Special places fall 2007

Special PLACES FOR MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

Big Vision, Big Impact

FALL 2007 VOLUME 15

NO. 3

T H E T R U S T E E S O F R E S E RVAT I O N S We more than 100,000 people like you who want to protect the places we love or who simply like to be outdoors.

Together with our neighbors, we protect the

© T. KATES / EAST OVER RESERVATION, ROCHESTER

distinct character of our communities and inspire

KENDALL’S CORNER

A Simple Idea Boston in the second half of the 19th century was a special place for Charles Eliot. As a child he spent long, carefree days roaming its still-rural boundaries. As a landscape architect committed to open space and public access, he found inspiration and boundless potential in the city and its inhabitants. Eliot’s vision of people on the land bore fruit in Boston in 1891 in his founding of The Trustees of Reservations, the first regional open space protection organization.

Over the past 116 years, Boston has grown in ways Eliot might have feared, its rural areas reduced to fewer, smaller islands of green. But his belief that city dwellers deserve the right to preserved and improved land — places to refresh the soul — is alive and well in Boston today through the work of Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN).

On behalf of The Trustees of Reservations, I would like to congratulate BNAN and salute its members, staff, and leadership on the organization’s 30th anniversary. Thanks to founder Genie Beal and president Valerie Burns, BNAN

a commitment to special places across the Commonwealth. Our passion is to share with everyone the irreplaceable landscapes and landmarks that we care for – as we know how valuable they are to our lives every day.

Andy Kendall President Valerie Burns President, Boston Natural Areas Network Vice President, The Trustees of Reservations Kathy Abbott Vice President Field Operations

activists, volunteers, neighborhood groups, and the thousands of urban residents it serves.

Last September, The Trustees and BNAN announced a permanent affiliation through which we will work together to grow a greener Boston for the 21st century. Our partnership grows out of a shared commitment to urban green space.

In Fall River, New Bedford, Holyoke, Leominster and Fitchburg, The Trustees are working with

Melanie Ingalls Vice President Education & Outreach Richard Ryan Vice President Finance & Administration, CFO Kate Saunders Vice President Advancement Wes Ward Vice President Land Conservation

Jocelyn Forbush Pioneer Valley Regional Director Chris Kennedy Islands Regional Director Steve McMahon Berkshires Regional Director Wayne Mitton Northeast Regional Director Dick O’Brien Central Regional Director Steve Sloan Southeast Regional Director EDITOR

Michael O’Connor DESIGN

Nicole Polillio Kate Wollensak Creative Director

communities to provide the open space and outdoor experience that Eliot believed should be there — for everyone. But it’s in Boston, in partnership with BNAN, that we’ve truly come full circle.

Although a seasoned international traveler, Eliot held most dear the familiar urban landscape bracketed by the Charles and Neponset rivers –– the place where today BNAN is building bikeways, restoring marshes, siting trailheads and constructing ramps for canoes and kayaks.

Livable landscapes. Access for all. More parks

We invite your articles, photographs, letters, and suggestions. Please send them to: Special Places Moose Hill Farm 396 Moose Hill Street Sharon, MA 02067 TEL 781.784.0567 FAX 781.784.4796 EMAIL mingalls@ttor.org For information about becoming a member please contact us at 978.921.1944 x1858, email

and open spaces, visited and supported by many

us at membership@ttor.org, or visit our website

more people. These are simple, but profound,

at www.thetrustees.org.

ideas that still resonate.

We think Eliot would be proud.

Special Places, Fall 2007. Volume 15, Issue Number 3. Special Places (ISSN 1087-5026) is

has grown from a grassroots environmental

published quarterly and distributed to members

movement into the premier advocate for open

and donors of The Trustees of Reservations.

space citywide, from Urban Wilds to community

Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Printed

gardens to the Neponset River and East Boston Greenways. Yet it is still enriched and guided by

Andy Kendall

on recycled paper.

PRESIDENT ON THE COVER: Bob Francey and Karen Young

pause amid the bounty of the Mission Hill Community Garden in Boston. © T. KATES

Please recycle this magazine by passing it on to a friend or donating it to a school, library, business, or wherever it might be read.

Contents

S P E C I A L P L AC E S FA L L 2 0 0 7 VO L . 1 5 NO. 3

W W W. T H E T R U S T E E S . O R G

2

C OV E R S TO RY

Big Vision, Big Impact Boston Natural Areas Network –– The Trustees’ new affiliate –– celebrates 30 years of fighting the good fight for places where city dwellers can grow food, walk, bike, fish, and paddle.

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P E O P L E A N D P L AC E S

Coming Full Circle Landscape architect Charles Eliot championed a novel idea when he created The Trustees of Reservations in Boston in 1891. Then, and now, it was all about land for people.

10

F I E L D N OT E S

Talking Turkeys – and Lots of ’Em Gone by the mid-19th century, the Bay State’s big birds are back in a big way. And you’ll find them on our reservations from the Berkshires to the Cape.

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L A N D C O N S E RVAT I O N

Farm with a Future Our latest reservation, Moose Hill Farm in Sharon, was tilled and planted for more than three centuries. Now we’re planning to bring back the cows.

14 CONSERVATION WORKS! 15 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Francis William Bird Park, Walpole

© T. KATES

24 FIND YOUR PLACE

Scott Ashley helped create Symphony Road Community Garden, BNAN’s 20-year-old green symbol of neighborhood turnaround, on a site where arson destroyed a cluster of four apartment buildings.

COVER STORY

Big Vision, Big Impact Neighbors discover common ground with Boston Natural Areas Network

By Michael O’Connor

ON AN EARLY SUMMER MORNING, BOSTON RESIDENT ANGEL

Pizarro takes a short stroll across his Mission Hill neighborhood and opens a gate leading to an urban oasis that reminds him of his childhood. “This is like back home in Puerto Rico,” beams Pizarro as he spreads his arms to take in the Mission Hill Community Garden, bursting with green and growing things.

PHOTOS BY TOM KATES

“Lots of vegetables.”

Pizarro is a first-year gardener, and thus new to the positive impact of Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN) –– Boston’s premier advocate for community green space. In fact, people all over Boston are touched every day by BNAN’s work.

SpecialPLACES | FALL 2007

3

COVER STORY They can be found paddling the Neponset

Today, Burns looks at all BNAN’s

for help with her struggling Mission

River in Mattapan or strolling near

land protection work in the context of

Hill garden project more than a quarter-

East Boston’s Belle Isle Marsh; growing

community organizing. “Our mission is

century ago. “I was able to get in touch

vegetables in community gardens city-

changing land for the community, but

with them, and they bought the site,”

wide; or wandering through one of the

without engaging residents, we can’t

recalls Grady. “They’ve really made a

more than 140 Urban Wilds BNAN has

make it happen,” she says. “You don’t

difference.”

identified and is helping to preserve. As

start a community garden with a piece

BNAN marks its 30th anniversary, it can

of vacant land; you start with people who

its first heat spell, Grady and her fellow

look back with pride on three decades of

want to change land in their neighbor-

gardeners are tending their plants, getting

creative open space advocacy, working

hood through growing vegetables, or

hands and knees dirty –– and loving

neighborhood by neighborhood to fight

who want to put food on the table; and

every sweaty second. A few rows over,

for places where people can grow food,

that desire changes land. It starts with

Dolores Christie shows off her beans,

walk, bike, fish, paddle…or simply

the individual.”

peas, and squash. “It’s fresh. No pesticides,

enjoy nature in the city.

It all started when Mayor Kevin White

Pat Grady, for instance, had never heard of BNAN when she was looking

In late June, as the city emerges from

nothing to worry about with this food,” she says proudly. “I’ll eat it, and I’ll

appointed Genie Beal the first chair of the Boston Conservation Commission.

That appointment led to a lifetime of neighborhood land advocacy. “I had to feel my way,” says Beal, “but it changed my life and I threw my life into it.” She found her way in City Hall and worked to insert the Commission into sometimes reluctant municipal processes.

