The Harris Center for Conservation Education is one of four locations selected to participate in a newly funded statewide effort to protect vulnerable wildlife by improving habitat connectivity across New Hampshire.
The project — supported by a nationally competitive grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation — focuses on upgrading road infrastructure at priority sites to reduce wildlife mortality and reconnect fragmented habitats.
The initiative will include the installation of culvert underpasses and wildlife-guiding structures that help animals safely cross roads—an important step for species like amphibians that migrate between forest habitats and seasonal breeding pools. By improving safe passage, the project aims to strengthen wildlife populations and support long-term ecological resilience.
“The Harris Center is thrilled to be part of the first community-based amphibian tunnel project in New Hampshire,” said Brett Amy Thelen, the organization’s Science Director. “In addition to restoring habitat connectivity and protecting vulnerable amphibian species, we hope this project will serve as a demonstration site and provide momentum for similar restoration efforts throughout New England.”
Other project partners include the City of Keene and the towns of Newmarket and Nottingham.
