Tag Archives: case estates

Falling in Love with Weston’s Marian Case Nature Classroom

While ostensibly helping out on the Stewardship Saturday event on Saturday (DIE KNOTWEED!) with a bunch of our hunters, I actually just took my machete and ran away. Which sounds more dangerous than it was–I was off in search of reported evil knotweed at the Marian Case Nature Classroom, a place near and dear to my heart. If you haven’t

Read more

Arbor Day Plans for Friday, April 29 – Fifth Grade Tree at Compass Rose

Have you ever noticed the Tree City USA signs at the “borders” to Weston? Currently, they read “18 years” and as of tomorrow, the digits will turn to the 19th year of Weston as a Tree City USA. Being a Tree City means that the town has made a commitment, financial and operational,  to planting trees and follows certain guidelines

Read more

Why Hillcrest Barn Matters

For residents who have lived here for longer than the Owl, you have perhaps lived through Case Estates being owned by Harvard (1944-2017) and perhaps even voted for buying it at Town Meeting. Perhaps you were a babe while Marian Case herself ran the show in Hillcrest Gardens (1909-1944). Having arrived after the purchase (actually before the transfer, but after

Read more

Sunday Gratitude: To Those Who Show Up

In September 2020, the Owl was doing the usual rounds of forest and fields as her day (volunteer) job is stewardship for Weston Forest and Trail Association. About a quarter mile into the woods on Case Estates, at a scraggly-weeded open spot in the forest, a little idea sprang up that would not go away. What if there was a

Read more

Her-Story – Women’s History Month and Marian Case

Weston has benefitted from many strong and interesting women over its long-ish history–the women of Exmoor Farm–one of whom donated 41 acres that became Jericho Forest in 1948, the Jones sisters who kept up the Josiah Smith Tavern, and a schoolteacher on Ripley Lane who snowshoed to the bus stop. Certainly there were many more whose histories were not written,

Read more

The Marian Case Nature Classroom at Case Estates – Update

Weston will soon get its first official outdoor classroom–the Marian Case Nature Classroom at Case Estates. Once the snows clear, and a final risk assessment is complete, volunteers from the local landscape company, schools and non-profits (and maybe even you, dear reader) will complete the “installation.” Last October, the Marian Case Nature Classroom was proposed for a large open area

Read more