Sheriff's Meadow Foundation

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation welcomes you to its second Annual Trail Run! The run will take place on Saturday, September 7th along the trails of Caroline Tuthill Preserve, an expanse of over 150 acres of oak and pitch pine forest, salt marsh, and open meadow located in Edgartown.

Beginning at the field along Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, the trail run consists of a 3.2-mile loop through the pitch pine forest continuing on circuitous paths past salt marshes down to Sengekontacket Pond and back. The terrain begins in a field and includes a short section of paved bike path before entering the Preserve, where you will encounter a mix of sand and dirt paths before reaching a 160-foot raised boardwalk and ending back at the field.

Registration and additional information can be found by clicking the link in our bio.

* There is no cost to register for the event. Any contributions will support our work to conserve the natural, beautiful, rural landscape and character of Martha’s Vineyard for present and future generations.

Poster artwork by Melissa Patterson.

✨ TREASURE ON THE TRAILS UPDATE ✨

Over half of the 65 floats have been found - but it could be more! We rely on website registrations (link in bio) and social media tags to know which floats have been found in order to provide an accurate count for those still searching for treasure. If you haven’t registered your finds yet, please take a few seconds today to get those in 😊 We’d really appreciate it!

We have updated the status form as best as we can for now, but there are definitely treasures still waiting to be found! Today is a gorgeous day for a hike ☀️ Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your very own glass float along the way!

Don’t forget to tag and in your posts! 🌟

Next up for is Ox Pond Meadow in Edgartown! This rather subtle, but spectacularly beautiful property is located just steps away from Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary (SMS).

HISTORY: In 1976, Robert and Josephine Brown generously donated 3.7 acres of this land to SMF to preserve its beauty in perpetuity. In 1995, through the support of many generous donors, SMF was able to purchase the additional 1.3 acres abutting the property to create the sanctuary that we know today.

There is no parking for this property, but it is accessible from Orr Lane or Gaines Way, and is a short walk from Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary. A footpath winds through the meadow offering stunning views of land, sky, and sea.

✨ HIGHLIGHTS
- 5 acres of open meadow, shrub swamp, and pitch pine woodland
- Serene view of Nantucket Sound
- Perfect spot for birding
- Lots of milk w**d and butterfly w**d that attracts monarchs and other species
- Very close proximity to downtown Edgartown, SMS, Little Beach, Fuller Street Beach, and Edgartown Lighthouse
- Open year-round, from dawn to dusk

🗞️ UPDATES

In August 2023, our Winging It! 4-H Club installed an osprey pole to support the growing population of nesting pairs. Check it out and let us know if you have any osprey sightings!



☀️ Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary, Edgartown

✨HIGHLIGHTS

•The Ruth and Ed Brooks Trail is a half-mile loop with mostly level terrain suitable for use with strollers, walkers, wheelchairs, and canes
•Very close proximity to downtown Edgartown
•Sweeping views of Eel Pond and Nantucket Sound
•Boardwalks, viewing platforms, and benches
•Prime birding area
• curates the Storybook Walk around the loop perfect for families with young children
•Open year-round, from dawn to dusk

📣 UPDATES

•Aiming to upgrade the trail system to meet Accessibility Guidelines
•Planning to create a new 6-car trailhead with a dedicated accessible parking spot
•Created an Accessibility Advisory Committee to focus on goals and plans for increasing Universal Access where possible throughout our properties. If you’re interested in learning more about the committee, please DM us!
•Amazing stewardship team continues their work to restore the meadow through monitoring and managing of invasive species (shoutout to Land Steward Liz and her summer intern Ben!)

Well there you have it! Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary is one of our most beloved properties and we hope you take the chance to visit soon! 🌿 Don’t forget to tag us in posts and stories when you do!

2/2

Hello August! ☀️🍉🏖️🌻

Without a doubt, this is the Island’s busiest month. With crowded streets, highly anticipated fairs and events, packed beaches, and the iconic fireworks display - August can be quite a hectic time. But did you know that the Island also has thousands of acres of conservation land with over 220 miles of public trails just waiting to be explored?

SMF protects 3,390 (and counting) acres of land across Martha’s Vineyard and maintains over 24 miles of public trails! If you’re looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the town centers - download the Trails MV mobile app to check out our properties and plan your visit. Our properties include shady woodlands, open meadows, stunning beaches, varying levels of terrain and difficulty, horse trails, sweeping vistas, storybook walks, and so much more!

To help you learn more about SMF, we thought it would be a great idea to launch our own version of ! Every Friday, we will be highlighting one of our properties on social media and sharing some history, fun facts, visitor information, updates, and other news/announcements 🤩 Stay tuned later today for our first Feature Friday Property!