When the Boston Redevelopment Authority published its “Boston Urban Wilds,” a pioneering survey of remaining landscape features within the city, Beal and five others founded Boston Natural Areas Fund (later “Network”). Using private and federal funds, the little nonprofit acquired six Urban Wilds for the city. It also learned that the central core neighborhoods lacked never-developed land. This led to the purchase for a dollar of 19 existing community gardens from the Redevelopment Authority.

In the late 1980s Beal recruited Valerie Burns, a Boston park planner, to lead BNAN and the organization’s focus expanded to acquiring gardens and building connections to, and programming for, Urban Wilds.

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THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

Joe Barry grows roses at Mission Hill Community Garden.

COVER STORY

“

Our mission is

changing land for the community, but without engaging residents, we can’t

”

make it happen.

- VALERIE BURNS, PRESIDENT, BNAN

share it.” Victor Rodriguez adds that the

Dolores Christopher and Ethlyn Lyles share the labor and the rewards of growing vegetables at Mission Hill Community Garden.

The spirit of the gardens quickly

East Boston residents and visitors

gardeners share more than food. “You

spread to other projects, and it wasn’t

marvel at the East Boston Greenway, a

look over and see someone’s tomato is a

long before Burns and Beal focused

paved foot and bike path that runs from

lot bigger than yours and you say, ‘How

their organizing skills to create parks,

the waterfront, past a new, leafy park, to

did they do that?’ And someone tells

Urban Wilds, and corridors of protected

within easy access of Belle Isle Marsh.

you how.” As BNAN board member and

open space they call Greenways.

Symphony Road community gardener

The Greenways program was born

Similarly, the Neponset River Greenway follows a rail spur that origi-

Anne Tobin puts it, “You’ve got older

in the early 1990s, when BNAN began

nally extended to the Baker Chocolate

residents and college kids, vegetables

working with residents and The Trust

complex in Dorchester. The river itself,

and flowers, and a lot of fun. This is

for Public Land to secure access to

a power source for now-quiet industrial

what community redevelopment is

abandoned railroad spurs in East Boston

mills, has become a popular destination

really all about.”

and along the Neponset River. Today,

for canoeists and kayakers. BNAN’s

Puddingstone Park, once an unprotected Urban Wild in Mission Hill.

5

COVER STORY Jalen, 12, is getting tips from Gomes on his role as bow paddler. Their mother smiles in wonder. “This is just awesome, a great opportunity,” Eugene says, as the first canoes move slowly upstream. “I think we’ll do this more often.”

Or maybe next time the family will just relax amid the urban outdoors, a pioneering concept promoted more than a century ago by Trustees founder Charles Eliot. Landscape architect Eliot, like his mentor, Frederick Law Olmsted, fervently believed that access to both wild and designed open spaces was beneficial to everyone’s physical health and psychological well-being, regardless of social or economic background.

Monet and brother Jalen (ABOVE) prepare

Burns sees BNAN’s success as partly

to join others on a free BNAN canoe

tied to Eliot’s ideals. “He was a visionary,”

and kayak trip on Mother Brook (LEFT)

she says. “One of his very specific visions

in Hyde Park, part of the organization’s

was the connection between the Blue

Neponset River Greenway.

Hills and the harbor, and that link was the Neponset River. That vision was

Youth Conservation Corps has built

really almost lost for a hundred years.

eight canoe and kayak launches along

But it has been restored, and really

the river – with more to come when

been given full focus.”

the Greenway extends to Milton. “We

Eliot’s concepts, it seems, have never

see a natural corridor where eventually

resonated more forcefully, as BNAN and

you can paddle, walk, or bike from the

the Boston neighborhoods they serve

Blue Hills to Castle Island on Boston

prove every day. “It is pretty amazing,”

Harbor,” Burns says.

Burns says. “It took a hundred years, but

Shea Ennen and Candice Gomes oversee the BNAN canoeing program.

On a recent Saturday morning at

now it makes perfect sense. And people are excited about it.”

Back on Mission Hill, looking at what

Mother Brook in Hyde Park they

BNAN has done for his neighborhood,

welcomed an excited mix of newcomers

Angel Pizarro agrees. “It’s about peace

and experienced boaters. “For a lot of

of mind,” he says. “You know, having a

residents, this is a totally new way of

positive spirit.”

looking at this city,” Ennen observes.

It certainly is for first-time paddler

Michael O’Connor is editor of Special Places.

Yolanda Eugene of Dorchester; her daughter, however, considers herself a veteran. “Mom, I’ve done this three times!” insists Monet, 9. Meanwhile son

6

You can find a full listing of BNAN’s properties and programs online at www.bostonnatural.org.

© T. KATES

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Coming Full Circle Charles Eliot’s ideals resonate more deeply than ever

By Keith N. Morgan

THE BESPECTACLED FIGURE IN HIS THIRTIES, A MAN OF

privilege and education by his dress and manner, made his way through the maze of thick tenements, dodging unkempt © TTOR ARCHIVES

children, breathing unclean air, seeking respite in the broad, airy sweep of the Charles River ahead.

Yet Charles Eliot, the landscape architect who led the charge in establishing The Trustees of Public Reservations in 1891, saw in the slums and their unfortunate inhabitants a social ill to be remedied, not ignored. All citizens should have a river or some other open space or vista, Eliot reasoned, to soothe them and provide enjoyment.

SpecialPLACES | FALL 2007

7

PEOPLE AND PLACES He was already doing his part, proposing a dam that would convert the mosquitoinfested, sewage-laden marshes and filthy tidal backwaters into a freshwater basin and allow for his dream of a reservation lining both sides of the Charles for miles.

“What a relief when Charlesbank is reached. The quiet open of the river, the long, long row of twinkling lights on the river wall, the rows upon rows of seats all lined with people resting in the quiet air and watching the fading light behind the Cambridge towers.… It is good to be

Charles Eliot poses in a natural setting, where he was most at ease.

able to do some thing, even a little for

© COURTESY OF ALEXANDER Y. GORIANSKY

this battered and soiled humanity,” Eliot wrote to his wife, describing a walk across Cambridge to view his current municipal park projects and ending at the F. L. Olmsted firm’s Charlesbank Park on the West Boston Shore.

Today Charles Eliot’s legacy thrives from the Berkshires to Nantucket in the almost 100 special places owned and cared for by The Trustees, which he founded. The Trustees were the first private-sector statewide organization for the preservation and management age twelve, he spent a withdrawn

of scenic and historic landscapes.

adolescence, frequently questioning his

a man born to privilege, blessed with

proper, from the Neponset to the Mystic

purpose in life. Following graduation

talent, and bound by an empathy with

rivers, and centered on the Charles,

from Harvard, he pursued a career in

society at large would succumb to spinal

where Eliot Bridge (named for Eliot

landscape architecture. After a two-year

meningitis in 1897, when not yet 38 years

and his father) spans the river, linking

internship with Frederick Law Olmsted,

old. During his short professional life,

Cambridge’s Fresh Pond Reservation

father of the landscape architecture

Eliot would not only become a partner

Parkway to the Charles River

profession, Charles traveled in Europe

with Olmsted, but within a three-year

Reservation, which boast his imprint.

before establishing an independent

span would found The Trustees, then in

But Eliot’s original focus was Boston

practice. He built upon his training

1893 co-found, with journalist Sylvester

W. Eliot and Ellen Derby (Peabody) Eliot,

with Olmsted and all that he had seen

Baxter and others, the Metropolitan

he was born in 1859 into a world of

abroad in his landscape commissions,

Park Commission, the first regional

Brahmin prestige and intellectual rigor.

his frequent writings for the professional

organization of public open space

After the death of his mother and the

and popular press, and his leadership

management in the nation and a

ascendancy of his father to the presidency

in establishing new paradigms of land-

forerunner to the Metropolitan District

of Harvard, both when Charles was

scape conservation.

Commission (recently absorbed by the

The son of Harvard professor Charles

8

Thus it seems especially poignant that

THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

|

www.thetrustees.org

PEOPLE AND PLACES state Department of Conservation and

“held in trust,” and those who preserved,

because he felt that a public authority

Recreation). Eliot’s too-brief life rendered

improved, and used the scenery were

would be more effective in countering

his ideas for protected spaces and the

therefore “trustees” of that heritage. It

the encroachment on open space in the

public’s access to them all the more

is important to understand that he also

rapidly urbanizing districts around

urgent; his voice for the citizenry of the

referred to park users as “trustees.” He

Boston.

