Dear ECTA Supporters,Fall is here! Cooler weather and beautiful scenery beckon us to get outside and enjoy our many open spaces! With lots of activity along the trails this time of year, we encourage you to freshen up on our Trail Etiquette Tips. Runners, hikers, dog walkers, bikers and equestrians will all be out sharing the trails and need to be respectful of each other and our many landowners. Remember also that archery hunting for deer opens October 20th. For the full 2014 Massachusetts hunting season calendar click here.We’re busy on the trails the fall too, keeping up with storm damage from the September microburst, regular trail maintenance and special trail projects. We hope that you can join us for the Volunteer Trail Work Day at Prospect Hill next weekend, or on the Discover Hamilton Trail Walk this Saturday.
September Microburst Hits Hard
In early September, heavy rain and strong winds ripped through Essex County, causing the most damage to northern Hamilton and downtown Ipswich. Trails at Groton House Farm, Appleton Farms, New England Biolabs, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Willowdale State Forest and Linebrook Woods were hardest hit. Trail Stewards were quick to report on the damage and we were able to get out to several areas right away. We are still working on a few trails, but hope to have all of the downed trees cleared soon. There are many individuals who helped clear some of the smaller trees and branches themselves, and we want to say THANK YOU!! Please email us if you or someone you know helped with storm damage clean up so we can thank you more formally in our upcoming newsletter!
Prospect Hill Volunteer Work Day
Please join us for a volunteer trail work day at Prospect Hill on Saturday, October 25th. Thanks to a grant from our friends at Recreation Equipment Incorporated (REI), we will be relocating a portion of the Bay Circuit Trail that crosses over the hill on the Rowley-Ipswich town line. The existing trail is badly eroded and will also need to be closed off. We will have some tools available for volunteers to use, but if you can, bring loppers and handsaws. All ages welcome!
Join ECTA on Saturday for a 10-mile hike on the Discover Hamilton Trail. Water and light refreshments provided. Pre-registration required. Meet at 8:00 am behind Patton Park. For more information or to register >>
On Sunday, our friends at West Newbury Open Space are leading a walk at Riverbend where you’ll catch wonderful views of the Merrimac River and see the recently constructed bridges and boardwalks, funded in part by ECTA. You can read more about the project in today’s Newburyport Daily News >>
The retailers below offer ECTA members great discounts on goods and services. Farm Bar and Grille
Ipswich Inn
Wenham Sports Stop
Zumi’s Coffee Shop
First Light Anglers
Green Elephant Toys
True North Gallery New England Running Co Click here to see the discounts
Webmap Sponsorship
Become a Webmap Sponsor.To learn how your business or family can easily become a sponsor, see our Webmap Sponsor page.Thousands of viewers see our webmaps on a regular basis. Pick your favorite trail and sign up .
