Past Events
Our Fall Hike Series and Annual Meeting have been wrapped up! What great attendance and support from our growing community! We are planning some winter activities to connect us all with the beauty around us. Check back again soon. Do you have some ideas about geographic areas or naturalist subjects you’d like to learn more about – contact us at conserve@mect.org.
2023 Annual Meeting
MECT Annual Meeting
Sunday, Nov 12, 2023 3 – 5 pm
Register Here
Fighting Crime with Feathers: The Casebook of a Forensic Ornithologist
Ornithologists and true crime enthusiasts, unite!
MECT is delighted to present Pepper Trail, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker for our 2023 Annual Meeting! Pepper Trail worked for 20 years as a forensic ornithologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Yes, a forensic ornithologist is exactly what it sounds like: Pepper Trail solves bird crimes! He has assisted with hundreds of investigations for state and federal agencies and around the world. As you can imagine, he has some excellent stories that he will be sharing about his work! Dr. Trail is also the architect of The Feather Atlas of North American Birds, a comprehensive digital tool you can use to identify birds by their feathers. Bring along any pictures of feathers you’ve found in nature for Dr. Trail to identify and discuss!
This event is free and open to the public. We’ll have a short Annual Meeting to present 2022 financial results, 2023 activities, our plans for the future, and elect/reelect Officers and Trustees.
Riversbend Restaurant in Essex is generously hosting us, there will be free pizza courtesy of our sponsors and a cash bar. (Gluten free pizza is available!)
2023 Fall Hike Series Continues!
Founders Board Walk Dedication
Sunday Oct 29, 2023 2 pm
CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER
Hike from MECT’s first conservation parcels to our most recent acquisitions with Jeff Cochand
Sunday Oct 29, 2023 2:15 pm – 4 pm
Register here
CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER
Back in 1963 Frances Burnett, Gid Loring, and Al Creighton began conserving land along the Manchester/Essex line . In 2023, 60 years later MECT continues to receive donations of land and has accelerated our acquisition of parcels. We’ll walk from the first parcels to the most recent.
Family Hike and Intro to Orienteering with Colin Kilpatrick and Troop 3 Scouts
Saturday, Nov 4, 2023 2 pm to 4 pm
Register here
Come join Colin, Troop 3 Scouts, and family members of all ages to learn some simple orienteering skills while traversing through the woods.
Shingle Place Hill Site Visit with the Housing Appeals Committee
Wednesday, Nov 8, 2023 10 am
Register here
Show your support for the defense of Shingle Place Hill! This site visit is scheduled by the Housing Appeals Committee – the decision makers in the developer’s appeal of the Zoning Board of Appeals DENIAL decision. The public is encouraged to attend. We anticipate changes in the date and time, so we are encouraging the public to sign up for notifications. Can we count on you?
Lichen Learning with Elizabeth Kneiper
Saturday, Nov 11, 2023 10 am to Noon
Register here
Lichen expert Elizabeth Kneiper will teach us how to identify and understand the role of lichens in nature and explain what these organisms tell us about the health of our environment. Elizabeth became interested in lichens while teaching high school. She took field courses at Eagle Hill in Steuben, Maine and attended Tuckerman workshops during which lichenologist generously taught me lichenology. She has taught beginning lichen classes at the Native Plant Trust in Framingham. She is a member of the Friends of the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard University, and she is the current curator of the New England Botanical Society Cryptogamic Herbarium that is housed in the Harvard University Herbarium. She recommends bringing a small magnifying glass to get up close and personal with lichen along the way, and we’ll bring some to share. This event has a rain date of November 18th. Please register to receive updates.
Past Events
Cleanup at Manchester’s Western Woods
Saturday, June 10, 2023 9 am to Noon
Please join us for a cleanup of a section of Manchester’s Western Woods. We’ll be entering from the Beverly town line, but the woodlands and the periphery of the wetlands are located on Manchester-owned property.
The old cart roads used to provide people with access to dump trash in this woodland and wetland area. While the placement of the gates has helped immensely to reduce dumping, we came across loads of trash while we were collecting data to certify vernal pools on the town-owned land. This is not good for the wildlife, nor for our drinking water, hikers and mountain bikers.
