Recipients of the Elaine Beals Conservation Award
Published on May 23, 2024 by Eileen Samberg
Elaine Beals was among the founding members of the Southborough Open Land Foundation. She served on the Board of Trustees of SOLF, including holding the position of treasurer for many years. She was dedicated to the preservation of the environment and open space, reinforcing her conservation ethic as a member of the Town of Southborough’s Open Space Preservation Commission. In the 1950s and 60s, Elaine and her husband Philip purchased 190 acres of land abutting their farm to protect it from development. All of that land is now under permanent conservation restrictions. Fifty-six acres of it was gifted to SOLF in 2009, property that is now known as the Elaine and Philip Beals Preserve. In her honor, SOLF presents the Elaine Beals Conservation Award each year to a local resident who has shown outstanding leadership in environmental conservation. The first Elaine Beals Award was presented to Elaine on the occasion of her retirement from the Board of Trustees of SOLF.