The Grand Allée, or Mall, was designed by landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff and completed in 1914-15. Inspired by the Cypress Allee at Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy, the design was truly a grand undertaking, involving significant regrading and heavy planting to transform farm fields into this magnificent forced vista.
An evening adventure for the whole family! Join us for a hike down the Cedar Point trail to the Pine Grove. We’ll look for the flash of fireflies in the fields that stretch to the marsh, along the fringes of the woods that line the trail to the Pine Grove, and in the dark of the Pine Grove itself. Did you know that different species of fireflies have different flash patterns? We’ll try to differentiate between our bioluminescent buddies and count how many different species of fireflies live around the Crane Estate.
Join a ranger for a tour of a beautiful spot that few people visit: Nelson Island. If we’re lucky, we might catch a glimpse of a nesting osprey. Learn about the history of this little known refuge jewel. If weather and tide permits, we’ll take a very short walk along the marsh. (Muddy, wet areas are possible so rubber boots are recommended.) Consider bringing binoculars and/or a camera. *Please note: Those who call and leave messages after hours, your registration is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call from a refuge staff member.
Many animals live on the refuge, but are hard to find. They are either active at night, wary of people, or both. Though you may not see them, their tracks can be just as interesting to find. Go out on the refuge with intern Dominic Noce as he teaches you how to find and identify tracks of different types of animals. Meet the program leader in the refuge visitor center auditorium for a brief slide show, after which he’ll lead you on a tracking exploration on the refuge. Please wear long pants and boots (for tick prevention) and otherwise dress for the weather. NO preregistration for th
Take your 3-5 year old youngster on a good old fashioned nature discovery walk. Meet at the refuge visitor center before driving together to the head of the day's trail on the refuge (no parking fee charged). For each session, a refuge volunteer will lead the children and their caregivers on a walk to explore different aspects of the refuge: beach, dune, marsh, scrub forest, cranberry bog. Come dressed for the weather. If the weather is completely unsuitable for outdoor enjoyment, then an indoor program comprised of a story, activity and craft will be held at the visitor center instead.
To spark a sense of wonder, Rachel Carson said, every child needs an adult "who can share it, rediscovering with him [or her] the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in." To this end, knowing facts about nature matters less than feeling a sense of beauty, admiration, excitement, and love, which can prompt a wish for knowledge later on and create an enduring legacy of meaning. Exploring nature, Carson reminds us, means being receptive to the surrounding world - "learning to use your eyes, ears, nostrils, and finger tips, opening up the disused channels of sensory impression."
Join the park interpreter weekly for a leisurely afternoon stroll to experience the spring flora and fauna at Maudslay. Rain or shine. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water. For kids aged 5 and up.
What kid doesn’t like playing in the water? Join the park interpreter for a Ponding adventure at the back pond to discover what is living in this aquatic habitat. Nets and buckets are provided. Participants should wear long pants & appropriate shoes! For ages 5 and up!
Join The Trustees of Reservations for a paddle and a hike – what better way to spend a summer morning? Paddle across Essex Bay from the Trustees of Reservations boat dock to Choate Island. We’ll beach our boats for a tour of the island, stopping in at the Proctor Barn, the White Cottage and the Choate House, then continuing to the highest point on the island where Cornelius and Miné Crane are buried. After the hike, we’ll kayak around the island to get the views from the water (tides permitting).
Celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 3rd with a walk along some beautiful trails with ECTA and Ipswich River Watershed Association. Join ECTA Trail Steward Judi Milano and IRWA Executive Director Wayne Castonguay at 10am in the Bradley Palmer parking lot at 40 Asbury Street in Topsfield.
The walk will gather at the mounting block and go up the trail toward Asbury Street, across the road, across the fence and down to the river and the bridge. We turn left at the bridge and walk along the river for about a half mile to the Patton property where we go through the opening in their stone wall and walk back out to Asbury street along their fence. The walk will return to the Bradley Palmer lot through the Bradley Palmer trails.