How can you help spread the word about SMF? with friends, on Instagram, us on Facebook, TrailsMV app, and those trails! 💚🌿🗺️🥾

All of our work is made possible only through your support. Please visit our website for more information on our mission, trail maps, upcoming walks and events, and ways to give.

Thank you for helping us to conserve the natural, beautiful, rural landscape and character of Martha’s Vineyard!

Yesterday turned out to be a great day for birding out at Little Beach and Eel Pond! Blue skies and a great view of the nesting location made for a fun time on our first HBH Society Walk of the summer!

The Henry Beetle Hough (HBH) Society welcomes any donor who has given $500 or more in given year and hosts special walks and gatherings throughout the summer months as a thank you for their support. Please visit our website for more information on the other HBH walks being offered this summer ☀️

Please join us in wishing our wonderful President, Adam Moore, a very happy birthday! 🎉🥳🎂

We hope you had a great day with your family relaxing and celebrating! You deserve it!

Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! As the sun sets on this beautiful summer day, we hope you all were able to take the time to enjoy the trails and beaches with family and friends.

Friendly reminder that Little Beach in Edgartown is closed to the public and there will be no fireworks viewing from this location as it is a protected nesting area for migrating shorebirds. This habitat is very important to the island and the shorebird population - please respect the boundaries and keep dogs on a leash. Thank you!

Have a safe and fun evening! 🎆 🎇 🇺🇸

Thanks to the generosity of an Anonymous Donor, there is now a Matching Grant Opportunity for all donations to our ANNUAL FUND until June 30th!

All Annual Fund gifts received by June 30, 2024 (online, postmarked, pledged) will be matched up to $25,000 to help Sheriff's Meadow Foundation fulfill its fundraising goal!

We have a short window to meet our fiscal year-end goal and need your help to conserve the natural, beautiful, rural landscape and character of Martha's Vineyard.

For more information, DM us or call the office at 508.693.5207. Link in bio to donate online!

Our work is only possible through your support. Please consider donating to SMF before the end of the month to TRIPLE YOUR IMPACT! Thank you!

Hello June! ☀️

The sun is shining brighter, the weather is warming up, flowers and trees are in bloom, and summer is just around the corner!

On the calendar:

HAPPENING NOW: SMF Annual Summer Benefit Sponsorships and Tickets available on our website! 🤩 This is our most significant fundraiser that supports our operations. Please consider sponsoring and supporting our mission 🌿

Summer staff are beginning to arrive! We can’t wait to introduce them! ☀️

6/1: Winging It! 4-H group meets at Cedar Tree Neck for their last hike of the session 🍀

6/12: Trails MV has organized a presentation at The Polly Hill Arboretum on how to properly use walking poles while hiking. This training program will be held from 10-11:30am. Stay tuned for more info!

6/15: Guided Walk with SMF at Nat’s Farm from 10am-12pm. Visit the activities page on our website to register!

Follow us and check back for more news and special events! 🗓️



Photo: Iris at Wakeman Center

Thank you to the Woman’s Club of Martha’s Vineyard for welcoming Sheriff’s Meadow to your meeting today!

Noah and Catherine led a talk with the group about SMF’s trails, accessibility plans, the new walking poles initiative, conservation efforts, and community outreach goals. They enjoyed the lively conversation, thoughtful questions, and wonderful hospitality offered by the club - and hope to visit again in the future!

Congratulations on an incredible and empowering 125 years! It was inspirational learning about all of your work with the Island Food Pantry, IGI, and generations of island women. Thank you again! 💐

Join us tomorrow morning at CEDAR TREE NECK SANCTUARY for the 32nd Annual VCS Earth Day Beach Clean-Up from 10am-12pm!

☀️🌎🏖️🗑️♻️💪

Some days it storms
Some days it shines
This is how flowers grow
🌷

While a storm may be heading our way, always remember that it’s the rain that brings forth the beautiful blooms of spring!

Thanks for the shoutout! ☀️🌲🥾🦆

Sunday sunrise over West Chop Meadow 🌅



📸 Adam Moore

Hello, sunshine! ☀️ Today, we celebrate the vernal equinox - also known as, the first day of spring!

Soon these beautiful blooms will be popping up all over the island as we bid a fond farewell to winter and a warm welcome to spring🌱🌷🌼 The sights and sounds of springtime are some of our favorites!

Recognize any of these blooms? Or perhaps you’ve heard the telltale sounds of the pinkletinks and birds returning? Let us know!

To all the amazing women who help make our work possible - THANK YOU!

