The Trustees today announced the reopening of more than 70 properties across Massachusetts starting Thursday, April 9, in order to provide residents of the Commonwealth with more opportunities to spend time in nature during the COVID-19 pandemic and strongly encourages a “Stay Local” practice. The Trustees closed all its 118 properties on March 24 and has since been working with local and state officials to determine how to open some of the properties for the public’s use while keeping staff and visitors safe. The list of 76 properties includes those which do not require staffing in order to open and which did not experience overcrowding prior to the closures. The list of North Shore properties is below.
In alignment with the Governor’s stay-at-home order, in which the administration encouraged Massachusetts residents to go out for walks and visit parks, for their health and well-being, while practicing social distancing and local use, The Trustees strongly encourages that residents should only visit their local outdoor destinations and not travel to places outside their communities.
Other Trustees properties will remain closed until May 4. These are sites where a staff presence is required to prevent overcrowding or where town officials have requested that they stay closed. Sites with narrow trail systems were also kept closed. All Trustees farms will remain closed, except for curbside food pick up, to ensure the health and safety of essential agricultural staff and the food grown on these farms. While some of the properties remain closed for the time being, The Trustees hopes to safely open these with a plan for controlled access.
“Now more than ever, we recognize that offering access to our special places provides respite, solace, fresh air, and a physical outlet during this unprecedented time in our world,” says Trustees president and CEO Barbara Erickson. “At the same time, we know that it is so important that visitors follow the CDC social distancing guidelines for everyone’s safety and that they stay close to home.”
The Trustees is asking all members and Massachusetts residents to abide by the following social distancing guidelines for the health and safety of all, and to help keep properties open in these challenging times:
- Limit visits to open Trustees properties in your respective town or neighborhood;
- Stay at least six feet from other visitors, including stepping aside on the trail to let others pass;
- Please keep dogs leashed and away from other visitors at all times;
- If a parking area is full, please come back at a less busy time.
For a complete list of property openings and more information about what The Trustees is doing to limit the spread of COVID-19, visit thetrustees.org/COVID19. The Trustees is also creating online activities and content to bring the wonders of Massachusetts to homes throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
Trustees Properties Now Open to the Public on the North Shore:
Boston Community Gardens, Boston (various neighborhoods)
Crowninshield Island, Marblehead
Gerry Island, Marblehead
Greenwood Farm, Ipswich
Halibut Point Reservation, Rockport
Hamlin Reservation, Ipswich
Misery Islands, Salem Sound
The Old Manse, Concord (grounds only)
Old Town Hill, Newbury
Stavros Reservation, Essex
For a full list of properties open to the public, visit The Trustees