Submission reminder
17th-Century
Saturday site
submission forms are due February 16th. Click
here to download the form or contact Kate Fox.
Comments from Congressman John Tierney |
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A "New View" in Washington Means
New Direction for
American Preservationists
Last November, I was honored to be elected to my
sixth term in the United States House of
Representatives by the people of the Massachusetts
6th Congressional District. The American people also
spoke loudly for change and, last month, I joined
others in a new majority Congress in immediately
working to restore honor and integrity to
the "people's House."
During this Congress, I will continue my work to pass
important legislation that continues the federal
government's commitment to the Essex National
Heritage Area. Since its creation, the Essex National
Heritage Commission (ENHC) has a clear record of
supporting heritage preservation, trail development
and other projects to protect and improve the
natural and historic resources of our local
communities. Additionally, the Essex National
Heritage Area is a key component of our community,
spurring tourism that helps our local businesses, and
fostering education about our culture and
history.
The coming year brings an opportunity for Congress
to reaffirm its support for Essex National Heritage
Area, a proven and successful entity. With Senators
Kennedy and Kerry, I will work to help make that
happen.
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Commissioner Corner: Kathy Leahy, Mass Audubon Society |
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Kathy Leahy has served as an ENHC Commissioner
since October, 2002. As Director of Massachusetts
Audubon Society’s North Shore Advocacy Office,
(MAS:NS) Kathy oversees a program to protect critical
coastal habitats through an integrated program of
identification of conservation threats, education and
outreach, technical assistance, advocacy, and land
protection. MAS:NS focuses its efforts on issues
such as open space protection, land use planning,
watershed and drinking water supply protection with a
particular emphasis on coastal habitats.
The conservation successes resulting from the
cooperative efforts that began when MAS:NS held the
first Great Marsh Summit in 1996 have been
remarkable. Conservation groups and government
agencies have worked together to achieve significant
milestones in land conservation, habitat restoration
and protection of biodiversity in the Great Marsh
region. One of the most exciting partnerships, the Great Marsh
Coalition, set out to give the Great Marsh
the recognition it deserves as a “coastal treasure in
our backyard.” We’re all thrilled to see more and
more people from the North Shore and beyond
learning about, appreciating and finding ways to enjoy
this truly magnificent natural area.
Two upcoming events that are open to the
public and
that will highlight the Coalition’s activities within the
Great Marsh are featured below – the Great Marsh
lecture and Book signing on Sunday, March 4 and the
Great Marsh Symposium on Saturday, March 10. Click
here for information about both events.
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Partnership Grant Spotlight: The Courtyard at the Nock Rupert A. Nock Middle School, Newburyport |
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ENHC is proud to support the renovation of the central
courtyard at the
Rupert A. Nock Middle School in Newburyport.
The school is well on its way to converting an
unusable central courtyard into a thriving, year-round
outdoor
classroom to be used for on-site field trips. The
R.A.N. Courtyard Renovation Committee received a
2006 Partnership Grant (Interpretation) to complete
Stage II of this project: the brickwork. Construction
and bricklaying was complete in December, and the
school is poised to create its
Colonial Heritage and Great March gardens in
new planting areas. The transformed courtyard
features amphitheatre seating, handicapped
accessible walkways, and a raised platform garden
that provides access for handicapped students. This
innovative project will bring the region’s environment
into the middle school, expanding the school’s
capacity to teach cultural and natural history and
environmental stewardship.
ENHC will be accepting 2007 Partnership Grant
applications through noon on March 1, 2007.
Application guidelines, criteria, and forms are
available online. Non-profit organizations and
public entities that share the mission of ENHC are
encouraged to apply. You are strongly encouraged to
contact ENHC staff with questions as you prepare
your organization's application.
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Women and Base Ball |
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Women have been watching and playing base ball
since the beginning of 19th century. Many early
women base ball players were college students.
All-girl schools provided women with opportunities to
play the game without attracting too much attention.
Beginning in the last quarter of the 19th century,
however, the novelty of women playing the game
attracted large crowds. Women's barnstorming teams
became popular forms of entertainment in many
areas. For more info on women’s baseball click here.
The Essex
Base Ball Organization, a vintage base
ball group made up of three teams playing a variety of
rules from the 19th century, is gearing up for its sixth
season and thinking of starting two women’s
teams to round out the program. We will be recruiting
players for the upcoming season.
For more information please email Brian
Sheehy, call 978-790-5707, or visit
www.essexbaseball.org.
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Merrimack River Eagle Festival |
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Winter's here—and with it, the Bald Eagles return to
the Merrimack Valley. To celebrate these special
winter residents of the greater Newburyport area,
Mass Audubon at Joppa Flats and the
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge are holding
the
second
annual Merrimack River Eagle Festival on Saturday,
February 17, 2007.
Come to the Eagle Festival for a full day of fun indoor
and outdoor activities, and learn more about these
magnificent birds and the habitat they share with us.
For the latest information on events, please contact
Mass
Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center,
978-462-9998 or email
joppaflats@massaudubon.org.
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National Heritage Area Highlight:South Carolina NHC |
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The South Carolina
National Heritage Corridor extends
240 miles across South Carolina, stretching from the
mountains of Oconee County, along the Savannah
River, to the port city of Charleston. The 14 counties
of the corridor offer a cross-section of the state's
history, culture, and natural landscapes.
The visitor
will learn of rice and indigo, pirates and patriots,
slaves and freemen, cotton fields and mill villages,
swamps and waterfalls, railroads and backroads,
soul
food and "pig-pickin's," spirituals and
bluegrass.
Traveling along the corridor, you will experience
the history, nature, and lifestyles of the rural South.
Two routes -- the
Discovery Route and the Nature
Route -- run the entire length of the Heritage
Corridor, connecting special places and creating one
unfolding heritage
tourism destination. Plan your
vacation or day trip around one of these routes, and
South Carolina's heritage will unfold before you.
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The History of Aviation in Essex County
LOCATION CHANGED TO: Parker River
National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters
Newburyport, MA
Sunday, Feb. 18, 1-2PM
Ted Russell of Byfield, former president of
the
Plum Island Community Airfield, will present a slide
show describing Essex County's significant role in
early
aviation, including New England's first aviation field at
Plum Island, the Burgess Company of Marblehead
that was America's first exporter of aircraft, and the
historic Plum Island Airport. Ted and Charles Eaton of
Salisbury will show visitors through the Burgess
Aviation Museum, featuring a selection of Mr. Eaton's
many models of early aircraft. After the presentation,
we will take a short drive down the road, to the Plum
Island Community Airfield.
Explorers: Free; Non-Explorers: $7
Directions & details.
To RSVP for an event or for information on
becoming an Explorer, visit the Explorers webpage or email
Sheilagh.
Looking Ahead...Explorers
Spring 2007
ENHC is making plans for spring! The spring
Explorers theme is Landscaping with Native Plant
Species! Watch your mailbox for your
save-the-date postcard that lists all of the exclusive
Explorers spring events. Stay tuned for the new
Explorers page!
Did you know...?
The Turner Ingersoll mansion, aka The House of the
Seven Gables, was built in 1668 and is the oldest
surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New
England.
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Save the Date!
Help us reach our goal!
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