Commonwealth remains a clarion call,

was convinced that “ordinary people,” as

as clear today as 116 years ago.

trustees, had the potential to appreciate

became the focus of Eliot’s final years,

and the right to expect the merits of

although he remained loyal to the

public reservations.

fledgling Trustees as well. A century

Eliot envisioned a new type of public landscape and a stronger bond between people and the land. He dis-

later, The Trustees’ links to Boston are

cussed reservations, trusteeships, and

of the nascent Metropolitan Park

being reforged. In affiliating with Boston

rural landscape preservation that would

Commission, Eliot envisioned an array

Natural Areas Network — the city’s

provide settings for active enjoyment of

of landscapes and coastscapes, all for the

most energetic advocate for land

nature. It was Eliot, in fact, who used the

public benefit: “(1) Spaces on the ocean

improvement and protection — The

word “reservation” often in his articles

front. (2) As much as possible the shore

Trustees are coming full circle, embracing

and lectures. He realized the term “park”

and islands of the Bay. (3) The courses

Eliot’s Boston from where his visions

had a specific and limited meaning, so

of the larger tidal estuaries… (4) Two

of people and land first flowed more

Eliot chose different words — “reserva-

or three large areas of wild forest on

than 100 years ago.

tions” and “scenery” — to distinguish

the outer rim of the inhabited area. (5)

his ideas from common assumptions.

Numerous small squares in the midst of

He had three basic goals: to preserve

dense populations.” Having established

scenery, make it accessible, and improve

The Trustees, he moved swiftly to create

it. Reservations, Eliot believed, should be

the Metropolitan Park Commission

“

Keith N. Morgan, who wrote the introduction to the 1999 reprint of Charles Eliot, Landscape Architect, is Professor of Art History at Boston University and former president of the Society of Architectural Historians.

The earth is common ground and…gradually the idea is taking form that the land must be held in safe keeping, that one generation is to some extent responsible to the next.…

-

© R. CHEEK / MONUMENT MOUNTAIN, GREAT BARRINGTON

In 1892 in a letter to the chairman

The Metropolitan Park Commission

CHARLES ELIOT, FOUNDER , THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

”

9

FIELD NOTES

Talking Turkeys – and Lots of ’Em A trap-and-release program succeeds beyond its wildest dreams

By Jane Roy Brown FOR THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WITNESS IT, THE MATING

display of the male wild turkey is one of the avian world’s great spectacles: the fan of black tail feathers edged in white, the bright-red head, an iridescent bronze sheen on the beetle-black body, and two pumped-up patches on the chest.

And, at 16 to 24 pounds, the tom is not all fluff. Add some attitudinal strut and a piercing gobble, and you’ve got one irresistible critter –– at least, that’s what he’s hoping.

With upwards of 20,000 wild turkeys now roaming the Commonwealth, even the nerdiest male specimen of Meleagris gallopavo should have no problem finding a mate. This abundant flock has exploded in numbers from a mere 37 birds transplanted from New York State 35 years ago. The destruction of forests erased or fragmented most of their habitat between the time of colonial settlement and the 1850s, and the native birds vanished from the state. After failed attempts to reintroduce

10

them during the first half of the 20th century, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) officials finally succeeded in the early 1970s, releasing the captured turkeys in the Berkshires. Now it’s possible to observe them in nearly all parts of the state.

“At Doyle Conservation Center, they come right across the parking lot almost every day,” says the Trustees ecology program manager Russ Hopping, who works at the Leominster campus. Hopping explains that the turkey’s impressive rebound results from several factors, including the presence of the diverse landscape features that turkeys require. “We have many areas with a combination of fields, forests, and wetlands, and that’s what they like,” he notes.

And that diversity of environments supports the kind of varied menu that the birds enjoy: skunk cabbage in swamps, hickory nuts and acorns in hardwood forests, and berries at

FIELD NOTES

the edges of fields and woods. Turkeys even dig tubers out of the ground. The young, called poults, feast on insects, a high-energy bug diet they adopt quickly and easily since their mothers (“hens”) are ground-nesters. The turkey nurseries are situated in dense cover, thus providing the young greater chances of survival.

Because turkeys now roam the landscape in such numbers, people are seeing them more frequently than at any time in the past few centuries. And although almost all of the time this will be an enjoyable experience, wildlife officials caution that whenever people and wild animals have contact, the potential for conflict exists.

Jim Cardoza, a wildlife biologist at MassWildlife who participated in the successful reintroduction of turkeys, says that problems almost always start with people feeding them.

Nevertheless, very few people will ever interact with a turkey, unlike Cardoza, who had numerous up-close-and-personal contacts, especially during the capture-and-transfer program.

There were two problems in the project to restore turkeys to the wild, he recalls three decades later. “First, could we capture enough birds to re-introduce, and second, would the turkeys take to Massachusetts conditions.”

The crucial tool was a specially equipped rocket, which was launched over a field baited to attract the turkeys, and from which a net would descend to cover the birds. Wild turkeys were also key to their eventual success, Cardoza explains.

“They had used pen-raised birds partly or entirely, and that just didn’t work. Success came with the wild trapped birds.”

Once back in Massachusetts, it was just a question of how

ABOVE : Color

is key to a turkey’s mood, particularly in the tom’s

mating display. OPPOSITE

PAGE: Captured

birds are reintroduced

to the Massachusetts landscape and today thrive statewide.

PHOTOS © BILL BYRNE/MASSWILDLIFE

extensive their dispersal might be. As the re-located birds spread across the southern Berkshires, they were joined by wild turkeys flying in from New York and Vermont. “But those 37 birds were the nucleus,” Cardoza emphasizes. “Then we started to trap (in-state) birds and move them around the state.”

In the intervening decades, turkeys have done what birds and bees do. And when it comes to attraction, it turns out all the frilly, feathery displays, the posturing, and bluster are secondary to the snood: that not terribly attractive appendage that flops over a male’s beak. Research indicates that the size of a tom’s snood –– which can stretch to twice its size during courtship –– often determines if a female will be receptive, or if one tom will challenge another for dominance.

So unless you can get beyond the display of color and dancing to see a preening tom’s snood, it’s hard to predict if he’ll get the girl, or just be all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Jane Roy Brown is a freelance writer in western Massachusetts.

SpecialPLACES | FALL 2007

11

Farm with a Future

© T. KATES

LAND CONSERVATION

The Trustees open the gates to Moose Hill Farm advocates, outdoor-minded families, and farm lovers who have been waiting for Moose Hill Farm in Sharon to open. So when the news spread that, on September 8, The Trustees were officially putting out the welcome mat, Buermann was beaming.

“This is such a welcome addition,” the president of Sharon Friends of Conservation says. “The fact the land has been preserved is the big thing.”

The permanent protection of 347 acres of fields, woodlands and wetlands, 18 miles southwest of Boston, is indeed a big thing. Surrounded on three sides by Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Moose Hill Sanctuary, the land is home to woodcocks, salamanders, and bobolinks, and has a rich human history dating to colonial times. Stone walls line old carriage and foot paths, and the woods are dotted with cellar holes. But it is the property’s once-and-future status as a working farm that has many people excited. “I like the fact that it’s going to remain a farm,” says Buermann. “It’s important for suburban kids to get that kind of exposure, just to learn that there’s more to this world.”

12

THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

|

www.thetrustees.org

Moose Hill Farm is a gift of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation.

Industrialist Henry P. Kendall purchased the land and surrounding parcels early in the 20th century. During the 1940s and ’50s, the farm housed a large dairy herd, and a few cattle were still on the property when it was given to The Trustees in 2005.

Today, the old farmhouse and studio are home to Trustees administrative staff, but the rural character of the land will remain. While there is no livestock today, plans call for the eventual introduction of grass-fed beef cattle (probably

RIGHT : By

1948,

Moose Hill Farm's dairy had 60 Guernsey cows.

The barn complex burned down in 1964.

