Treasure on the Trails: The Eben Horton Glass Float Project with MV Glassworks
By Catherine Hall
Since its launch in June 2023, “Treasure on the Trails: The Eben Horton Glass Float Project with MV Glassworks” has inspired hundreds of Islanders and visitors to hit the trails in search of a Martha’s Vineyard treasure to call their own.
Released in waves of 25 at a time, the staff of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation worked together to carefully and strategically hide the beautiful, hand-crafted glass floats commissioned from MV Glassworks across its 19 public conservation properties in June, August, October, and December. Hidden amongst bushes of huckleberry and bayberry, tucked into hollows of trees, concealed by tangles of fallen pitch pine, hanging from branches of beetlebung trees, veiled behind clusters of rocks – these treasures awaited their seekers. From dusk until dawn, in rain or sunshine, explorers of all ages and abilities excitedly set out on the trails of our conservation lands – from Chappaquiddick to Aquinnah – to be the first to find a coveted float. Some notable hiding spots that staff particularly liked were located in the hollowed out trunk of the mighty oak “wolf” tree at Quansoo Farm in Chilmark, tucked beneath a pile of fallen red maple leaves on the bluff overlooking Menemsha Pond at Eastman and Knapp Preserves in Aquinnah, and by the colossal glacial erratic at Brookside Ridge Preserve in Chilmark.
This initiative was started with the goals of encouraging more Islanders and visitors to explore the miles of trails offered by SMF, utilize the free TrailsMV mobile app (available in the App Store and Google Play), and increase engagement across our social media platforms (@sheriffsmeadow and @trailsmv). It has been an incredible experience not only accomplishing these goals, but also interacting with the Island community in a whole new way! From phone calls and emails, to social media posts and messages – we have been delighted to see families and hikers enjoying our properties with a renewed sense of wonder and excitement. Perhaps what was most inspiring was – whether a float was found or not – the understanding that the true treasure to behold was the natural, beautiful, rural landscape and character of Martha’s Vineyard was always at the forefront.
Don Lynch of Vineyard Haven (pictured left), the lucky finder of float #100 hidden at Middle Road Sanctuary, shared his thoughts with us on Instagram saying “[This is] an absolute fantastic program. My hope is that [others] have all the excitement of the program as I did while really taking in the outdoors. One good point I noticed is that people slow down and take their time while looking…not [just] ‘getting their steps’ trucking along… and that allows ol’ Mother Nature to tap on their shoulder.”
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation would like to give special thanks to Alan Rappaport and Bill Plapinger for encouraging this exceptional effort. We would also like to thank MV Glassworks for working with us to create these beautiful floats stamped with our logo, and for also offering a very special prize to four raffle winners over the course of this project. Furthermore, we would like to thank Eben Horton, of the Glass Station Studio, who implemented this popular project on Block Island and supported us in bringing a similar treasure hunt to Martha’s Vineyard.
To look back at the “Treasure on the Trails” 2023 waves, please view the highlight available on the SMF Instagram page. More information about this project can be found on our website in the Activities section, the SMF Facebook page, and the TrailsMV app/social media platforms.