With the help of generous donations, Easton Legacy Fund aims to help Easton not-for-profits support and give back to the town through various projects. Below, we highlight the Natural Resources Trust of Easton (NRT), which we feel is a strong consideration for future Legacy Fund grants.
Natural Resources Trust of Easton
307 Main Street, North Easton | Visit Site
It is the mission of the Natural Resources Trust of Easton (NRT), located in North Easton, MA, to educate about significant natural and cultural resources and to acquire and preserve land of special character for the benefit of the public. The NRT promotes a land ethic in the community through educational programming and provides leadership, cooperation, and networking to others with similar missions. The NRT began in 1967 as a grassroots, citizen-led organization to protect land of special environmental, cultural, and community importance. Since then the NRT has grown into an organization which protects over 300 acres of land within Easton through direct ownership and oversight of formal conservation restrictions. NRT’s flagship public land is Sheep Pasture, a 154-acre conservation property that hosts NRT’s model farm, class buildings, offices, community gardens, and equipment and has been a critical resource for outdoor recreation within the Town of Easton for over 50 years.
The NRT operates its Sheep Pasture property with the primary goal of having the land available to all individuals on a daily basis, free of charge, to allow for personal health, family recreation, and emotional wellness. The public has access to Sheep Pasture’s extensive trail system, resident farm animals, wildlife, and open spaces throughout the year for jogging, hiking, biking, picnicking, birding, dog walking and other outdoor activities. Sheep Pasture is also the education site for over 6,000 students ranging from kindergarten through high school from Easton, Brockton, Stoughton, and other surrounding cities and towns, who come to participate in NRT’s high-quality environmental education programs. Education topics vary and include focuses in the life sciences,
ecology, biology, agriculture, geology and other related areas. Furthermore, NRT offers summer camp programs and dozens of other educational activities to families and individuals throughout the year. In addition to educational programs, NRT hosts special seasonal events at Sheep Pasture, such as the annual Harvest and Craft Fair and Spring Farm Festival, both of which draw thousands of visitors for wonderful outdoor celebrations of community. Sheep Pasture also features NRT’s Community Gardens, where individuals, families, and local community groups have been maintaining vegetable and flower gardens for over 40 years.
Looking ahead to the future, NRT’s goals are to enhance the Sheep Pasture visitor experience; increase accessibility for visitors and program participants; and provide the benefits of time spent outdoors to new, diverse audiences. To accomplish these goals and maintain the Sheep Pasture property as a critical outdoor community resource, NRT plans to continue making ongoing repairs and upgrades to its facilities and complete exciting new building projects. NRT will also look to adapt Sheep Pasture walking trails and other areas to increase accessibility for individuals of all abilities, ages, and comfort levels to better accommodate the needs of visitors and program participants. Lastly, NRT understands the importance and benefits of spending time in nature and would like to expand its outreach to continue bringing new and diverse audiences to the Sheep Pasture property.
NRT Harvest Fair
NRT, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, works hard to provide benefits to the community that allow the town to be a wonderful place to live for all, and showcase other non-profits from our area as well. The largest of these partnership opportunities is the NRT’s annual Harvest and Craft Fair is held each October.
Now in its 51st year, the fair is one of the largest and most anticipated community events in Easton and it is attended by thousands of visitors each year. As part of its commitment to all non-profit organizations, the NRT provides free booth spaces to many non-profit organizations, allowing them to share their own group’s information with Harvest Fair guests. This ability to showcase so many non-profits in the community benefits not only the organizations who share their message but also guests who learn about the good work going on in their own communities every day.
Partnerships between non-profit organizations, as well as with the greater community, are vital to the success of each and every non-profit and the betterment of life in our area. The NRT of Easton is proud to be able to play a role in the success of local non-profits and the Easton community as a whole.