Conservation Center

Conservation Center is off I-93 exit 16, then s.e. on SR 132, following brown signs to 54 Portsmouth St. The center showcases passive solar and wood heating methods, including an envelope room, fiberglass water tubes and a wood-chip gasification furnace. The adjacent French Wing, added in 2001, is a timber-framed, three-story addition with a dramatic two-story atrium that uses 60 percent less energy and 90 percent less water than a conventional new building.

A 2-mile interpretive hiking trail explores native flora. Self-guiding audio tours of the center are available; maps are included.