Hunt and Sara Dowse

A New Home

Hunt and Sara Dowse moved to Hancock from Sudbury, MA, in 1982 and never looked back. They got involved with the Harris Center right away.

“It was everything we believed in,” said Sara.

Both educators and outdoors people, Hunt and Sara have been central figures at the Harris Center for decades, enjoying educational programs, hiking on Harris Center lands, enrolling their son Jonathan in Wol’s Nest camp for many years, and giving back in more ways than one. Hunt may hold the record for the maximum number of years served on the Harris Center Board of Directors!

“The Harris Center’s 25th anniversary celebration was at the [Peterborough] Players. It was a great time, and I went up to Meade afterwards and said, ‘If you ever need someone on the Board, give me a call.’ He did, and I spent 23 years on the Board and enjoyed every single minute of it!” said Hunt.

That’s dedication. Hunt saw the Harris Center and the Board through a lot of significant changes, from the building renovation in 2001 to several leadership transitions. He was there every step of the way, serving with grace and humor. He is an Honorary Trustee, so recognized for his years of selfless work on behalf of the Harris Center.

For her part, Sara was deeply instrumental in the transformation of the Harris Center’s old swimming pool into a vibrant pollinator garden. She also served on the Harris Center’s Environmental Studies Institute advisory group, which helped launch the popular “ESI” program for adult learners who want to dig deeper into the natural and cultural history of the Monadnock Region.

Enduring Support

And it didn’t stop there. Hunt and Sara have thoughtfully considered how to best support the Harris Center for generations to come by designating the Harris Center as a beneficiary of one of their retirement accounts.

“We enjoyed the Harris Center as a family and want to make sure future generations get to enjoy it,” said Hunt. “I have a small IRA, and the Harris Center is the beneficiary of it.”

That’s generosity. Hunt and Sara embody a big part of what makes the Harris Center so special . . . the people who have helped shape it, continue to enjoy it, and look forward to sustaining it.

Fun Is What You Make It

“The Harris Center made a huge difference to our son. And Hancock itself looks so good because so much [land] has been saved by the Harris Center. Besides that,” said Sara, “a key ingredient in just about everything at the Harris Center is ‘fun!’”

Perhaps a key ingredient to enjoying life and perceiving the gifts around you is attitude. The Dowses were interviewed for this piece while they were at the Harris Center volunteering on Spring Clean-up Day. It involved lots of manual labor – pruning, raking, and hauling brush – and they made it fun.