ROWE — With help from Mass Audubon and an anonymous foundation, the Franklin Land Trust has purchased 80 acres of forest in Rowe for conservation, ensuring the protection of habitat for regionally rare bat species.
The property on Tunnel Road directly abuts the Nan Williams Conservation Area, and will be managed alongside that property, but likely kept as a separately named conservation area honoring the former owners, Billy and Leonda Hardison, according to Franklin Land Trust Deputy Director Alain Peteroy. The trust’s management efforts will be focused on invasive species control and allowing for limited, safe public access.
“Working with the Hardisons has been a true joy,” Peteroy said in a statement. “Their self-reliance and dedication are deeply inspiring. We’re grateful for the trust they’ve placed in us — it’s been a privilege to be part of this journey with them.”
The property, which has not been commercially logged since the Hardisons acquired it in 1968, is recognized by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program for its BioMap Core Habitat that supports regionally rare bat species — specifically the little brown bat, the tricolored bat and the northern long-eared bat — as well as for its role in supporting landscape connectivity. It drains directly into the Deerfield River, a coldwater fishery and designated priority habitat for rare species, and lies close to the Nan Williams bat hibernaculum cave, which is also protected by the Franklin Land Trust.
The Hardisons moved to the area in search of a quiet life, immersed in nature, where they could pursue creativity. Billy is an artist and Leonda is a musician.
“We wanted a place where we could raise our children in the country and give them the kind of life we grew up with,” Billy said in a statement. Recalling their trip to the area in a Volkswagen Beetle, he continued, “We were looking for a place to live and had heard of this house. So, we took a look at the map and saw we could come down Tunnel Road. The road got steeper and narrower, and there was no way to turn around. … I got out and built little bridgeways over the holes with stones … and we kept going.”
The couple raised five children on the homestead, while stewarding the land with minimal disturbance to the critical forest habitat, according to Peteroy. With their children now grown, the Hardisons were seeking to downsize their estate. They chose to conserve the bulk of the land, but kept a house lot and a small riverfront strip for continued family use.
“We knew we couldn’t live there forever,” Billy said in a statement. “The bridge across the river needed serious repairs … so this is going to help us resettle.”
The Franklin Land Trust purchased the property for $310,000 in mid-July, thanks to a grant from an anonymous foundation and Mass Audubon’s 30×30 Catalyst Fund, according to Peteroy. The 30×30 Catalyst Fund is a $75 million initiative launched by Mass Audubon in June 2024 to accelerate land conservation efforts across the state.
The fund supports Massachusetts’ alignment with the global “30×30” commitment (adopted at COP15 in 2022), which aims to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030. As of mid-2025, approximately 27% of Massachusetts is permanently conserved, meaning the state still needs about 100,000 additional acres — roughly the size of Boston, Worcester and Springfield combined.
“The important forest on this 80-acre parcel was at risk of conversion, but is now preserved as habitat for rare bat species, recreation, environmental education opportunities and to preserve the coldwater fishery of the adjacent Deerfield River,” David O’Neill, president and CEO of Mass Audubon, said in a statement. “Promoting regional connectivity between protected lands and protecting wildlife and biodiversity is precisely why the Catalyst Fund exists, and we’re thrilled we could play a small part in our partners’ amazing efforts to conserve this land.”
For more information about the Franklin Land Trust, visit franklinlandtrust.org.