Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/976908
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 6 MAY 2018 PHOTOGRAPH BY, TOP TO BOTTOM, JERRY MONKMAN, R. CHEEK, AND KINDRA CLINEFF / EDITOR'S NOTE / WELCOME TO THE ISSUE One of my favorite things about being the editor of Northshore magazine is discover- ing all the beautiful farms, nature preserves, historic museums, and blooming gardens in this region and sharing their unique stories with our readers. We have so many nonprots and government entities working tirelessly to ensure the North Shore continues to support and expand its legacy of cultural, historic, and natural spaces and to protect them for future generations. If it were not for organizations such as e Trustees of Reservations, Essex County Greenbelt, Essex Heritage, Historic New England, Mass Audubon, the National Park Service, the Bureau of State Parks and Recreation, and many more, the region could be overrun with development, destroying the unique character and sense of place we love about our home here on the North Shore. In this issue, we celebrate these special places and the organizations securing the future of these lands. Small family farms are as much a part of the North Shore's distinct landscape as its rocky coastline and First Period houses. Essex County's Greenbelt, and ve other partner organizations have been awarded $1,050,000 through the Regional Con- servation Partnership Program of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, which aims to provide funding to permanently protect working farms in the Merrimack Valley—a crucial step in protecting not only our farming heritage but also the livelihood of local farmers. e area's ecological importance is why e Trustees has embarked on a restoration of grass- lands on Old Town Hill's 531 acres in Newbury. e project, partially funded by $33,206 from the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program, includes widening elds, removing invasives, planting wildowers, and making this open space more resilient. e restoration eort hopes to further support butteries, pollina- tors, and birds, and as a bonus will bring a profusion of colors and scents from the thousands of wildowers being introduced. On a smaller scale, but no less important, is the group of volunteers at the Museum of Old Newbury that works to maintain the Cushing House and its garden, which was restored to its mid-19th-century layout 20 years ago.e design is based both on historic documents and a sketch done by Margaret Cushing showing the gardens as she remem- bered them from her childhood in the 1860s. We also visit seven hiking trails around the North Shore to get you out into nature this spring; whether you are after a hidden gem, a great spot for birding, a botanical ramble, lots of geological drama, or a paved path for easy wheelchair access, these hikes have you covered. PRESERVING CHARACTER Nancy E. Berry, Editor nberry@nshoremag.com WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU Send comments to the editor: nberry@nshoremag.com Top to bottom, Leonhard & Eldred Farm, Misery Islands hiking, and the Museum of Old Newbury's garden. MAY 2018 P.S. We hope you will mark your calendars for Northshore's Night Out event at Turner Hill in Ipswich on June 7. Come sip, shop, and shine at this glamorous estate. For details, visit page 10. Another event, the BONS 2018 Celebration, is happening at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, August 22. is year should be the biggest and brightest yet! For more informa- tion and to purchase tickets, visit nshoremag. com/bonsevent/. e evening's celebration is in support of e Trustees.