© TTOR ARCHIVES

KURT BUERMANN WAS AMONG THE MANY OPEN - SPACE

LAND CONSERVATION

The

Semper Virens

Moose Hill Farm, 396 Moose Hill Street in Sharon, opens on Saturday and Sunday, September 8 and 9. Join us on Saturday for walking tours, a picnic, and live music beginning at 10AM. On Sunday, enjoy an ice cream social and guided walks from 2 – 4PM.

©R. SMITH

S o c i e t y Scottish Galloways) and black and white Dominique chickens, an early American breed.

It is the preservation of the agricultural tradition that locals, such as Charlie McNamara, find so important. A 70-year-old, fourth-generation farmer, McNamara cuts hay at Moose Hill Farm and at Powisset Farm in Dover to feed his 50-head dairy herd in nearby Stoughton. “It will be nice to see these fields stay around for a while,” he says. “Farms are part of the big picture.”

Buermann sees another benefit of continuing to work the land: growing a new crop of conservationists. He notes that The Trustees’ growing inventory of agricultural properties (including East Over Reservation in Rochester, Appleton Farms in Ipswich, and Powissett Farm in Dover) plays an important role in connecting young people to the land. As he says, “If young people know even a little bit, it can plant a seed.”

always dedicated For more than 40 years, Harry and Gale Guild have dedicated themselves as leaders with The Trustees. Harry first became Secretary in 1968, went on to serve as President, and later chaired the Centennial Campaign. Gale, who served on the Standing Committee and Advisory Council, was a founder of The 1891 Society.

Together they pioneered the Fall Field Trip (now Fall Weekend) and recruited a generation of Trustees leaders.

The Guilds are continuing this legacy of leadership as the new co-chairs of the Semper Virens Society, The Trustees’ planned giving society.

Longtime generous financial supporters, they have included The Trustees in their own estate plans. “Our lifelong interest in open land and important historic houses, and our admiration for and close relationship with The Trustees’ excellent professional staff, have sustained our commitment over many decades,” explains Gale when asked why they joined the Semper Virens Society. “Their vigilant work to preserve the best of Massachusetts continues to impress us.”

Experience Moose Hill Farm through the Rooms in Time Quest, an educational self-guided ‘treasure hunt’ that loops two miles over moderate terrain through the farm’s fields and

For more information about Semper

forests. Download a copy at www.thetrustees.org/moosehillfarm.cfm, or pick one up at

Virens, please contact Kathy Spellman,

the kiosk in the parking lot.

Director of Major and Planned Gifts at

BRADLEY ESTATE IN CANTON

WATERCOLOR MAP BY RONAN MOORE, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AT THE

978.840.4446 x1961 or kspellman@ttor.org.

Conservation WORKS! We all want to protect and share our special places — that’s why we’re Trustees.

And that’s what Conservation WORKS! is all about. This October, it’s your chance to get out and give back to the places you love. Please let us know if you’re coming by pre-registering for an event. Find more details online at www.thetrustees.org.

Berkshires Region

Northeast Region

Every Thursday in October | 9 – 11:30AM

Saturday, October 6 | 9AM – 12NOON

BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

WARD RESERVATION, ANDOVER 978.682.3580

We’ll pull, clip, lop, and chop to rid the Cobble of noxious weeds.

Rebuild the boardwalk through the beaver-flooded area at Falls & Gorge.

Saturday, October 6 | 9AM – 12NOON

Saturday, October 13 | 9AM – 12NOON

TYRINGHAM COBBLE, TYRINGHAM 413.298.3239

THE STEVENS-COOLIDGE PLACE, NORTH ANDOVER 978.682.3580

Vista clearing, trail improvements, and great scenery highlight the day.

Dig in the dirt garden and plant and take home some fruits of labor.

Saturday, October 6 | 9AM – 12NOON

Saturday, October 13 | 9AM – 1PM (Limited to 20 volunteers.)

BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

CRANE WILDLIFE REFUGE, IPSWICH 978.356.4351

Round up invasives and do trail and bridge work to prepare for winter.

Help us fight the battle against invasive plants!

Saturday, October 13 | 10AM – 12NOON (Limited to 6 volunteers.)

Saturday, September 15 & October 20 | 9AM – 12NOON

MISSION HOUSE, STOCKBRIDGE 413.298.3239

WEIR HILL/THE STEVENS PROPERTY, NORTH ANDOVER 978.682.3580

Put the house to bed by cleaning and covering antiques and flowerbeds.

Construct a 300-foot boardwalk through a red maple swamp.

Central Region

Saturday, October 20 | 9AM – 12NOON

Sunday, October 14 | 9AM – 3PM

Help us make improvements to the Old Town Hill’s trail system.

OLD TOWN HILL, NEWBURY 978.356.4351 X9001

TULLY LAKE CAMPGROUND, ROYALSTON 978.840.4446 X1901

Event volunteers needed for Tully Lake Triathlon.

Saturday, October 20 | 9AM – 12NOON STAVROS RESERVATION, ESSEX 978.526.8676

Greater Boston

Eradicate invasive species and clean up the entrance.

Saturday, October 6 | 9AM – 12NOON

Saturday, October 27 | 9AM – 12NOON

BRADLEY ESTATE, CANTON 781.821.2996

LONG HILL, BEVERLY 978.921.1944 X1801

Join us as we pull, cut, and dig up invasive plant species.

Prune, mulch, and fertilize to help us restore this historic orchard.

Saturday, October 6 | 3 – 5PM

Saturday, October 27 | 9AM – 12NOON

POWISSET FARM, DOVER 508.785.0339

APPLETON FARMS GRASS RIDES, HAMILTON 978.356.5728 X10

Help with end-of-season cleanup and harvesting.

Clear brush, cut limbs, and make trail improvements.

The Islands

Pioneer Valley Region

Saturday, October 13 | 9AM – 1PM

Saturday, October 13 & 20 | 9AM – 1PM

MYTOI GARDEN, CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.7689

NOTCHVIEW RESERVATION, WINDSOR 413.532.1631 X10

Deadhead rhododendrons, rake leaves, and mulch shrubs.

Make trail improvements in preparation for this year’s ski season.

Saturday, October 13 | 9AM – 1PM MENEMSHA HILLS RESERVATION, MARTHA’S VINEYARD 508.693.3678

Southeast Region

Cut back shrubs, clear brush, and maintain trails.

Saturday, October 6 | 10AM – 12NOON WEIR RIVER FARM, HINGHAM 781.740.7233

Saturday, October 20 | 9AM – 1PM COSKATA-COATUE WILDLIFE REFUGE, NANTUCKET 508.228.6799

Prepare the barnyard for Fall Festival. Receive free admission to Open Barnyard (SEE PAGE 23 ).

Join our annual clean up of the beaches.

Saturday, October 20 | 9AM – 12NOON COPICUT WOODS, FALL RIVER 508.679.2115

14

Uncover the past on an archeological dig at a 19th-century farm site.

THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

|

www.thetrustees.org

FALL EVENTS!

SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER 2007

Find more to do online – visit us at www.thetrustees.org BERKSHIRES REGION

Saturday, December 22 | 10AM – 12NOON

Daily, through October 9 | 8:30AM & 1:30PM

Hike With Santa

(TOUR TAKES 4 HOURS)

Sundays, September 30 – October 28 9:30AM – 12:30PM Columbus Day, Monday, October 8 9:30AM – 12:30PM

BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

Fishing Discovery Tour*

Santa will take children on a half-mile hike and explain all about nature and the wonders of winter. He will also be handing out small nature-related presents! Please pre-register.

Members/Nonmembers: Adults FREE, Children $10 (includes price of present).

CAPE POGE WILDLIFE REFUGE,

Housatonic Paddle BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

Paddle the winding Housatonic with a naturalist/ guide and explore the rich and varied habitats of the river. Look for bald eagles, herons, kingfishers, and bank swallows. Please pre-register.

Members: Adult $24, Child (10–16) $12.

Nonmembers: Adult $30, Child (10–16) $15.

