The Monadnock Conservancy has accepted the donation of a conservation easement on 5.3 acres owned by the Town of Temple. The property, known as Schoolhouse Meadow for the historic schoolhouse located on it, is the scenic gateway to Temple along Route 45.

In March of 2023, residents voted to donate a conservation easement on the Schoolhouse Meadow property – a voluntary, permanent legal agreement that limits commercial and residential development – and enforce its terms in perpetuity.

According to a release from the conservancy, in addition to its scenic value, Schoolhouse Meadow sits atop an aquifer – an underground layer of sand and gravel that naturally stores water – which supplies clean drinking water to many of the buildings in the village. The property also features a stream and wetlands and is a favorite of bird watchers.

The property is near other conserved areas. Across the street is the seven-acre Temple Village Fields property, and it is also close to 27 acres containing an old apple orchard, which connects to another 247 conserved acres of fields and forests. The conservancy holds conservation easements on all these properties, along with eight other properties in Temple.