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Over three-hundred acres across Essex County were forever protected by Greenbelt in 2019, including some of our most iconic landscapes: working farms, rolling hills, forests, and open fields laced by streams and rivers. Their conservation ensures a future with places to grow local food, to take walks with friends and family, safe havens for plants and wildlife, and enhancing our region’s resilience to climate change.
These twenty-two conservation projects, 310 acres in total, would never have been possible without the generous commitment of our donors, and partnerships with towns whose dedicated funds advanced these achievements.
In West Newbury, Greenbelt worked with municipal partners and a local farmer to protect the beloved Brown Spring Farm, and to permanently protect over 30 acres along one of the most scenic roads in town.
We continued a multi-year effort to protect the Essex Woods with an acquisition of 7.4 acres abutting conserved land on three sides. The beautiful land is part of an extensive trail system, and its exposed ledge is ruggedly beautiful.
In Newbury, Greenbelt acquired 14 acres of land on the Parker River. Containing a mix of forest, fields, and wetlands, the property protects important wildlife habitat, and will provide a new opportunity for a Greenbelt trail to river view.
Greenbelt’s largest conservation accomplishment in 2019, came with the fulfillment of a decades-long dream of protecting 148 acres at Green Meadows Farm and Vineyard Hill in Hamilton and Topsfield.
Located between the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary and Bradley Palmer State Park, this treasured property represents some of the most resource-rich, scenic and important agricultural land in all of Essex County. Vineyard Hill will be a premier Greenbelt Reservation, offering access to miles of trails that connect directly to Greenbelt’s Shaw Field and the adjacent (and permanently protected) Brick Ends Farm and Bradley Palmer State Park.
Known for years as one of the few certified organic farms on the North Shore before its farm stand closed in 2017, Green Meadows Farm will now remain in agricultural production, allowing a new generation of farmers to grow healthy local food.
In Merrimac, the new Beaver Pond Reservation on Battis Road preserves 23 acres surrounded on two sides by the Merrimac Town Forest, where Cobbler’s Brook winds its way through prime forest and boggy wetlands before joining the Merrimack River. Greenbelt worked with Merrimac’s fourth graders, that future generation that inspires much of our work, to name the property as part of their open space curriculum.
Greenbelt celebrated the unanimous approval by the Haverhill City Council of the Anton Farm Conservation Restriction. Anton Farm project was only our second private conservation restriction in Haverhill.
Through their generous conservation gift, sisters-in-law Janice Anton and Barbara DiSalvo ensured that their 25.7-acre historic family farm, which dates back to 1765, will never be converted to homesites, and can always be used as working farmland.
"To think of it going to development would have broken my heart," said DiSalvo. “I have supported a number of conservation organizations for many years, but this CR is an opportunity to make a larger, lasting impact. And knowing that this piece of land will remain much as it always was is the best part."
Also, in Haverhill, Greenbelt is celebrating the creation of the East Parish Reservation off Middle Road. The 17-acre gift of the Atwood family is adjacent to the East Parish Meeting House, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. “We are especially excited by the opportunity to enhance the Meeting House property with a public hiking trail, parking, and signage that reflects both of our missions,” said Susan Atwood.
Greenbelt completed our second conservation restriction in Amesbury in November, almost 30 years after we received the first in the community, the Capp CR, in 1991. This generous gift of 17.3 acres from Jocelyn Van Bokkelen protects the Amesbury portion of Heron Pond Farm and woodlands along the Powwow River. The Van Bokkelen CR has over 1,000 feet of frontage on the Powwow, which provides drinking water to the City of Amesbury and feeds Lake Gardner, popular for paddling and fishing.
In Groveland, the Ethel Vashti Hill Reservation was created.
Howard Hill’s family has carefully tended these 22.7 acres, where Lady Slippers bloom on the forest floor, for three generations.
Last summer, Mr. Hill generously donated these woodlands and fields to Greenbelt. It will be named the Ethel Vashti Hill Reservation in honor of his grandmother. Mr. Hill and his cousin will continue to tend these forests and trails, and use the field out front for growing hay, as long as they can, after which Greenbelt will take over stewardship of this special place.
April 12, 2024
March 16, 2024
February 21, 2024
82 Eastern Avenue
PO Box 1026
Essex, MA 01929
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p. 978.768.7241
Greenbelt thanks the photographers whose work is featured prominently on our website: Jerry Monkman, Dorothy Monnelly, Adrian Scholes, David Alden St. Pierre & Neil Ungerleider