Saturday, October 13 | 7 – 9PM Saturdays, November 3 & 17 | 7 – 9PM Saturdays, December 1 & 15 | 6 – 8PM

Owl Prowl BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

Owls have an amazing ability to hunt swiftly, accurately, and silently in the dead of night.

Come learn how they do it! We’ll listen to the calls of several species and try to draw them in.

Please pre-register. Members: Adult/Child $4, Family $12. Nonmembers: Adult/Child $6, Family $15.

CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.3599

Learn the art of surf casting and the life histories of some amazing fish! Our accomplished fishing naturalist will lead you by oversand vehicle across legendary fishing beaches. Members only: Adult $60, Child (15 and under) $25.

CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS

Daily, through October 9 | 9AM, 12NOON, & 2PM (TOUR LASTS 1.5 HOURS)

Cape Poge Lighthouse Tour*

Daily, through October 9 | 9AM & 2PM

CAPE POGE WILDLIFE REFUGE,

(TOUR TAKES 2.5 HOURS)

CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.3599

Cape Poge Natural History Tour*

Journey by oversand vehicle, drink in the views from atop the lighthouse, and learn of the men who watched over Cape Poge waters for nearly 150 years. Members: Adult $15, Child (15 and under) $10. Nonmembers: Adult $20, Child (15 and under) $12.

CAPE POGE WILDLIFE REFUGE, CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.3599

Join this oversand vehicle journey across Chappaquiddick’s sandy barrier beaches and through rare maritime forests. Enjoy birding, beachcombing, and views from the Cape Poge Lighthouse. Members: Adult $30, Child (15 and under) $15. Nonmembers: Adult $35, Child (15 and under) $18.

*Transportation from the ferry is available if you register in advance.

Friday, October 26 | 7PM Saturday, November 24 & Sunday, December 23 | 6PM

Full Moon Hike BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

Forests and fields look much different in the moonlight. Come explore the sights and sounds of nighttime. Please pre-register.

Members/Nonmembers: Adult $5, Family $10.

Saturday, October 13 & 27 10AM – 12NOON

Saturday, November 10 | 9AM – 2PM

BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

Hawk Migration

7th Annual Northwest Connecticut Waterfowl Census

Join us to experience one of the wonders of the animal kingdom.We will watch for migrating hawks from atop Hurlburt’s Hill. Please pre-register. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $5, Child $1.

BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, SHEFFIELD 413.229.8600

© K. MCMAHON

Travel with experienced birders to several lakes in northwestern Connecticut to learn about our migratory waterfowl. Dress warmly.

Please pre-register. FREE to all.

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Daily, through October 9 | 9AM & 2PM

Daily, through October 9 | 9AM – 5PM

(TOUR LASTS 2.5 HOURS)

(QUEST TAKES 3 HOURS)

Wildlife Canoe/Kayak Tour*

Cape Poge Quest

CAPE POGE WILDLIFE REFUGE,

CAPE POGE WILDLIFE REFUGE,

CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.3599

CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.3599

Paddle through the marine habitats of Chappaquiddick with a naturalist and learn how humans affect the animals and plants that call Cape Poge Bay home. Members: Adult $30, Child (15 and under) $15. Nonmembers: Adult $35, Child (15 and under) $18.

A remarkable journey awaits on this self-guided treasure hunt. Search by oversand vehicle through 516 acres of wildlife refuge for the quest box! Materials available at Chappaquiddick gatehouses. Oversand vehicle permit required.

Daily, year-round |

*Transportation from the ferry is available if you register in advance.

CENTRAL REGION Saturday, September 29 | 8AM – 4PM

Eagle Eye Institute’s 5th Annual Hike-a-thon TULLY LAKE CAMPGROUND, ROYALSTON 978.249.4957

Hike the wild and scenic Tully Trail. Choose 5-, 8-, or 22-mile loops and enjoy an environmental festival for the whole family with naturalist programs, canoe lessons and tours, games, food, and prizes. Join others to raise funds for Eagle Eye’s Green Industry Career Pathway Program for urban youth, a Trustees partnership.

Please pre-register at hikeathon@eagleeyeinstitute.org. For more information call 617.666.5222 or visit www.eagleeyeinstitute.org.

SUNRISE TO SUNSET

(QUEST TAKES 3 HOURS)

Menemsha Hills Quest MENEMSHA HILLS RESERVATION, CHILMARK

Daily, through October 9 | 9AM – 5PM

508.693.7662

Poucha Pond Self-Guided Discovery Tour

Discover the many treasures of Menemsha Hills during a self-guided family treasure hunt.

Materials available at Menemsha Hills entrance bulletin board. FREE to all.

CAPE POGE WILDLIFE REFUGE, CHAPPAQUIDDICK 508.627.3599

Reap the benefits of Trustees membership as you paddle through Poucha Pond at your own pace with a self-guided trail map in hand.

Members only. 4 hours for $25, 8 hours for $35 (per canoe or kayak).

Saturday, October 6 | 10AM – 2PM

Green Building Open House DOYLE CONSERVATION CENTER, LEOMINSTER

Daily, through October | 9:30AM & 1:30PM

978.840.4446

(TOUR TAKES 2.5 HOURS)

Be a part of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s Solar Tour and visit the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster to learn about green design, energy efficiency, and renewable technologies. FREE to all.

Natural History Tours COSKATA-COATUE WILDLIFE REFUGE, NANTUCKET 508.228.6799

A naturalist will guide you on this oversand vehicle ride through Coskata-Coatue. Discover the human history and natural wonders of Nantucket’s most expansive salt marsh.

Members: Adult $30, Child (12 and under) $15.

Nonmembers: Adult $40, Child (12 and under) $15.

Daily, through October | 1 – 2PM

Open Lighthouse GREAT POINT LIGHTHOUSE, COSKATA-COATUE WILDLIFE REFUGE, NANTUCKET 508.228.6799

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© J. COUTRE

The lighthouse is open! Trustees members are invited to climb the Great Point Lighthouse and enjoy the view, while learning about this historic structure.Transportation to Great Point is not provided. Members only. FREE.

Sunday, October 21 | 10AM – 2PM

Drumlin Day DEXTER DRUMLIN, LANCASTER 978.840.4446

Doyle Conservation Center, Leominster

© F. SITEMAN

Bring your favorite kite and a picnic lunch and enjoy the splendor of autumn in central Massachusetts.Visit local orchards to pick apples, sample local foods, and take a hayride.

FREE to all.

GREATER BOSTON Including Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN) Saturday, September 15 | 10AM – 2PM

Saturday, October 6 | 9AM – 2:30PM

Communication & Negotiation Skills for Conservationists DOYLE CONSERVATION CENTER, LEOMINSTER 978.840.4446 X1934

Learn how to find consensus among people from different backgrounds, or with conflicting agendas. Develop ways of understanding what people mean, beyond what they say. Refine communication skills to find common ground and forge complementary goals. Discover how to positively address points of contention. Co-sponsored by the Consensus Building Institute and the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy. Pre-registration required. $25 per person or $40 for two people from the same entity.

Harvest Festival & Perennial Divide (BNAN) CITY NATIVES, 30 EDGEWATER DRIVE, MATTAPAN 617.542.7696

This popular annual event includes a plant swap, apple cider press, live music, fresh produce from local growers, Learning Garden tour, children’s craft projects, and more. Bring your own container for plants you swap. FREE to all.

Saturday, September 29 | 1 – 4PM

v

Dog Fest ’07

Saturday, November 17 | 9AM – 5PM

ROCKY WOODS, MEDFIELD

5th Annual Managing Land & Visitors Conference DOYLE CONSERVATION CENTER, LEOMINSTER 978.840.4446 X1934

Learn the nitty-gritty of caring for special places by joining volunteer and professional stewards for this annual daylong training and networking conference.This conference sells out every year, so be sure to register early! Pre-registration required. Register by November 1: $35; After November 1: $50 (on a space available basis).

For more information on the Putnam Conservation Institute and other upcoming events, visit www.thetrustees.org.

508.785.0339

Enjoy an afternoon of all things canine in the great outdoors through fun interactive games, activities, and exhibits. Experience the wonderful trail system with your pooch! Refreshments available. (Dogs not required!) FREE. Property admission: Members: FREE. Nonmembers: $3/person. FREE trial Green Dog Day Pass. Visit www.thetrustees.org for more details and to learn more about the Green Dog Program.

Open through October 31 Mondays – Saturdays | 10AM – 5PM (EXCEPT HOLIDAYS)

Weekends, through October 9

A Rustic Retreat TULLY LAKE CAMPGROUND, ROYALSTON 978.249.4957

Sad to see summer go? Stretch the season into fall with one last weekend of comfortable days and cool nights sleeping under the stars at Tully Lake Campground. Call for reservations.

run, and a 7.5-mile mountain bike race that’s sure to leave you breathless! The race is Sunday, preceded by workshops, food, and a concert Saturday. Visit www.thetrustees.org/tullytriathlon for registration information and call the campground to make reservations if you are camping.

978.249.4957.

Sunday, October 21 | 10AM

Saturday – Sunday, October 13 – 14 9AM – 1PM

Peaked Mountain Birthday Run

Tully Lake Triathlon

Celebrate Peaked Mountain and the generosity of those who made it possible with this fantastic fall four-miler. Enjoy birthday cake and a medal ceremony after the race. Call for registration.

TULLY LAKE CAMPGROUND, ROYALSTON

Race your way into fall at beautiful Tully Lake Campground by participating in the first-annual Tully Lake Triathlon, a 5-mile paddle, 4.5-mile

Sundays & Holidays | 12NOON – 5PM (LAST TOUR BY 4:30PM)

The Old Manse in History THE OLD MANSE, CONCORD 978.369.3909

Visit the centerpiece of Concord’s political, social, and literary revolutions. Guided tours reveal the Manse’s role as the inspiration for its famous inhabitants, Emerson and Hawthorne.

Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Senior/Student $7, Child $5.

PEAKED MOUNTAIN, MONSON 978.248.9455

v

Volunteers needed!

SpecialPLACES | FALL 2007

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NORTHEAST REGION Sunday, September 16 | 3 – 5PM

The Buzz about Bees

Saturday, October 6 | 11:30AM – 5:30PM

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON

From Land to Hand: A Celebration of the Harvest and Landscape

978.921.1944 X8815

Learn about bees and how they produce delicious honey! Local beekeeper Gretel Clark explains the art of beekeeping, including the structure of a bee colony and how it evolves as a social working unit. Pre-registration required.

Members: $8. Nonmembers $10.

THE OLD MANSE, CONCORD 978.369.3909

Families will enjoy exploring the historic relationship between the Manse and its surroundings, with heritage breed animals, crafts, demonstrations, and a reading of Emerson’s “Nature.” Visit www.oldmanse.org for details. Suggested donation for members and nonmembers: $2/person or $10/family.

FOUR WEEK SESSION

Saturdays, September 29 – October 20 1 – 3PM

Autumn in Ravenswood RAVENSWOOD, GLOUCESTER 978.921.1944 X8815

© K. MCMAHON

Through observation and exploration we will compare forest and wetland, while viewing animals and plants preparing for winter.

Pre-registration required. Minimum age 8.

Members: $20. Nonmembers: $24.

Sunday, September 23 | 10AM – 3PM

Family Farm Day APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON 978.921.1944 X8815

Saturday, October 13 | 10AM – 12:30PM

Paddling Back in Time THE OLD MANSE, CONCORD 978.369.3909

Join us for a guided trip down the Concord River to The Old Manse and experience the landscape that inspired Emerson,Thoreau, and Hawthorne. Space is limited. Reservations and pre-payment required. Members: Adult $8, Child $5. Nonmembers: Adult $16, Child $10.

Saturday, October 27 | TOURS HOUR FROM 6:30 – 8:30 PM

EVERY HALF

All Hallows Eve THE OLD MANSE, CONCORD 978.369.3909

Our popular Halloween event returns. Figure out clues to unlock a new mystery of the Manse! Space is limited. Please pre-register.

Members: Adult $5, Child $3. Nonmembers: Adult $10, Child $6.

o’-lanterns and vote for your favorite. Listen to ghost stories and play games, with treats to follow. Costumes are welcome. FREE to all.

Friday & Saturday, November 23 & 24 TOURS ON THE HOUR FROM 12NOON – 3PM

Special Hours for Thanksgiving Break THE OLD MANSE, CONCORD 978.369.3909

When you are stuffed full of turkey and looking for something fun for your family, come tour the Manse, home to Emersons, Ripleys, and Hawthornes. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Senior/Student $7, Child $5.

Wednesday – Friday, December 26 – 28 9AM – 4PM

My Winter in 1776: History, Writing, and Art THE OLD MANSE, CONCORD 978.369.3909

Saturday, October 27 | 5:30 – 7:30PM

Pumpkins in the Park FRANCIS WILLIAM BIRD PARK, WALPOLE 508.668.6136

Join in the fun as we illuminate the Park’s pathways and ponds with pumpkins. Bring a carved pumpkin and a small candle to the area around Willow Pond.View all the jack-

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THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

Kids in 3rd through 6th grades will love coming to one, two, or all three days of this holiday “camp.” Each day has a theme and lots of great activities. Visit www.oldmanse.org for more details.

Space is limited. Registration and payment deadline: December 20. Members: $40/day/child.

Nonmembers: $50/day/child. Discounts available for multiple days or multiple children.

Enjoy quality time with your kids at this family favorite event.Watch farming demonstrations, play old-fashioned games, and learn about Appleton Farms’ history and working farm operations. Kids can pick a pumpkin, ride a pony, or try their hand at one of our traditional arts stations. (Enjoy music, food, fun, animals, and more!) Members: $15/per car.

Nonmembers: $25/per car.

Wednesday, September 26 | 6PM

Harvest Moon Book Club & Potluck Dinner: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

by Barbara Kingsolver APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON 978.921.1944 X8815

Appleton Farms celebrates the full moon with this potluck picnic and book discussion. Please bring a salad or main dish and favorite beverage.

Dessert provided. Mingle with community members and staff while discussing Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

Children are invited to read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

Saturdays, October 6 & November 3 9 – 11AM

Monday, October 8 | 11AM – 3PM

Choate Island Kayak Tour

Sundays, October 14 & November 11 3 – 5PM

Pinnacle to Pinnacle Stroll

CRANE WILDLIFE REFUGE, IPSWICH

Farmstead Tour

APPLETON FARMS GRASSRIDES,

978.921.1944 X8815

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON

IPSWICH/HAMILTON 978.921.1944 X8815

Bring your own or rent a kayak on site for a guided paddle through the Great Marsh estuary to Choate Island. Hike to Choate’s summit and step back in time – preserved farm buildings and fields reveal centuries of agricultural life. Pre-registration required.

Members: $70. Nonmembers: $85.

978.921.1944 X8815

Discover living landscapes created by the Appleton family over hundreds of years.

Wander woodland trails, stroll the Great Pasture, and visit family memorials that once adorned Harvard’s hallowed halls. Pre-registation required. Members: $4. Nonmembers: $5.

Minimum age is 8 (16 without adult).

Monday, October 8 | 2 – 4PM

Discover the unique history of Appleton Farms as nine generations of Appleton family history guides visitors through open meadows and historic buildings.You’ll even get to visit the dairy during milking, when it’s ordinarily closed to the public. Pre-registration required.

Members: $4. Nonmembers: $5. Minimum age is 8 (16 without adult).

Farm Foliage

Appleton Farms Barn Tour and Fox Hunting History

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON

Five-week sessions,Tuesdays, beginning October 16 | 4 – 5:30PM

978.921.1944 X8815

978.921.1944 X8815

Young Farmers (ages 9 – 11)

Brightly hued foliage lines the allées of Appleton Farms. Walk the roads and discover why and how leaves change color. Celebrate the end of the walk with a seasonal snack at the Carriage Barn. Pre-registration required.

Members: $5. Nonmembers: $8.

From working the land to enjoying pleasure rides, visit the rich equine history sites of our farm. Witness history come alive as the Myopia Hunt rides to hounds during a simulated fall fox-hunting meet. Pre-registration required. Members: $5. Nonmembers: $8.

