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Mount Grace Land Trust

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Mount Grace Land Trust

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Mount Grace conserves and cares for our forests, farms, and waterways to promote healthy communities in climate-resilient, biodiverse landscapes.

Our Conservation Areas are open from dawn to dusk.

11/02/2026

Tomorrow, as we head to the polls, we have a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect our local farms, forests, and wetlands and preserve our rural lifestyle for our children and their children’s children — by voting “yes” on Question 6: the Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative.

"We are in a particular time when thousands of acres of land in Massachusetts are being transferred from one generation to the next," says Emma Ellsworth, Executive Director at Mount Grace. "If these natural places aren’t conserved now, we risk losing them forever. This is a critical moment when we have a chance to help protect our way of life, the views and wildlife we love, and the peace and tranquility that we depend upon."

Click the link to read an opinion piece by Bob Durand and Emma Ellsworth on the importance of Question 6.

Opinion Essay By Bob Durand and Emma Ellsworth. Bob Durand is a former Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs and MassWildlife Board Member. Emma Ellsworth is Executive Director of Mount Grace Land Trust. Both authors are avid hunters and anglers.

10/28/2026

The best letters that could follow your name? C.R. 🌿

Thank you to everyone who joined us at New Salem C***r for our 2026 Annual Meeting! It was inspiring to feel the outpouring of love for the land and the shared excitement about the opportunities ahead to protect the region we call home.

From all of us at Mount Grace, thank you. Your support fuels our work, and we can’t wait to share more about the projects we have in the works!

A special thank-you to Rand Wentworth for his inspiring keynote address, Macmannis Florist for the beautiful seasonal arrangements, Stone Cow Brewery for the fantastic local b**r, and New Salem C***r for welcoming us to such a beautiful place.

10/26/2026

A little teamwork goes a long way!

Mount Grace recently hosted a volunteer day at Alderbrook Meadows, where members of the AEPi fraternity at UMass Amherst joined Mount Grace and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) to resurface a section of our accessible trail.

This hands-on work helps keep the trail in great shape and ensures our conservation areas remain welcoming and accessible for everyone to enjoy. A big thank you to all the volunteers who pitched in to help care for this special place! 💚

10/23/2026

☀️ There's still time to RSVP!

Join us this Sunday, October 25, for our 2026 Annual Meeting Celebration! The weather is looking fabulous, and we can't wait to celebrate all that you've made possible. We hope to see you there!

🌿 RSVP today:

New Salem, MA

10/15/2026

🍂 Views from the field! Our Stewardship Team has been out enjoying the fall scenery while conducting conservation restriction (CR) site visits and hosting volunteer trail work days across Mount Grace’s conservation areas. 🌲🥾

We’re grateful for the work they do to care for these special places year-round. And, well, the rest of us back at the office are just a tiny bit jealous of those views! 👀

10/08/2026

Leaves are dropping… and so has the Fall issue of Skyfields Magazine! 🍂

Inside, you’ll find the latest conservation projects, a look back at 40 years of stewarding the landscapes we love, and recommendations for your next autumn hike.

A BIG thank you to Jennifer Gross, Realtor with Coldwell Banker Community Realtors for sponsoring this issue! For years, Jennifer has helped buyers buy smarter and sellers sell with confidence —and we’re grateful for her support of Mount Grace.

🍁 Pick up your copy and settle in for a little fall reading!

10/02/2026

Views from the newly upgraded accessible trail at Eagle Reserve! 🍂

With fall color beginning to brighten the wetlands, it’s never been easier to reach the water. The trail now features newly packed and widened tread, along with expanded pull-off areas for a more accessible and enjoyable visit.

Plan your fall visit: https://www.mountgrace.org/visit/conserved/eagle-reserve-conservation-area

09/29/2026

Everyone in Massachusetts deserves clean drinking water and access to nature, no matter where they live. This year, we have an important opportunity to protect our rivers, lakes, forests, and farms.

Mount Grace is proud to support Question 6, the Protect Water and Nature Ballot Initiative, which will dedicate funds to conservation without raising taxes. Let’s protect the places we love! Learn more about how we are working to pass this on the 2026 statewide ballot.

Learn more about the campaign: https://www.natureforma.org/

09/24/2026

🌲 1,200 acres of North Central and Western Massachusetts forest, protected forever.

Mount Grace and Kestrel Land Trust have permanently protected 1,200 acres across nine communities, keeping these forests intact for wildlife habitat, clean water, and public use recreation.

The land was generously donated by an affiliate of The Lyme Timber Company. “This donation is a wonderful gift, and a great outcome for the land,” says Emma Ellsworth, Executive Director at Mount Grace. "This is a diverse group of lands, some of them easily walkable from neighborhoods and others that take a real hike to reach,” Ellsworth said. “We’re thrilled we can help ensure that they are always there for the people and animals that need them.”

We’re proud to help ensure these forests remain forests—for generations to come. 🌿

Read More:

Under the stewardship of land trusts, the forests will be forests forever and open to the public for back-country recreational use.

09/10/2026

Join us for some volunteer events to celebrate the coming of fall💪🍂

Saturday, 9/12- 9:30am at Alderbrook Meadows in Northfield, installing our awesome new benches🍁

Monday 9/14- 9:30am at Fox Valley in Phillipston, pulling invasive and maintaining the trail😎🌱

Address

1461 Old Keene Road
Athol, MA
01331

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19782482043

Website

https://www.mountgrace.org/

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