"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

-  Nathaniel Hawthorne

 As summer winds down, I look back at the last two months and marvel at all we've accomplished here at the Wakefield Estate. To name just a few: we successfully launched our new membership campaign with150 participants, in spite of monsoon-like rain; sixteen high school-age youth participated in our 5th annual Summer Archaeology Institute, unearthing some 4,000 artifacts in their excavation near the farm house; our Landscape Internship Program employed seven college and high school students who made huge contributions to the landscape, gardens and woods; and our three collections and archives interns continued cataloguing and researching the estate's vast collections, discovering new treasures along the way. While the rest of the world seems to slow down during the summer, things here seem to speed up!  And now with autumn almost upon us, with no time to pause, we're gearing up for a major capital project to renovate the estate's 1860s carriage house, which will include the installation of new public restrooms to better accommodate our visitors. 

So, stay tuned for more programming this fall - we hope to see you soon!

 

 Mark Smith

Executive Director
  
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Save the Date!
Equinox Fire and Tree Sale - September 20, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Members will get a 50% discount on tree purchases! 

Summer Landscape Interns Set A New "Team" Standard

Like many of the great intern crews before them, the 2013 Summer Landscape Interns made a tremendous contribution to the estate. Where this year's crew has set itself apart is in its extraordinary effectiveness to work as a team. From day one, this group of students approached their projects with a "team" approach -something we have strived to cultivate in our crews. Despite a variety of backgrounds and experience, these students used their work as an opportunity to get to know each other and make friends. Of our seven person crew, five are college-bound seniors, one is a college freshman, and one will be entering her senior year in the fall. We applaud the 2013 Summer Landscape Interns for their great work and collaborative efforts.

The 2013 Summer Landscape Interns are (left to right): Marcus Vilme, Judy Merisier, Tim Flaherty, Khadija Dayib, Bermely Ferreras, Miles Holland, and Matt Gillis.

Summer Archaeological Institute Unearths Treasures

The 2013 Summer Archaeology Institute sessions wound down earlier this month after four weeks of exciting finds. The focus of the dig this year was the area at the front of the circa 1730 farmhouse. The "finds" included 18th and 19th century artifacts, including a silver spoon, a copper spoon, a man's ring (late 1800s), several 19th century coins (including one dated 1817) and some intriguing, early 18th century foundations that we plan to continue excavating next year. As always, the exploration answers some questions and raises many more. We already are excited about what we'll be looking for next year! The sessions are led by Boston University PhD candidates Jenny Wildt and Sara Belkin, with help this year from Paulo Medina. Students entering 9th grade through 1st year of college are eligible to participate in the Summer Archaeology Institute. For more information, call 617-333-0924.

 
Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Staff:
Mark Smith, Executive Director - email: [email protected]
Erica Max, Program Director - email: [email protected]
Dave Cafaro, Grounds and Building Maintenance - email: dave@dogwoodlanefarm.org
Deb Merriam, Landscape Director - email: [email protected]
For more information, call us at (617) 333-0924 or check out our website at wakefieldtrust.org