For the Enjoyment of the Entire Community

When Lillian “Billie” Noel worked with the Forest Society to conser ve 35-acre Creek Farm in Portsmouth in 2000, her vision was to preserve and maintain the property for the use and enjoyment of the entire community. Now, 23 years later, that vision is in full bloom.

Tucked along Sagamore Creek, Creek Farm is part of a chain of conser vation land along Little Harbor Road that includes the Wentworth Coolidge Historic Site, City of Portsmouth conser vation lands, and Little Harbor Chapel. The Little Harbor Loop Trail traverses all of these ownerships, meandering from mudflats and tidepools to upland forests and back again. It is a favorite destination for bird watchers, kayakers, paddle boarders, dog walkers, and trail runners.

It is also a hive of activity The recently renovated nineteenth century Carey Cottage houses a combination of office space and a nonprofit incubator Office tenants include the Blue Ocean Society, Conservation Law Foundation, Seacoast Village Project and others, creating a fertile environment for collaboration. Across the lawn, the Forest Society has renovated a smaller outbuilding as the Forest Society Education Center at Creek Farm with classroom and office space. Through a partnership agreement, the Education Center is the land-based campus for The Gundalow Company’s maritime summer camp, which in 2022 hosted several hundred kids for day camp and after-school programs Last year, Forest Society education programs on wildlife and nature topics attracted more than 400 participants of all ages to the site.

The place is humming in all seasons, and now it is only missing one critical element: public restrooms. While we all appreciate a porta-potty when we really need one, providing a more accessible and pleasant experience is a basic necessity on the site Think about the variety of users in a kayak, a stand-up paddleboard, or a gundalow returning to land after adventures on Sagamore Creek or those that might be just making a pit stop during a dog walk or bike trek.

The Forest Society is working with Chinburg Properties, which renovated the Carey Cottage, to build year-round, accessible restrooms available to the public during the hours that the Creek Farm Reservation is open (dawn to dusk and during evening programs). The proposed restrooms will be a free-standing structure located next to the education center, so that their use will not interrupt programs in the building and will be open to all users of the property

This building will contain two family-style bathrooms, a utility closet, and a covered area with a bench and a water-bottle fill station

Thanks to support from the Portsmouth Rotar y and leadership donors, we have raised over $150,000 toward the project, and we are seeking to raise the final $75,000 With your help, the facility will be completed by May of this year, in time for summer use in 2023

Please help us improve the visitor experience at Creek Farm by supporting this urgent campaign!

YES, I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE CONSTRUC TION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES

Name:

Address: Telephone: Email:

Enclosed is my tax- deduc tible contribution of $

AT CREEK FARM

VISA MasterCard Number: Exp. date: Security code:

Please mail the completed form to: Society for the Protec tion of New Hampshire Forests 54 Por tsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301

Or donate online at forestsociety.org/creekfarm-restrooms

For more information, call Anne Truslow at 603-224-9945 or email atruslow@forestsociety org

Town/City : State: Zip: 4102T053/309