Tag Archives: Cedar Tree Neck

Places to Explore on Martha’s Vineyard: Sheriff’s Meadow

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It’s spring – and I just can’t stop blogging about all of the glorious places to explore the nature of Martha’s Vineyard. Today, I’m thinking about Sheriff’s Meadow – an incredible organization with beautiful properties sprinkled across the island.

Some of my favorites are Sheriff’s Meadow Sanctuary, Cedar Tree Neck and Packard Preserve – don’t miss ’em when you come to visit!

The mission of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation is to conserve, administer and manage natural habitats for wildlife, and all other lands that represent the beautiful, rural, natural character of Martha’s Vineyard.

The foundation takes great pride in preserving our island through conservation…and educating our residents and visitors about this precious hunk of land.

Summer 2009 marks the Meadow’s 50th anniversary, they’ll be celebrating on July 20th with a gala edition of their annual summer benefit. Held at the beautiful Allen Farm on the Atlantic Ocean in Chilmark, dinner will be catered by Tea Lane Caterers and feature locally-grown foods – some right from Allen Farm. The party is a special fundraising opportunity for Sheriff’s Meadow, they’re inviting one and all to purchase tickets to the party and to consider becoming a sponsor.  Check the Foundation’s website for more info!

Biking, Kayaking and Hiking on Martha’s Vineyard

While everyone knows the Vineyard is beautiful, the beaches get most of the attention. However, the island has miles of bike trails, inlets, ponds & bays and acres of forests and meadows to discover. Unlike most areas of land the size of our island, the topography, climate and environment change often and dramatically as you move across Martha’s Vineyard. To really experience all the island has to offer, I suggest that you bike, kayak and hike whenever you can.

Biking. Some visitors are surprised at how big the island actually is (100 square miles) so unless you’re a super experienced biker, you may not want to try to bike the whole island in one day. While cars are very kind to bikers throughout the island, we also have a wonderful bike path that goes through the towns of Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, including the State Forest.

Kayaking.
Getting around in kayaks can be a little tricky but there are some great kayak tours that will get you to the places you wouldn’t be able to go otherwise. The Trustees of the Reservation offer both walking and kayaking adventures on several different parts of the island.

Hiking. Walking, perhaps, lends the most in depth view of the island. You can determine your own pace and you can get as close to the land and its wildlife as possible.  The Vineyard has some amazing places for hikes such as Felix Neck Wildlife Sacutary in Edgartown, Cedar Tree Neck in West Tisbury, spots managed by The Trustees of the Reservation and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission.