Eric Aldrich

A Natural Storyteller

A New Hampshire native, Eric Aldrich grew up in Peterborough and Washington (just north of Stoddard). He studied journalism at Keene State College, followed by a 10-year stint as a reporter for the Keene Sentinel, where he also wrote the weekly environmental column, “Outside Interests.”

“Journalism is in my DNA. It guides me as a storyteller.”

Eric went on to managing communications at the NH Fish and Game Department and later at The Nature Conservancy before coming to the Harris Center to do marketing and outreach (2008-2010). He is now back at The Nature Conservancy, handling marketing and communications for TNC’s North American strategies. He also wrote a monthly column in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript (2009-2019) called “The Bobcat’s Tail.”

“Conservation is rewarding and complicated work that has many facets. It all comes back to people—people and their relationships with the land, each other, and the future. The complexities of people are what make it interesting.”

In both his personal and professional life, Eric uses imagery as well as words to share stories of our natural world. He’s a skilled wildlife tracker, camera trapper, and the man behind the popular Hancock Wildlife Cam Facebook page.

“Camera trapping keeps me happily in the field quite a bit. Some of the cameras are on Harris Center lands – all of them are in Hancock. It’s a kind of passion of mine.”

A Lifelong Outdoorsman

Eric is also an avid historian and hiker, who has led outings for the Harris Center for many years.

“I’ve been an outdoors person my whole life. I’ve enjoyed leading ‘cellar hole’ hikes, where we see old stone foundations and discuss who lived there, their stories, and the history of the land.”

The Future of Conservation

Eric Aldrich, participating in one of his other passions: controlled burns for ecological restoration. Eric also serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Hancock Fire Department. (photo © Ian Aldrich)

Eric and his wife, Adine, have two sons, Ian and Ben, who both went to Wol’s Nest summer camp as youngsters. In June 2019, Ian won the Harris Center’s Environmental Leadership Award, given annually to a graduating senior who has a demonstrated passion for the natural world and the capacity to create positive change in their community and beyond. Ian is now studying agriculture and ecology at Sterling College in Vermont. Eric sees hope in this younger generation:

“It’s up to the next generation that the Harris Center is engaging to lead us on the right path. The clock is ticking.”

As someone who deeply values nature, Eric is also concerned with who will get to enjoy it in the future. How will our strained resources meet the growing demands of our ever-changing society?

“We need to have more conversations about equity and who has access to the natural world. Is nature only going to be only for the wealthy and white—or for everyone? We need to find more ways to engage the diversity of people and backgrounds.”