Welcome to the weekend. 

February is Black History Month, and The Trustees is hosting two lectures this weekend highlighting the impact of Black History on our properties. At Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, local historian Jane Sciacca will be giving a talk on the history of enslavement in the colonial north. Published in 2025, Jane’s book, Enslavement in the Puritan Village, examines the previously untold stories of the men, women, and children who were enslaved in colonial towns such as Sudbury, Concord, and Framingham.  

At the Crane Estate in Ipswich, join a lecture sharing the history of a family of enslaved individuals on Choate Island. Learn the story of Edward (Ned) & Sabina, and their 7 children, who were enslaved by the Choate Family on the island in the 1700s. The lecture will include the previously untold story of Ned & Sabina’s two teenage daughters, Jane & Violet, who fell ill and died on the island in the early 1750s, and are buried near the Choate House. Speakers will include Debbie Bynoe, a descendent of Ned & Sabina, and Maddie Jay, a local Essex student activist who helped inspire this project. 

Explore the outdoors with us! Across the state, join us as we investigate winter wildlife. At Whitney and Thayer Woods and adjoining Weir River Farm in Hingham, learn animal tracking basics and identification skills. Learn the Secrets of the Winter Woods at Rocky Woods in Medfield. With the dense summer canopy gone, the forest reveals the untold stories of the landscape. At Crane Beach on the Crane Estate, head out on an outdoor adventure for the whole family! Take a dune walk, investigate the trail for footprints, scat, burrows, and other signs left behind by travelers that passed through before, and piece together the evidence that will help us see who lives in this habitat. Also at Crane, rent snowshoes for a hike in the dunes. Purchase your ticket in advance for this half-day rental, either 8-12PM or 12-4PM. 

Don’t miss out on Maple Season – get to Appleton Farms in Ipswich and Hamilton before it is over! At our Adult Maple Stroll, visit the historic maple stand and sugar shack at Appleton Farms and learn all about maple sugaring, its history at the farm and in New England, and how you can try your hand at it at home! Have kids in tow? At Children’s Maple in the Barnyard, for ages 3-11 and families, focus on the magic of maple from start to finish. We will discover this tradition by observing trees, tasting sap, learning the tools involved, and finally, tasting the sweet product.