2011 Special Places Archive

How Will Your Garden Grow?
At Long Hill in Beverly, new demonstration plots are helping gardeners new and old learn ways to grow greener.

Taking the Sting Out of Going Green
A new patch of meadow at Bird Park in Walpole is abuzz with bees and butterflies, all thanks to a little help from students at the local middle school.

Farmers' Favorite Food Reads
Want a fun read on food, foodies, food politics, or farming? Ask your local farmer. That's what we did. See what our farmers have stacked up on their bedside tables.

Let It Snow!
The Trustees know a thing or two about caring for old homes – including the challenges of keeping the heat in when Jack Frost starts nipping at your nose.

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What's Old is New Again
History and innovation come together at Appleton Farms in Ipswich.

An Eggplant Grows in Dorchester
Boston Natural Areas Network celebrates the opening of Dorchester's newly expanded – and now largest – community garden.

From Plot to Plate
Taking the measure of people, plants, poultry, and more at Trustees farms and gardens across the state.

A New Lease on Life
Westport's former poor farm transforms from barren to bountiful.

No Superior or Equal
a new exhibit at the Ashley House in Sheffield sheds light on the life and legacy of Elizabeth Freeman.

The (Chicken) House that Dave Built
Volunteer of the Year Dave Beal takes his work – and his tools – seriously at Weir River Farm in Hingham.

A Landmark Accreditation
An old land trust learns new tricks – and passes the wisdom forward.

The Bay Circuit
Boston's Outer Emerald Necklace brings nature to the people.

People & Plovers
Delicate shorebirds find welcome respite on the sandy shores of Crane Beach in Ipswich.

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Food for Thought
At Powisset Farm, volunteer-led workshops bring CSA members and others back to their roots.

Finding Fun at the Bryant Homestead
Find out how a motorcycle-riding grad student brought new perspectives to the Cummington homestead of 19th-century poet, newspaperman, and nature lover William Cullen Bryant.

Notch Your Average View
Every winter, visitors make tracks for Notchview Reservation to induldge in some of the region's best cross-country skiing.

A Second Schantz
Some retirees head straight for the golf course, but this dedicated trail steward prefers the woods and wilds of the North Shore.

Community Collector
One passionate neighbor is making sure locals enjoy all that Doyle Community Park has to offer.

Volunteer as a Family? Get Out!
From planting seeds to picking up bottle caps, parents and kids are finding new ways to get off the couch and into the action.

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Come and Grow with Me
With our collective appetite for locally grown, sustainable food on the rise, local farming in Massachusetts is getting a new lease on life.

A Land Like No Other
Ropes courses, community-supported agriculture, and schoolchildren – oh my! The Trustees enter a unique, three-way partnership at the Olmsted-designed Moraine Farm in Beverly.

A View to the Sea
As the second phase of a major landscape restoration project kicks off at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, the Grand Allée marches ever closer to its original oceanfront glory.

As Cluck Would Have It
In cities and towns across the state, backyard chickens are becoming a common sight. Find out how (and why) this trend has come home to roost.

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