Don’t look now, but much of our precious land in Massachusetts is being taken up for commercial, industrial and residential development.

While the need for smart, responsible development is needed to help a struggling economy, we also feel that preserving local public open spaces for the public to enjoy at a nominal fee or for free is vital to our quality of life in the “Bay State.” Thank goodness for the Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit group dedicated to preserving cultural and natural outdoor resources in Massachusetts.

With main campuses in Sharon, Leominster and Beverly, Mass., the Trustees has 100,000 people dedicated to preserving over 25,000 acres within 100 special places to visit in our beautiful state.

We have visited several Trustees locations and have loved them all, but are our all-time favorite places are Bird Park in Walpole and World’s End in Hingham. Bird Park, on Washington St., features 89-acres of landscaped park grounds with more than three miles of walking paths and trails, ponds, streams, granite bridges, rolling small hills, and forested areas. We especially love Bird Park in the fall with the leaves turning color and a nice, crisp feel to the air.

Bird Park also features tennis courts, a playground, and a pavilion for entertainment (music, ice cream social, fall festivals, etc.). Lovely place, hard to find a better one in the Boston area!

The views of the Weir River, Hingham Harbor, and the Boston skyline make World’s End on Martin St., off Route 3, a spectacular, sceenic destination. With four miles of walking paths through pine groves and grassy fields, it’s hard to believe the remote but refreshing feel and look of World’s End is just two communities away from Boston. Some of the hiking is moderately challenging, but for the most part, it’s easy walking en route to magnificent coastal scenery.

As they say in the infomercials, “But wait, that’s not all!” We strongly suggest you check out the Trustees of Reservation for a complete list of properties.