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON

Sundays, October 7 & 21 | 3 – 5PM

978.921.1944 X8815

Become a firsthand farmhand as you dig in the soil, compare compost, plant seeds, grow crops, churn butter, spin wool, care for cows, and more! Each session explores a different aspect of Appleton farming traditions.

SESSION II : October

16 – November 13 20 – December 18 Pre-registration required. Members: $72 per session. Nonmembers: $90 per session.

SESSION III : November

r Sign up fo ture entire lec series and save 10%!

ARCHITECTURE LECTURE SERIES “THE TASTEMAKERS” C ASTLE HILL ON THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

Pre-registration required. Members: $20. Nonmembers: $25.

Thursday, September 20 | 6:30 – 7:30PM

Syrie Maugham: Interiors Where Glamour Meets Tradition Our popular architectural lecture series opens this year with Pauline Metcalf presenting the work of Syrie Maugham, British interior decorator best known for popularizing rooms decorated entirely in shades of white.

Thursday, October 4 | 6:30 – 7:30PM

Spare No Expense:The Interiors of McKim, Mead & White Prof. Richard Guy Wilson shares his insights into the interior design influences of this famous architectural firm and helps The Trustees celebrate the 2007 designation of our Standford White-designed Naumkeag as a National Historic Landmark.

Thursday, November 15 | 6:30 – 7:30PM

© T. KATES

The Interiors of Sister Parish Join Susan Bartlett Crater, granddaughter of Sister Parish, for an intimate look at the life and work of the legendary interior decorator. Parish, who redesigned the White House interiors for Jacqueline Kennedy, influenced a generation of designers with her style, which has been refered to as “American Country.”

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SIX SESSIONS

Saturday, October 27 | 10AM – 12NOON

Thursdays, September 13 – October 18 10 – 11:30AM (ages 3 – 5, with an accompanying adult)

Tulip Planting Project

Saturdays, October 27 & November 7 3 – 4:30PM

COOLIDGE POINT, MANCHESTER

Meet the Cows

978.921.1944 X8815

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON

Farm Fiddleheads

This exciting project begins by planting bulbs, studying the botany of tulips, and making scientific predictions. Our amateur botanists join a national science experiment through interactive maps tracking the blooms.

Registration required. Members: $8.

Nonmembers: $10.

978.921.1944 X8815

APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON 978.921.1944 X8815

Explore the rhythms of Appleton Farms. Meet the cows, harvest the fields, wander the woods, and dig in to farm chores. Fiddleheads will experience it all through age-appropriate sensory activities, stories, songs, and games. A healthy snack is provided. Pre-registration required. Member Child $48. Nonmember Child $60. Fee includes adult and child. Individual sessions available at $10/session.

It’s simply moo–velous! Explore the Farmstead and visit with calves and heifers. Meet the cows in the dairy barn during milking, a time that’s ordinarily closed to the public. Pre-registration required. Members: Adult $8, Child $4.

Nonmembers: Adult $10, Child $5.

Saturday, November 3 | 1 – 3PM

Forest Frolic MT. ANN, GLOUCESTER 978.921.1944 X8815

Enjoy a frolic through the woodland with splendid coastal views on a rare public hike on Mt. Ann (ordinarily closed to the public).

Pre-registration required. Members: $8.

Nonmembers: $10.

Saturday, November 17 | 11AM – 2PM

GARDEN PROGRAMS AT LONG HILL

Guided Beach Hike

LONG HILL, BEVERLY 978.921.1944

CRANE BEACH, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

Pre-registration required. Members: $28. Nonmembers: $35.

Check out our upcoming Long Hill Fall Lecture Series at www.thetrustees.org.

On this 4-mile guided hike over sand, you’ll learn about this spectacular, ever-changing environment, from beachfront to dunes to maritime forest. Pre-registration required.

Recommended for ages 12 and older. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: $5. Beach admission applies.

Saturday, October 13 | 10AM – 12NOON

Looking at Trees The Sedgwick Gardens are home to an extensive collection of native and exotic trees. Learn the secrets of identifying common and unusual species in the landscape.

Friday, December 7 | 4 – 8PM Saturday, December 8 | 10AM – 4PM Sunday, December 9 | 12 NOON – 4PM

Tuesday, October 16 | 10AM – 12NOON

Holiday Open House at the Great House: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas

Bulb Forcing Brighten dull winter days with pots of forced bulbs. Get started now to learn from our garden experts and discover the tricks of forcing beautiful varieties of spring bulbs.

NOTE: Bulbs for forcing will be sold at the workshop. Cost of bulbs is not included in workshop fee.

CASTLE HILL ON THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

Tour the decorated rooms of the Great House with the family and rediscover the magical anticipation of Christmas Day. Music, decorations, cookies, and cider add to the holiday splendor. Please bring a gift of an unwrapped toy for a child in need. Members: Adult $8, Child/Senior $5. Nonmembers: Adult $12, Child/Senior $8.

Saturday, November 3 | 10AM – 12NOON

Putting the Garden to Bed

© R. CHEKK

Come learn the latest techniques and secrets for winterizing your garden, including what to cut back and what not to. Different strategies for winter wind and cold protection will be discussed and demonstrated.

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Tuesday, December 11 & Wednesday, December 12 | 3:30 – 5PM

Children’s Holiday Party with Santa (recommended for ages 2 – 6) CASTLE HILL ON THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH

Children will delight in a puppet show while waiting for a special visit with Santa, whose elves will provide punch and cookies. A great opportunity to photograph your child with Santa. Advance ticket purchase required at www.craneestage.org. Members: Child $18 (adult accompanying child FREE). Nonmembers: Child $22 (Adult accompanying child FREE).

Sunday, December 16 | 3 – 5PM

Holiday Concert at the Great House

© T. KATES

978.921.1944 X8815

Capturing Special Places: The Art of The Trustees THE GREAT HOUSE AT THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

CASTLE HILL ON THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

Friday, November 9 | 7 – 10PM

The Paul Madore Chorale of the North Shore will present a seasonal concert in the Ballroom of the Great House. Holiday punch and cookies will be served. Advance ticket purchase required (online purchase preferred at www.craneestate.org). Members: $25.

Nonmembers: $35.

Members-Only Cocktail Reception and Art Preview Sale Join us for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and music.View and purchase original works of art inspired by the extraordinary beauty of The Trustees’ Northeast properties. Proceeds benefit artists and The Trustees. Advance ticket purchase required (online purchase preferred at www.craneestate.org): $40.

Saturday & Sunday, November 10 & 11 | 10AM – 4PM

Friday, December 21 | 3:30 – 5PM

Holiday Party at Appleton Farms THE CARRIAGE BARN AT APPLETON FARMS, IPSWICH/HAMILTON 978.356.5728

Meet the Appleton Farms “Nisse” –– our elf-like friend who lives in our barns and protects our farmers, animals, and crops. Join us as we kindly thank the Nisse with Christmas porridge for bringing luck to the farm. Enjoy holiday crafts, snacks, caroling, and socializing.

FREE member event. Please RSVP. HISTORIC HOUSE TOURS Step back in time and explore some of the most unique historic properties in northeast Massachusetts. From a simple 300-year-old farmhouse to the opulent splendor of a 1920s mansion, you will enjoy learning the stories of these places –– and the people who made them special.

Saturdays & Sundays, through October 7 1 – 4PM

Annual Art Show & Sale View and purchase paintings, sculpture, and photography of The Trustees’ landscapes and landmarks from juried artists. Prints and smaller works of art available this year!

FREE and open to the public.

Saturdays & Sundays, though October 7 1 – 4PM

The Stevens-Coolidge House Tours NORTH ANDOVER 978.921.1944 X8815

Discover how the Coolidge family transformed a 1700s family farm into a bucolic summer estate in the early 1900s. House features original collections, murals, and unique garden glimpses. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Child $5. Recommended for ages 8 and up (16 without adult).

Paine House Tours

Thursdays | 10AM – 3PM & Fridays/Saturdays 10AM – 12NOON, through October 6

GREENWOOD FARM, IPSWICH

Great House Tours at Castle Hill

978.921.1944 X8815

Discover the unique charm of this 1694 house on its original saltwater farm location.Tours focus on first-period architecture, construction, archaeology, and the Colonial Revival.

Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Child $5.

Recommended for ages 8 and up (16 without adult).

CASTLE HILL ON THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

A national treasure, this magnificent mansion offers an opulent glimpse of the Crane family’s life in the Roaring ’20s.Tours feature beautifully

appointed rooms with ornate woodcarvings, luxurious Italian marble, sterling silver fixtures, and more. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Child $5. Recommended for ages 8 and up (16 without adult).

Thursdays & Saturdays through October 6 11AM – 12:30PM

Historic Landscape Tours of Castle Hill THE CRANE ESTATE, IPSWICH 978.921.1944 X8815

Take a guided historic walking tour of this grand, early 20th-century summer estate by the sea and learn about the designs of Boston landscape architects Olmsted Bros. and Arthur Shurcliff. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: $5.

Minimum age: 8 years old (16 without adult).

Bring comfortable footwear and water bottle.

SpecialPLACES | FALL 2007

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THE WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT HOMESTEAD CUMMINGTON 413.634.2244 Weekends & Columbus Day, through October 8 | 1 – 5PM

Historic House Tours of the William Cullen Bryant Homestead Take a guided tour of this National Historic Landmark, the boyhood home and adult summer residence of one of America’s foremost 19th-century poets. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $5, Child $2.50.

Hale & Hearty: William Cullen Bryant and 19th-Century Health & Fitness Homestead hikes, fitness, and diet were a lifetime commitment for Bryant. This exhibit displays his 19th-century exercise equipment, health journals, medications, and daily regimen for staying fit. FREE to all.

I Spy! (ages 3 – 9)

© R. CHEEK

Be a detective! Discover the Homestead’s secrets on this self-guided walk using a hands-on “SPY PACK.” Members: Child $4. Nonmembers: Child $6. Special family rate.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

PIONEER VALLEY REGION Saturday, October 6 | 1 – 4:30PM

New England’s Own Giant – The Noble White Pine THE WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT HOMESTEAD, CUMMINGTON 413.634.2244

Celebrate the Homestead’s renowned white pines with a walk and a talk by old-growth expert Bob Leverett. Limited to 30 people.

Members: Adult $6, Child $3. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Child $4.

Saturday, October 13 | 10AM – 12NOON

Quest for the Dinosaur Footprints DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS, HOLYOKE 413.532.1631 X13

Help us launch our Dinosaur Footprints Quest. Learn about the property’s fascinating footprints and geology and then offer your ideas, observations, and drawings to our quest!

Program to be presented in both English and Spanish. Se habla español. Please pre-register.

For ages 10 and up. FREE to all

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THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

Sunday, October 14 | 1 – 3:30PM

Saturday, December 1 | 8AM – 4:30PM

Notchview History Hike

Ski Season Starts at Notchview

NOTCHVIEW, WINDSOR 413.684.0148

NOTCHVIEW, WINDSOR 413.684.0148

Join local historian Bernard Drew on a hike around Notch View Farm, where he grew up as the son of longtime superintendent Warren Drew. See how this world-class cross-country ski area evolved from forest and farm.

Moderate hike. Meet at Visitor Center. FREE to all.

We missed the opening date last year but are ever hopeful for this season! We have 40 km. of trails with 25 km. groomed for classical and skating. Call for conditions or visit www.xcskimass.com. Members: reduced rate, Nonmembers: Adults $10, Child $3.

Sunday, October 21 | 1 – 3PM

SOUTHEAST REGION

The Colors of Petticoat Hill PETTICOAT HILL RESERVATION, WILLIAMSBURG 413.532.1631 X 13

Learn to identify trees by their fall colors during peak foliage season. Explore the new trail loop developed by the Williamsburg Woodland Trails Committee. Please pre-register. FREE to all.

Saturday, November 17 | 10AM – 1PM

Berkshire Trails Nordic Ski Sale NOTCHVIEW, WINDSOR 413.684.0148

Outfit the family with good used ski equipment or find a bargain for yourself. Consignments accepted. Sponsored by Berkshire Trails Nordic Ski Club.

Wednesdays – Sundays through October 14 9:30AM & 2PM

Kayak World’s End WORLD’S END, HINGHAM 781.740.7233

Join a naturalist guide and explore the rich and varied habitats of this unique peninsula. Learn basic paddling techniques, local ecology, and the natural history of World’s End while taking in spectacular views of Boston Harbor.

Members: Adult $30, Child (under 15) $15.

Nonmembers: Adult $35, Child $18.

Saturdays through November 10 12NOON – 3PM

Saturday, November 10 | 10AM – 12NOON

Open Barnyard at Weir River Farm

EAST OVER RESERVATION, ROCHESTER

WEIR RIVER FARM, HINGHAM 781.740.7233

508.679.2115

One hundred years ago, family farms were a common sight in Hingham. Come see The Trustees’ efforts to preserve one of the last examples in town. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: $3 per person.

Cultural historian Electa Kane Tritsch of Oakfield Research traces the land use history and heritage at East Over from grist mill and country estate to cranberry bogs and protected open space. FREE to all.

Saturday, September 29 | 10AM – 12NOON

Saturday, November 3 | 9 – 11AM

Fungus Foray

Granite, Glaciers, and Geology

SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

BIORESERVE, FALL RIVER 508.679.2115

BIORESERVE, FALL RIVER 508.679.2115

Learn to appreciate the delicate beauty of this often overlooked kingdom of forest life on an introductory walk with amateur mycologist Joe Metzen of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. FREE to all.

Bob Kitchen of the Fall River Historical Society explores how geologic forces have shaped not only the natural landscape but the course of human history as well. FREE to all.

Friday, October 5 | 7 – 9PM (Rain Date: Saturday, October 6)

Warships and Workmanship

Star Gazing

COHASSET 781.740.7233

Join the Astronomy Club of Southeastern Massachusetts to see what’s shining in the autumn sky above the Westport River. FREE.

TURKEY HILL, HINGHAM AND

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Trustees members enjoy a 10% discount on stays of two nights or more. Proceeds benefit our conservation work at Field Farm and the Crane Estate.

© JUMPING ROCK

Saturday, December 1 | 10AM – 1PM

WESTPORT TOWN FARM, WESTPORT 508.679.2115

Stay in Luxury…

Accidental Agriculture

During the War of 1812, folks watched the action in the harbor from Turkey Hill. Join us for hot drinks, learn cool history, and help maintain the view by removing invasive buckthorn.

Thursday, December 13 | 6:30 – 8PM

Children’s Winter Program Registration

554 Sloan Road, Williamstown tel 413.458.3135 www.guesthouseatfieldfarm.org

HINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY, HINGHAM

This is your first opportunity to sign up your child for winter sessions of Ecosplorations or Snowflakes. For more information on these programs, call 781.740.7233 or go to www.thetrustees.org.

Saturday, December 15 | 9 – 11AM

Deck the Halls SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS BIORESERVE, FALL RIVER 508.679.2115

© B. TIPPER

© T. KATES

From Christmas trees to holly wreaths, many evergreens are associated with the holidays.

Learn more about these unique plants and how over-collecting has put many at risk. FREE to all.

Saturday, October 13 | 12NOON – 3PM

Weir River Farm Fall Festival WEIR RIVER FARM, HINGHAM 781.740.7233

Share the joy of harvest on the farm.

Bring your family and join your community for a day full of fun events.

Members: $3. Nonmembers: $5.

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Volunteers needed!

280 Argilla Road, Ipswich tel 978.412.2555 www.craneestate.org

FIND YOUR PLACE Old Town Hill, Newbury

© R. CHEEK

OUR PLACE IN

© T. KATES / WORLD’S END. HINGHAM

YOUR MEMORIES

FIND YOUR PLACE Together with our neighbors, we protect the distinct character of our communities and inspire a commitment to special places.

Our passion is to share with everyone the irreplaceable natural and cultural treasures we care for.

Special PLACES THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

572 Essex Street Beverly, MA 01915-1530

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D N.READING, MA PERMIT NO.140