My Los Angeles friends can’t believe that now I live in the “boonies.” As a “new-old” resident of Harvard, returning to town after 20 years away, I have found it difficult to describe my hometown to strangers, who find it hard to believe my descriptions of the town center or the pond, not to mention the Fourth of July parade or the Christmas pageant. To Angelenos, my descriptions of my hometown sound like a fantasy—or, at least, a very attractive set on the Sony lot.

What has been so amazing to me is that, for the most part, the town’s character has been preserved over all those years. Harvard is still a rural place. It still feels like “country.”

One of the things that showcases Harvard’s rural beauty is the extensive trail system that stretches over town conversation land. From the open fields on Stow Road near Round Hill, to the Small nature trail behind the elementary school, town residents and others are fortunate to have access to miles of public lands, where they can appreciate the local flora and fauna.

Harvard’s impressive collection of conservation land is no accident. It is the result of the hard work of the Harvard Conservation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the Board of Selectmen and responsible for regulating and maintaining town-owned land. The commission works in concert with the Harvard Conservation Trust, a private, charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Harvard’s resources. According to the Trust’s publication, Our Land, Our Legacy, the Trust complements the Conservation Commission’s work by working with property owners “to creatively find ways to protect desirable property, be it through tax-advantageous gifts of land, the purchasing of development rights, agricultural preservation restrictions of farmland, or granting of conservation restrictions.” The Trust also works to preserve buildings, monuments, and sites of historical, educational, and environmental significance.

Since the Trust is a private organization, it is free to be “nimble” when opportunities arise to acquire land, either through gifts or purchases. It then holds land in trust or sells or gives it to the town. Since its inception in 1973, the Trust has successfully helped acquire or protect 600 acres in Harvard. Today, roughly 15 percent of Harvard land is designated for conservation.

The Trust’s mission to preserve open land is a challenge today, when Harvard’s orchards and farm-lands are particularly attractive to prospective developers. One goal is to implement the Harvard Open Space Plan, which proposes a greenway linking conservation lands throughout the town.

Harvard’s trails are maintained through a trail-adoption-and-maintenance program, where “trail keepers” adopt specific trails and commit to their care. Intrepid souls can purchase a copy of the Harvard Conservation Trust’s Trail Guide and explore the trails independently. There are also opportunities for guided experiences through the Trust’s “Walks and Talks” program, with recent offerings including a “mushroom foray” and a “woodcock watch.”

Families with children can also enjoy the Trust’s “treasure hunts,” which are available online at the Trust’s website. These rhyming, self-guided excursions offer manageable, kid-friendly walks that are a great way to introduce children to the beauty of Harvard lands.

Upon returning to Harvard after so many years away, I was amazed to find so many things unchanged—the Hazels’ farm just off the Route 2 exit, Willard’s farmstand on Still River Road, the town Common, the General Store. Those were the “human footprints” that anchored Harvard in my childhood memories. Thanks to the work of the Harvard Conservation Commission and the Harvard Conservation Trust, “wild” Harvard is still there, too, to be preserved for generations to come.

To order a copy of the Harvard Trails booklet, or to find out more about becoming a member of the Harvard Conservation Trust, visit their website at www.harvardtrust.org.