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."

We helped protect this 325-acre property is the centerpiece of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge on Waquoit Bay.

TPL has helped protect approximately 290 acres in the Common Pasture in Newbury in a long-term effort to preserve this well-loved and iconic open space.

The 410-mile Connecticut River is New England's largest river, draining a 7.2 million-acre watershed that supports fisheries, farmlands, forests, and fresh water in four states: New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

In 1998, TPL transferred the first 1/2-mile of an abandoned corridor to the city, along with a small adjacent parcel, to become part of the East Boston Greenway.

TPL led an eleven-year effort to fund-raise for, design, and construct the new Elmhurst Street playground on a trash-strewn vacant lot in the park-poor Codman Square neighborhood in Boston's Dorchester section.

TPL has conserved acres of river-front properties located on Moody Bridge Road near Hadley—including more than 4,000 feet of frontage on the Fort River—for addition to the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

There are 2,600 vacant lots scattered throughout Boston-and they've got potential. The Trust for Public Land is working to transform unused, city-owned land into neighborhood farms that will create new job opportunities and provide residents with locally grown, nutritious produce.

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.