This September, ENHC will host the 5th annual Trails & Sails: A Weekend of Walks and Water! ENHC looks forward to a full compliment of new and returning events. The weekend of free events, on September 23-24, will feature trails and sails that celebrate and explore our natural, cultural and historic resources as well as events that fit two new categories - Doors Open and Art Escapes. For more information, contact Kate. Submission guidelines and forms are available here.

Trails & Sails 2006 is sponsored by TD Banknorth and Eastern Bank.

With more than 400 species of birds living in Essex County for all or part of the year, the Area has become one of the finest for bird watching in the country. To encourage residents and visitors to learn more about one of the region’s most valuable resources, ENHC has created the Essex County Birding Trail, an on-line resource containing detailed information on approximately 35 of the finest birding locations across the region. The Essex County Birding Trail will be officially launched on Saturday, April 29, with a series of free, guided walks!

The ENHC created the Essex County Bird Trail with the help of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Resources, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Massachusetts Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Newburyport Birders.

Please join us for the spring Archives Alive! workshop on Friday, May 12 from 9am - 2:30pm at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library in South Hamilton. Click here for event registration, information, directions and agenda.

Historical records and archival collections offer our clearest insight into the past. If thoughtfully promoted, these collections also offer a great opportunity to grow new audiences. Through presentations and best practice discussions, workshop participants will learn about the value of crafting an overall public message, preparing for a promotional campaign, and developing a public relations plan to promote archival collections. Workshop attendees are encouraged to bring their project and program ideas to share, as a portion of each session will be devoted to extensive questions and answers.

Co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System, and the Northeast Document Conservation Center.

The Essex National Heritage Commission is thrilled that MassInnovation, LLC, is a mural sponsor for Essentially Essex County. MassInnovation, led by President & CEO Robert Ansin, is in the process of redeveloping the Worsted Wood Mill in Lawrence. At a remarkable 1.3 million square feet, the Wood Mill is the largest original mill building standing in Lawrence. This beautiful building stretches along the Merrimack will soon be reinvented as Lawrence's first premiere mixed-use residential community. MassInnovation has sponsored the original painting by Julia Purinton of the Merrimack River Valley. The painting will be on display at the Essentially Essex County event on June 1st.

Commissioner Frank Drauszewski has been on staff at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (PRNWR) for nearly fourteen years. A key partner in the development of the Essex County Birding Trail, Frank has contributed details and insight regarding the region’s birding and natural resources. The Refuge and the Great Marsh have both been named Important Bird Areas by the MA Audubon Society. In addition, PRNWR is a regional site in the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN), identifying it as a significant site for shorebird survival. Frank loves the area because, “There are so many resources – cultural, natural and historic. The Birding Trail is a natural fit because this is one of the top birding sites in the world.” Frank has also hosted kayaking events for Trails & Sails and the Refuge visitor center hosted the ENHC’s annual meeting in October 2005. ENHC would like to thank Frank for the work he continues to do for the preservation and promotion of this region's resources.

North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is offering all Essex National Heritage Explorers a special discount ticket offer to their all new production of Damn Yankees, 25 - May 14, presented in association with The Boston Red Sox. This newly revised musical, created specifically for NSMT, puts a new spin on this classic which now tells the story of a die-hard Red Sox fan who makes a deal with the devil to help the Sox take the pennant from the dreaded Yankees. Based on a concept by Jon Kimbell, Joe DiPietro (Memphis, All Shook Up, I Love You! You're Perfect! Now Change!) has adapted the original book by Douglass Wallop and George Abbott - for this production only - to feature plenty of surprises and special appearances that will thrill theater-goers and Red Sox fans alike!

Visit Cape Ann this spring, and stop at the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center (GMHC). The GMHC features the oldest continuously operating marine railway in the country, a Gulf of Maine aquarium, ongoing construction of wooden boats, and educational exhibits and programs. The exhibits are geared towards both children and adults in the wonderful setting of old Gloucester Harbor. GMHC has participated in the ENHC Partnership Program many times since it’s founding on Harbor Loop in 1999. The grants have helped fund various educational programs related to maritime history and marine science, focusing on Gloucester. This past year the Center received a History in the Making grant that explores five themes important to Gloucester’s history through site visits and art projects introducing children to the evolution of their community. Visit the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center.

Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area encompasses 3,000 sq miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Committed to preserving, interpreting, and managing the historic, cultural, and natural resources connected to Big Steel and its related industries, Rivers of Steel builds on this area's remarkable transition away from heavy industry and bolsters the new regional economy by promoting tourism and economic development based on this historic industrial saga. From 1875-1980, southwestern Pennsylvania was the Steel Making Capital of the World, producing steel for some of America's great icons. During World War I & II, our steel workers carried a nation's defense on their backs, producing more steel, armor and armaments in a single year than entire countries. While many of the region's legendary mill sites have been dismantled, the enormity of the region's steel- making contributions and its historical significance to the nation demand its story be told.