2026, the focus remains on the “Conserve, Care, and Connect” framework that drove last year’s successes. With several key acquisitions in the pipeline and ongoing work to link more towns via the High Road, the foundation laid in 2025 enables BNRC to pursue ambitious goals across the county, while staying true to our ethos: to work alongside Berkshire residents to keep this region’s natural spaces intact and open to all.
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Established in 1967, Berkshire Natural Resources Council is a nationally accredited land trust that conserves and cares for Berkshire lands, waters, and wildlife, and connects people with nature for a more vibrant, shared future.
BNRC conserves land, protects wildlife and habitat, supports local farmers, expands climate resilience, actively cares for over 27,000 acres, and provides free access to the Berkshire outdoors for everybody—thanks to the help of donors and volunteers. More about BNRC properties and trails, conserving land, and BNRC’s free Berkshire Trails app can be found online at bnrc.org.
This land, and all the present-day Berkshires, are the ancestral homeland of the Mohican people who were forcefully displaced to Wisconsin by European colonization. These lands continue to be of great significance to the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation today. To learn more, visit mohican.com.
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For more information, contact Taylor Staubach at 413-377-9014 or tstaubach@bnrc.org. Berkshire Natural Resources Council, 309 Pittsfield Rd, Suite B, Lenox, MA 01240 www.bnrc.org