From our full-time staff members Kristen, Liz, and Catherine to our Trustees, contractors, and volunteers - we are so fortunate to have such wonderfully talented and dedicated women in our organization. They champion our mission, connect with the community, are passionate about conservation, and work endlessly to maintain our trails and properties for all to enjoy on this beautiful island!

Happy International Women’s Day! ☀️

Extra, extra, read all about it 🗞️ The SMF Winter 2024 issue of the Newsletter is available NOW in your inboxes and on our website!

Inside this issue: 

- Adam Moore discusses the future of our forests
- Kristen Geagan spotlights the pitch pine (Pinus rigida)
- Catherine Hall looks back on “Treasure on the Trails”
- SMF announces new property purchase
- Noah Froh recaps the First Annual Trail Run
- and more!

Click link in bio to read all the latest news about Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. Hard copies arriving in the mail this week!

Our first monthly guided walk of the winter season is this Saturday, February 17th at 10am!

❄ Meet us at Caroline Tuthill Preserve in Edgartown (.4 miles from the Triangle) for a long walk through one of our largest sanctuaries traversing oak and pitch pine forest, wooded wetlands, salt marsh, and the shoreline of Sengekontacket.

🌲 Guided walks are free and open to the public, all ages encouraged to attend! Please note Caroline Tuthill Preserve has uneven and varied terrain with some elevation change.

🥾 Register here: https://forms.gle/iZiQvJBXmMss5rBV9



Don't forget to download the free Trails MV mobile app to discover more about Caroline Tuthill Preserve and the other incredible conservation lands across the Island!

Registration for the 2024 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference is officially live!

Please see below for the registration link and check out our conference webpage to view the event schedule.

Registration: https://2024-ma-land-conservation-conference.eventbrite.com/

Conference Webpage: https://massland.org/conference

Conference Schedule:https://massland.org/sites/default/files/files/conf_schedule_2024.pdf

The conference will be taking place at Umass Amherst on Saturday March 23rd between 8:15am-4:30pm. Join us for the chance to meet and learn from experienced conservationists that work to protect land all around the state.

We look forward to seeing you there!

This opportunity is made possible by the following sponsors:

Lead: Mass Audubon, The Trustees, The Nature Conservancy, UMass Extension, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Patron: Fields Pond Foundation, LandVest, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Wildlands Trust

Supporter: Berkshire Natural Resources Council, BSC Group, Buzzards Bay Coalition, Greenbelt - Essex County's Land Trust, Franklin Land Trust, Kestrel Land Trust, Land Trust Alliance, MA 401(k) CORE plan, New England Forestry Foundation, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, Sudbury Valley Trustees, SWCA Environmental Consultants, Tighe & Bond, USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Services

Photo credit: The Trustees at Long Point Wildlife Refuge

🥾 SECOND ANNUAL FIRST DAY HIKE 🥾

Want to start 2024 off on the right foot? Come join us for an invigorating 5-mile First Day Hike at Cedar Tree Neck!

Last year, we hosted our first New Year’s Day hike and had over 25 hikers with us! We immediately started looking forward to the next one - and it’s hard to believe that our second annual hike is now only three days away!

For more information and some background on what a First Day Hike is, take a look at our stories!

Want to join? Register at the link below and meet us at the Daggett Trailhead at 8:40am on Monday, January 1, 2024!

https://forms.gle/qcnKZZ2BKbeGebq97

Hope to see you there! Happy New Year!

Bundle up, grab your family and friends, and hit the trails today in search of treasure as 2023 comes to a close! Just in time for winter break - the final wave of Treasure on the Trails: The Eben Horton Glass Float Project with MV Glassworks is back and happening NOW!

25 glass floats (wrapped in burlap to help protect them from the elements) have been tucked away across 18 of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation’s conservation properties just waiting to be found again. As a little holiday surprise, there are several floats that have been tied with an icy blue ribbon; if you find one, stop by our office with it and receive a FULL SET of our Rez Williams’ poster series! ❄️

Be the first to locate the float, and it’s yours! To keep the hunt fair and to engage with as many explorers as we can, we ask that individual seekers and families only take one glass float per household.

Utilize the free mobile app📱 to learn more about our properties and to help navigate the trails 🗺️ If you find the treasure, follow the instructions, post a pic to your stories/profile, and TAG and on social media. Don’t forget to register your float on our website to be entered into a raffle for a free gift from MV Glassworks! 🤩

GOOD LUCK! ☀️❄️🧣🥾🗺️🙌🏻💙

Please read! Stay safe and wear orange!
🔸🦌🔸

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