Massachusetts

With forests and a ridgetop view of Cape Cod Bay, the Biddle property
is as lovely and environmentally sensitive as it is historic. A homemade sign hung for years
in the Biddle family's kitchen. It read: "The environment, conservation and historic preservation BEGIN
HERE."

Buffalo Hill Farm, located fifteen miles south of Worcester, has a rich history.

This farm has been an open landscape and active farm through a succession of different owners since the early 1600s. In recent years, however, the site's location near West Bridgewater's busy commercial area has made it the focus of several plans for commercial development.

The Trust for Public Land protects Massachusetts' most significant farmland to sustain locally grown food, reconnect communities and reduce transportation from farm to plate for more nutritious and tastier food.

Less than an hour from the bustle of downtown Boston, this forest hideaway provides a peaceful refuge for foxes, otters, songbirds—and people.

Located at the heart of Park Hill, 165-acre Echodale Farm was once the
largest unprotected working farm in Easthampton and vulnerable to
residential development.

We helped arrange the purchase of 81 acres on Elmwood Farm as public open space, preserving Hopkinton's rural character and ensuring that the extensive hiking trails will always be open to the community.

The Trust for Public Land is working with local partners and the community to transform this neglected property into a verdant working farm and center for urban agriculture.

Established in 1943, Griggs Farm was the place to go in Billerica for spring tomato plants or fall pumpkins. But by the 1990s the farm had been hemmed in by retail malls as the town's character grew more suburban.

The 190-acre Hassanamesitt Woods property in Grafton is believed to contain the core remains of one of fourteen "praying Indian villages" in southern New England established to encourage Native Americans to convert to Christianity.

In 1990 TPL helped the National Park Service acquire 3 acres to house the headquarters of the Lowell National Historical Park.

In April, 2009 The Trust for Public Land reached an agreement with the Raymond family to conserve Maplecroft Farm, 250 acres of land along scenic Route 133.

This land near Pleasure Bay provides wildlife habitat, including more than 55 species of birds and protects Harwich's drinking water.

Preserving the North of Highland Camping Area in Truro, Massachusetts, was a priority for the late Senator Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, who led efforts to secure federal Land and Water Conservation Fund funding for the campground which allows public access to Cape Cod Seashore.

After Northfield Mount Hermon School closed its Northfield campus, the school’s scenic forest property—made up of woodlands, trails, and reservoir—was at imminent risk of being sold and subdivided. In June 2016, any threat to the property was successfully thwarted when The Trust for Public Land and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) celebrated the complete and permanent protection of nearly 1,300 acres of land within the forest.

From the 1800s until the early 20th century, the Plimpton family grew fruit and vegetables and raised livestock on their 320-acre farm. Plimpton Community Forest in Sturbridge became part of a 2,700-acre tract of connected open space and wildlife habitat, providing a new community resource for recreation, like hiking, mountain biking, dog walking, hunting, and fishing.

As it passes through the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, The Appalachian Trail explores one of Southern New England’s last wild and remote landscapes. Here, Warner Hill receives both thru-hikers and day visitors, treating them to densely forested trails before giving way to a rocky, open landscape at its peak.

In 1986, TPL helped the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture purchase an Agricultural Preservation Restriction to permanently protect this 52-acre farm along the Connecticut River in the town of Montague.

We helped protect two acres to create Surf Park, a tranquil setting in which to enjoy scenic views of Kettle Cove in Gloucester and Manchester-by-the-Sea.

In 2002, TPL helped the National Park Service and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management purchase a conservation and public access restriction over Thompson Island, as part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

In 1995, we helped acquire an historic home at the edge of Walden Woods as a library and research center for the Thoreau Institute, which promotes the writer's work and legacy.