Like small jewels in a larger ornament, unique parcels of land within a greenbelt of protected open space can offer a distinctive characteristic that adds significantly to the conservation value of the whole. Two recent acquisitions are unique “jewels” that add to Greenbelt’s conservation holdings along the 128 corridor between Beverly and Cape Ann.

In Beverly, Greenbelt worked with members of the Carlman family to acquire a 7 ¾-acre woodlot within the region known as Beverly Commons. Adjacent to other conserved properties that see frequent use by trail walkers and runners, as well as mountain bike enthusiasts, the acquisition of the Carlman Woodlot adds to the mosaic of protected woodland within Beverly Commons.

Another 5 acres, known as the Harrington Woodlot in Manchester, was recently acquired by Greenbelt. The Harrington woodlot features a prominent stand of American Beech (fagus grandifolia) and is adjacent to conservation land anchored by Greenbelt’s Cranberry Pond property.

Both parcels are reminders of Essex County’s Colonial, agrarian, history, when areas that now seem untouched by human hands were divided into dozens of slender woodlots, and were granted to village residents to provide firewood critical for winter survival.  

Both newly acquired parcels are located within the South Forest Greenbelt focus area, and further Greenbelt’s conservation objectives in the region that runs from Beverly Commons to the Tompson Street Reservation in Gloucester.