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Happy 30th to The National Heritage Areas!
Thirty years ago, President Ronald Reagan signed into law legislation creating the first National Heritage Area, the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, and set in motion a groundbreaking approach for celebrating and preserving the important historic, cultural and natural resources of our nation. The National Heritage Areas approach -- a multidisciplinary and community-based movement to unite preservation, conservation, recreation, education and economic development -- was as innovative in the 1980s as it is today. Today there are 49 congressionally designated National Heritage Areas throughout the nation, including the Essex National Heritage Area.
Join the nationwide celebration with Essex Heritage, the National Park Service, and the Alliance for National Heritage Areas all next week on Essex Heritage's
Facebook and Twitter. Show your support and add to the discussion by sharing your favorite story or picture using #HeritageArea30.
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Congressional Hearing for the National Heritage Areas
Good news! On July 29, an important milestone for the National Heritage Areas occurred. There was a congressional hearing for the National Heritage Area Act -- House Bill 445. Supported by both Democrats and Republicans, if the Act becomes law, it will ensure that the National Heritage Areas become a more permanent part of the National Park System. Learn more and read Congressman Tierney's testimony.
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Trails & Sails Event
Listing is LIVE!
September 19-21 & September 26-28, 2014
The Trails & Sails event listing is up online! Check out all 150+ unique events that have been scheduled for this year's Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water, September 19-21 & September 26-28! Log in to take advantage of all online features, search events, bookmark your favorites to plot your course, and more!
Take the Trails & Sails Challenge: MOVE IT!
Challenge yourself during Trails & Sails by participating in Essex Heritage and the YMCA of the North Shore's Move It! 100 Miles in 100 Days Challenge. Use the Move It! Mileage Tracker to earn prizes for any miles you run, swim, hike and bike during Trails & Sails and beyond! Ready to accept? Log in to Move It!
Trails & Sails 2014 is generously sponsored by:
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With Thanks to TD Bank
A Presenting Sponsor of Trails & Sails 2014
Essex Heritage is grateful to TD Bank for their ongoing sponsorship support of Trails & Sails! We are very grateful for their commitment to the mission of the Essex National Heritage Commission, our communities and the residents of Essex County. With TD Bank's continued support we are able to keep Trails & Sails a FREE public outreach celebration. Thank you!
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Move It! Challenge Update
The first round of Move It milestone prizes will be mailed real soon (the end of August/early September)! Be sure to use the Move It website to track your miles and get those milestone prizes!
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Along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
Ipswich Seeks to Create
Architectural Preservation District
The Ipswich Planning Department and Historical Commission are seeking to establish a downtown Architectural Preservation District to provide additional protection for the town's collection of First Period Architecture. Read the Salem News story and learn more at the Ipswich Historical Commission website.
Green's Hill Trail Improvements Begin in Beverly
Clearer, wider trails, improved accessibility, better views, and additional amenities are on the way at Beverly's Green's Hill Reservation. The public riverside park provides outdoor learning opportunities for local students and is a popular location for spotting migratory birds and other wildlife. Read more.
Historic Marblehead Weathervane Restored
One of the Byway's most prominent landmarks got a shiny new crown recently. As part of a $2.4 million restoration of Marblehead's Abbot Hall, the building's newly repaired and gold-leafed weathervane now gleams atop the building once again. Read more.
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Stay Connected to the Scenic Byway:
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New Heritage Area Visitor Information Desk Celebration
Tuesday, September 16, 9:30 AM
Essex Heritage is excited to announce the Grand Opening Celebration of our new Essex National Heritage Area Visitor Information Desk on Tuesday, September 16, 9:30 AM, at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem. The celebration is free and open to the public. Learn more and RSVP!
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Heritage Education Update: Salem at SEA 2014
ELL Students Make Global Connections
Forty Salem high school English Language Learning (ELL) students participated in a unique summer literacy program called Salem at SEA (Salem Summer ELL Academy): A Global Salem -- Past, Present, and Future, offered by Essex Heritage in coordination with Salem State University and other local partners. Culminating the month-long program, the students unveiled a self-curated art exhibit at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem on July 31. At the event, students screened a film they had created about their experiences, distributed magazines they developed in coordination with the program, and unveiled an interactive exhibit that asks visitors to engage with the "Global Salem" that they had discovered. Read on.
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Partnership Grant Spotlight
The Great Marsh Ecology Tour 
With the goal of increasing public awareness of the Great Marsh's ecological vulnerability, a partnership initiative led by the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission created the Great Marsh Ecology Tour to provide a greater understanding of the marsh's history, its critically important environmental significance and the very real threats it faces. The tour consists of over 50 signs bearing QR codes which were recently placed in strategic locations throughout the Great Marsh and its many coastal habitats, providing real-time web access to short narratives and other resources covering topics such as marsh habitat, climate change, wildlife ecology and invasive species. Learn more.
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Special Thanks to Our Corporate Members
Essex Heritage extends special thanks to our new and renewing Corporate Members -- businesses who believe in our mission.
Sustainer Circle:
Benefactor Circle:
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Essex Heritage & Featured Partner Events
Saturday, August 23, 9 AM
September 19 - 21 & September 26 - 27 * Track Move It miles from Trails & Sails events!
Sunday, September 27 9 AM * Track Move It miles from this event!
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Heritage Happenings
Throughout Essex County
1st Saturdays thru October 4
17th Century Saturdays
Amesbury
Thursday, August 21
2 - 4 PM
Thursday thru September 25 6 PM - 8 PM
Andover
Saturdays
thru September 27
10 AM - 2 PM
Beverly
Saturday, August 30, 4:30 PM
Hamilton
Saturday, September 13
11 AM - 3 PM
Ipswich
Tuesday, August 26, 8 PM
Lawrence
Monday, September 1
12 - 5 PM
Wednesdays, thru
October 29,10 AM - 5 PM
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Hey, Hot Shots!
Don't forget to snap photos for the 2014 Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest while you're out soaking up some summer sun and enjoying any adventures or events in the Heritage Area (including all those listed below!). Submit your Photo Contest entries by December 1, 2014 to win! Learn more.
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Sunrise on the Merrimack River
by Suzanne DeGeorge
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