For so many people, Stonehouse Forest in Barrington is a go-to venue for all manner of outdoor leisure activities. Hiking, biking, snowshoeing, fishing, swimming, you name it; it’s a keystone destination for bipeds from across the region.

But lest we forget, this venue is not just for human enjoyment. Like all of SELT’s conserved lands, preservation and enhancement of wildlife habitat is a key stewardship priority and it doesn’t get much better than Stonehouse.

Just ask the orphaned raccoons.

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In early October 2024, 10 racoons were released into Stonehouse Forest by Millstone Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation facility for mammals. These critters came to Millstone from throughout New Hampshire. How they ended up on their own is largely unknown – they may have been abandoned, their parents might have been victimized by a busy turnpike, or they just wandered off from their homestead.

"Our animals usually come to us from the general public,” said Frannie Greenberg, Executive Director of Millstone Wildlife Center. “Sometimes people may be off on a hike or in their backyard and they're going to come across an animal, maybe it was hit in the road or had just fallen out of a tree.”

Such was the case with the raccoons who found their way to rehabilitation with Frannie and company last spring. For several months, this motley critter crew were nursed back to health, bottle-fed, quarantined in case of diseases, and prepped for their re-introduction into the wild.

Once they were good to go, the next step was to find the ideal destination for their new home. As they do for all their releases, the crew at Millstone scouted possible locales and were drawn to Stonehouse Forest. The property checked all the boxes; the raccoon recon was a success.

“The raccoons were released there because Stonehouse Forest fit Millstone’s criteria,” says Debbie Goard, SELT’s Stewardship and Land Engagement Director. “While raccoons pretty much live anywhere, they do like forests with plenty of acorns that are near water sources. Stonehouse Forest is a good place for them.”

In the run-up to the big release, the raccoons underwent a fair amount of training to prep for their re-introduction to the wild. Need to retrain them to fish? Frannie and company buy feeder fish, deposit them into kiddie pools, and let the raccoons hone their skills. Or to get their climbing acumen back on track? It’s DIY obstacle course time. How about berry foraging? Blueberries are strategically placed indoors so the raccoons learn how to scrabble for them. It’s Little Creature Boot Camp.

“On those first few days after we send them off, we know they're ready to go,” Frannie says. “They're ready to be on their own. But if a raccoon that's suddenly not getting a bottle or dish of food sees a human, the last thing we want is for them walk up to somebody.”

And there’s another point in favor of Stonehouse Forest as the ideal release venue. As one of SELT’s largest properties, coming in at a whopping 1,765 acres, there is plenty of room for both people and wildlife. SELT’s stewardship strategy is explicitly about maintaining that balance (trails will sometimes be rerouted or created with sensitive habitat proximity in mind).

“On those first few days after we send them off, we know they're ready to go. They're ready to be on their own."

“We want the general public to coexist with wildlife” Frannie notes. "To have a property like Stonehouse Forest that we know is well-managed and an organization like SELT that has a mission to get people out there and appreciate what's in the environment is a perfect partnership. This was just a wonderful find for us and for the 10 raccoons that are lucky enough to be out there and in their new home.”

So, there you have it: Good for people. Good for animals. And great for a small group of orphaned raccoons, making their way in the world, reuniting with Mother Nature.