Help Expand Mill Pond & Pipestave Hill Conservation Areas in West Newbury

Greenbelt and the Town of West Newbury are partnering to protect 32 acres next to West Newbury’s Mill Pond and Pipestave Hill Conservation Areas. Conserving this land will expand the existing trail systems, prevent development, protect the water quality of Mill Pond, and preserve wildlife habitat, wetlands, and upland forests—all of which strengthen the climate resilience of the area.

Thank you to the West Newbury residents who voted to allocate up to $350,000 in CPA funds for this project! But now there’s more to do…we're asking for your help to raise the remaining funds needed to complete this project and permanently conserve this land.

How you can help:

Join us for a site walk on Thursday, September 14^th at 5:00pm or Sunday, October 1^st at noon. We’ll meet at the Mill Pond cabin at 623 Main Street, West Newbury.

Learn more and donate by clicking below or visiting ecga.org/sawmillbrook

News and Happenings

Racing the Trails at Vineyard Hill

Runners took to the trails of Vineyard Hill on Saturday, August 19, for Greenbelt’s 15^th Annual 5K/10K Trail Race. The energy was fast and fun! It was a beautiful day to get outside with new friends and familiar faces, all running for land conservation. Thank you to the runners and to the many volunteers who made this day a success!

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the trails at Vineyard Hill, the Reservation offers over three miles of trails, and connects to the nearby conservation areas of Bradley Palmer State Park and the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.

Volunteers Power Newhall Fields

In 2020, Greenbelt worked with the City of Peabody to permanently protect six properties through Conservation Restrictions (CRs), including Tillie’s Farm in South Peabody, home to the Newhall Fields Community Farm. This land is now forever conserved, allowing the farm to carry on its mission of creating access to healthy, local food through sustainable agriculture, volunteer-powered farming, and outdoor education.

This summer, Jeannette McGinn and Emily Cooper of Newhall Fields worked with Greenbelt staff to create and install a kiosk that shares the land’s history, the farm’s mission, and community partnerships with visitors. Many thanks to Greenbelt's Sharon Pacione, Dave Rimmer, and a team of Greenbelt volunteers who helped build this wonderful new kiosk. 

Summer Fun with Volunteers...Ice Cream Sundae Style!

In celebration of Greenbelt’s dedicated volunteers, we gathered at Cox Reservation earlier this month to carry on our newest annual tradition—the volunteer ice cream social! More than 40 volunteers joined us for a relaxing afternoon to mingle with staff and other volunteers and, of course, to take a trip down the build-your-own sundae bar in the Studio Barn. We are so grateful for the many wonderful volunteers who are an integral part of Greenbelt and local land conservation.

Trails & Sails at Cox: The Great Marsh and Climate Change through Student Exploration

As part of Essex Heritage’s 22^nd Trails and Sails event series, Greenbelt will be hosting Student Explorations: The Great Marsh and Climate Change, with silk artist Susan Quateman and photographer Leslie Bartlett. This project, which uniquely reflects the connection of art and science, will be on display at Greenbelt’s Cox Reservation starting with an open house reception on Thursday, September 21, from 4:00-6:00pm. Additional exhibit times are from 12:00-4:00pm Friday, September 22 through Tuesday, September 26 (12:00-3:00pm on Sunday). All are welcome!

For more information about this exhibition and the many other participating organizations, sites, and events of this year’s Trails and Sails, please click below.

Step up to Tompson Street's New Sunset Mountain Gateway 

If you haven't seen the view from Sunset Mountain at Tompson Street in Gloucester, we encourage you to go! You'll find our newly installed Sunset Mountain Gateway, with ample parking and magnificent stone stairs that make the climb more inviting for hikers. These improvements were made possible by a generous grant from the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation on land recently conserved by Greenbelt.

Sunset Mountain Gateway is one of five locations where visitors can access miles of trails on more than 300 acres of conserved land at Tompson Street Reservation—Greenbelt’s largest public property. With its intriguing history, diverse habitat, rugged Cape Ann terrain and stunning views, you don't want to miss a trip to Tompson Street.

Leave a Lasting Legacy with Greenbelt

There's always a lot going on at Greenbelt! If you're interested in learning about volunteer opportunities, join our monthly Volunteer E-Newsletter list.