ECGA

Sawyer's Island sits in the marshes of Plum Island Sound, one of the most pristine marsh systems in the United States. Much of the land surrounding the island is protected by Greenbelt or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If you're adventurous you can drop a canoe or kayak into Mud Creek, and paddle out into Plum Island Sound. We recommend the months of October or November, when the insects have departed, and when you can float among the scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, goldeneyes, mergansers, and possibly harbor seals.

The Parker River is approximately 23 miles in length and its watershed covers approximately 82 square miles in Essex County, Massachusetts. Towns and cities located partially or wholly in the watershed include Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Ipswich, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rowley, and West Newbury. Major tributaries include the Little River, which starts in Newburyport and flows through Newbury, and the Mill River, which flows through Rowley and joins the Parker River near Governor Dummer Academy.

The Carter Reservation is a great place to study glacial geology of New England. As part of the terminal moraine that comprises all of Cape Ann, this land is among the final resting places for rocky debris left behind by melting glaciers over 10,000 years ago.

Enjoy hiking, birding, nature study, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, canoeing, and exploring on varying terrain including wooded upland, rocky shoreline, and tidal mudflats.