The Trustees announces end-of-year programs

The Trustees of Reservations announced its full slate of end-of-year programs ranging from outdoor afterschool activities to farm festivals to cooking classes, aimed at getting visitors of all ages outside as the nation continues to battle COVID-19.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer in-person events and are dedicated to helping everyone safely enjoy the outdoors,” said Trustees Executive Vice President Jocelyn Forbush. “This wide variety of programming includes some new initiatives and returning favorites, while reflecting the diversity of our properties and our guests.”

Preschoolers, homeschoolers, remote learners and students back in the classroom are a priority right now, which is why The Trustees created programs for outdoor afterschool learning, https://thetrustees.org/program/outdoor-learning, at a half-dozen properties to help parents and kids navigate this challenging time.

The Appleton Farms Afterschool Adventure is two days a week for elementary students to experience environmentally focused, farm-based activities that explore sustainability, agroecology, life cycles, soil science, and history that connect to their ongoing STEAM learning.

Afternoon Adventures at Weir River Farm is specifically tailored to elementary students in learning pods or homeschool groups every Tuesday through Friday, focusing on different themes each week such as the life cycle of plants and animals and wonders of the woods.

Once school is out on the weekends, families can enjoy Harvest Weekends on the Farm, https://thetrustees.org/program/harvest-weekends, at Appleton Farms, Powisset Farm and Chestnut Hill Farm. These quintessential autumn gatherings include pizza picnics, live music, food and drink, games, crafts, hayrides, fresh produce for sale and learning programs for younger visitors. These events are on a timed-entry basis and require purchasing passes in advance.

While the weather is getting colder, that isn’t stopping people from enjoying nature via The Trustees’ CraneOutdoors programs, https://thetrustees.org/program/craneoutdoors. This includes Dunes by the Light of the Full Moon hikes at Crane Beach, the Snowy Owl Prowl at Castle Neck that lets hikers potentially glimpse wintering Snowy Owls and a variety of other outdoor hikes.

Kids and adults alike can engage in ghoulish activities inspired by mysterious artwork at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, participate in a Spooky Scavenger Hunt at the Bradley Estate, or take part in safe trick-or-treating at Fruitlands Museum’s Hillside Halloween. For the younger kids who love animals, the Boo in the Barnyard program at Weir River Farm is must-visit. Those with an appetite for the truly spooky can cap things off with a horror double feature of “Cabin Fever” and “Evil Dead,” showing outdoors at Rocky Woods.

Nighttime hikes at Crane Estate, Appleton Farms and World’s End are taking place before, during and after Halloween offering a Spooktacular trek for the whole family. Art lovers will have the opportunity to see the pieces at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in a new light by touring the grounds after dark, while yoga enthusiasts can enjoy Boo Moon yoga at Long Point Wildlife Refuge.

Autumn is a time for culinary delights, and The Trustees has no shortage of cooking programs for all ages. Powisset Farm is rolling out new cooking classes as part of its PowissetCooks series, https://thetrustees.org/program/powissetcooks, featuring Kiddos in the Kitchen, Fall Comfort Soups, Teens in the Kitchen, Tapas, and Pie Perfect programs. Boston Community Gardens is also hosting a Butternut Squash Galette course for vegetarians.

Fall is an opportune time for blossoming artists to learn a new medium or for established artists to hone their craft. The Creative Clay Canisters Online Workshop courtesy of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum introduces people to the pinching, adding clay, and slab-building techniques suitable for all ages, while the virtual Introduction to Watercolor Techniques at Fruitlands Museum taking place this winter introduces amateur painters to the basics of the medium.

For those looking to purchase art instead of creating it, the Crane Estate Virtual Art Show: Living in the Moment event allows art enthusiasts to buy a one-of-a-kind gift for the holidays while simultaneously supporting a great cause.

To thank frontline workers, once a month, The Trustees is offering frontline workers and their families free access to almost all of our properties with proper identification. The next Frontline Worker Day is Nov. 16.

One of The Trustees’ signature events, Winterlights, is returning for 2020 to Naumkeag in Stockbridge and the Bradley Estate in Canton where people can enjoy LED lights, food and drink, and get in the holiday spirit from Nov. 27 to Jan. 2, 2021.

Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover is hosting a Family Holiday Stroll & Festive Parade of Trees from Dec. 3 to 20 during which people can explore two dozen intricately decorated holiday trees and even vote for their favorite, while also bringing a canned good for Neighbors in Need.

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate will be creatively lit up for the holidays as part of its Castle Hill Illuminated: The Longest Night light show, allowing visitors to experience the magic of the Winter Solstice as a multi-sensory experience in the landscape while staying warm by a fire and drinking hot chocolate and coffee.

For more information, visit thetrustees.org/program/fall-activities.