Help Conserve Ardnaberry!
Congratulations! Thanks to the generosity of the community, all the necessary funds have come in to conserve Ardnaberry forever! Additional funds raised above the goal amount will be directed towards the stewardship of this conservation easement. We are so excited and grateful for your support of this remarkable land!
If you would like to support other exciting conservation projects in the community please click here to make a gift to where it's needed most.
There is a treasure in the heart of Rye. You can see it from Odiorne Point, along the shores of Berry’s Brook, rich with natural resources like salt marsh, wetlands, mature forests, and a menagerie of diverse wildlife.
Mike Thiel and Gail Richard acquired their property almost 30 years ago and dubbed it “Ardnaberry,” Gaelic for “overlooking the Berry,” the tidal brook it adjoins to. And thanks to their extraordinary generosity, this amazing property – this wonderland of open space, natural resources, and scenic beauty – has the chance to be conserved forever!
Mike and Gail have decided to donate a conservation easement on their beloved property, which will ensure that 34 acres of this precious Rye land will remain protected for all time. That’s right — they have committed to gifting a conservation easement to SELT for no compensation, an incredibly generous offer. However, to accept this donated easement, SELT must raise funds to cover the transaction and long-term stewardship costs.
To permanently conserve Ardnaberry, SELT must raise $50,000 to support costs for a boundary survey and legal fees, as well as funds to ensure our ability to monitor and enforce the easement in perpetuity. Recognizing the critical importance of this land, the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership has awarded this project a grant of $16,700, leaving just $33,300 remaining to be raised.
This land is truly worth protecting; unique properties like this one with tidal water and salt marsh frontage are becoming rarer. They aren’t making any more of them! (Mike shared that he has lost count of the number of developers who have approached them over the years).
But subdivision and development is not the path Mike and Gail have chosen for their land. During their three decades of ownership, their love for the land has continued to grow. Now, with your gift, you can help protect this land with a conservation easement — to ensure it remains undeveloped forever.
