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Kwaks/Smith Sisters

172 Acres
1 Miles of Trails
Newmarket/Durham, NH

The 57-acre Kwaks Sanctuary provides excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife species. There are excellent examples of many natural community types from dense upland hemlock, mixed conifer, and rich hardwood forests to prime wetland communities which play an important role in protecting the water quality of the Follett’s Brook Watershed.

The open field adjacent to the parking lot was formerly home to a golf driving range. This will be maintained as a meadow to provide habitat for a suite of species including bobolink, Eastern meadowlark, and red fox. On our trails, you can enjoy some easy hiking that will expose you to a variety of habitats while revealing the agricultural and timbering history of the area.

Follett’s Brook Watershed

New Hampshire Audubon is a member of the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership, which is a group of organizations who are all committed to the common goal of protecting this Great Bay region through conservation planning, land conservation, stewardship, education, and outreach.

Noted for its relatively unfragmented area of forests, streams, and wetland ecosystems, the approximately 1,200 acre Follett’s Brook Watershed is an area of high priority for the Partnership.

The Kwaks Sanctuary is a key component in the protection of the Follett’s Brook Watershed. By providing intact upland connected to high quality wetlands, the Kwaks Sanctuary and other forested lands in the area play an important role in maintaining water quality, ensuring wildlife habitat, and allowing for light-impact recreational activities.

By protecting the Follett’s Brook Watershed, New Hampshire Audubon and our partners are helping to care for not only the plants and animals, but also the vital waters of this planet.

Photo, top: open fields and meadows of the Kwaks Wildlife Sanctuary, by Phil Brown.