This is a cooperative effort with the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea and Cape Ann Trail Stewards – working together for the health of our environment and enjoyment of our open spaces and recreational trails. The meet-up location will be provided after you register. See you soon!
Please Register Here
Essex in Bloom – Guided Hike in Essex
Saturday, May 20, 2023
9 am to noon
We’re celebrating spring with Essex in Bloom! Join MECT for a guided 5 mile wilderness hike of moderate difficulty through mossy glens, by lichen-covered ledges and across quiet streams. Timing is perfect for blooming ephemerals like lady’s slippers, goldthread and dwarf ginseng. See some of the conservation land that MECT has protected piece by piece over the past 60 years. After the hike, join other Essex in Bloom celebrations at local establishments. So much! So Close!
Please register here
Ye 400 Acres with Jeff Cochand and Anita Brewer
Sat, Apr 8th, 10AM – 11AM
Please register here
Back in 1636, Salem granted 400 acres to 9 “freemen” in Jeffrey’s Creek. This was way out in the boonies, not the highly desirable land near downtown Salem. The 400 acre boundary ran right through what has become Powder House Hill. In 1645, Jeffrey’s Creek was renamed Manchester and the rest is history, well a lot of history. Join us as we traverse the boundary in PHH, now marked by a stone wall, and discuss what we’ve discovered about the entire boundary and Ye 400 Acres.
- Meet at the Scout House, 74 School St, Manchester
MECT is pleased to announce our Annual Meeting and Fall Hike Series!
Annual Meeting featuring “Bears in the Neighborhood”
Guest Speaker: Dr. Ben Kilham of the Kilham Bear Center
November 6, 4 PM – 6 PM
Dr. Kilham will raise our curiosity, dispel our fear, and educate us about living amongst black bears, as they are soon to be our newest neighbors here on the North Shore.
We’ll also have a short Annual Meeting to present 2021 financial results, 2022 activities (including an update on the ongoing defense of Shingle Place Hill), our plans for the future, and to elect/reelect Officers and Trustees.
Join the MECT community of friends and supporters for our return to in-person events. We can’t wait to see you! All are welcome to this free event. We’ll meet at beautiful Riversbend in Essex, thanks to the generosity of the owners. We’ll enjoy a cash bar and free Pizza Bar, courtesy of our sponsors. Gluten-free pizza options are available.
We are thrilled to meet in person at Riversbend, 35 Dodge Street, Essex, at this beautiful venue, courtesy of the owners. We are grateful for the generosity of our local business sponsors.
Dr Ben Kilham has authored several books on his experience with bears, including Among the Bears: Raising Orphan Cubs in the Wild and Out on a Limb: What Black Bears Have Taught me about Intelligence and Intuition, and his research has informed and influenced international bear conservation efforts.
October 22, 9 AM – 12 PM
Fall Trail Clean-up Day
with MECT Stewardship Committee volunteers
Roll up your sleeves and join MECT as we take a morning to nurture the trails we love! We’ll remove fallen limbs, replace signage and blazes, repair the boardwalk, and more. All ages and skill sets are welcome (including teens trying to fit in some community service hours). This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow MECT community.
October 23, 10 AM – 12 PM
Fall Hike – Sketching on the Boardwalk
with Slow River Studio
Sketching can change the way you see the world, tuning your eye to notice shapes, juxtaposition, and patterns. Sketching is known to strengthen focus and strategic thinking, enhance creativity, and improve memory. Join us for an Intro to Pen Sketching. Adults and kids are welcome, just bring a sketchbook and a pen. Slow River Studio will be on hand to run a lesson on MECT’s picturesque boardwalk and around Heron Pond. Maybe you’ll be inspired to incorporate sketching into a daily diary!
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Did you hear?
After the Zoning Board of Appeals in Manchester denied the permit for the affordable housing at Shingle Place Hill, the applicant appealed the decision to the State Housing Appeals Committee.
Our board of trustees voted unanimously in September to continue our efforts to protect Shingle Place Hill, in coordination with the town of Manchester, and other organizations seeking appropriate affordable housing.