Community Awareness

Bolton Land Trust
Bolton, Connecticut 06043

Community Awareness and Education

These are some past and ongoing activities through which the Bolton Land Trust reaches out to the community:

Guest Speakers:

Elisabeth Moore, The Trust for Public Land, spoke about land preservation techniques and how the Bolton Land Trust could raise its profile in town
Katherine Winslow, The Nature Conservancy, discussed how TNC and the Bolton Land Trust could work together on projects and how to approach landowners about preservation
Attorney David Platt, Murtha Cullina, spoke about land conservation techniques and the resulting tax benefits
Ned Ellis, of Hebron’s Maple Leaf Farm, spoke about how he participated in the State’s Farmland Preservation Program through which the State purchased the development rights to his a 230-acre dairy farm
Dr. David Bingham, Salem Land Trust showed a video about another town’s successful long-term open space planning and led a discussion about “Saving Special Places” in Bolton
Attorney Malcolm Barlow and Adam Moore, executive director of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association led a workshop on “Landowners’ Rights and Responsibilities”
Dick Raymond, forester with the State Department of Environmental Protection, spoke on “Logging Your Property”
Rich Hubbard, Franklin County, Mass. Land Trust, discussed the important role land trusts play in growing towns
Peter Picone, DEP Wildlife Biologist, presented a slide show and talk on “Connecticut Wildlife Habitat: Past, Present and Future”

Walks:

History Hike to the Lombardi Property with Town Historian Hans DePold (Discover Bolton 2005 Walk Series)
Owl Prowl with naturalist/wildlife rehabilitator Kasha Breau, in Gay City State Park
Timberdoodle Tramp with residents Karen and Michael Tierney, in Herrick Park
Blackledge River Ramble in May, hosted by Jim Pendergrast and Judy Lodi
Wild Edibles Walk in Herrick Park in June, with Kasha Breau as our guide
Mushroom Foray in Gay City State Park in August, with mushroom expert Henry Smith
Rose Farm Ramble in September, highlighted by town historian Hans DePold’s presentation about Jonathan Edwards, notable late-eighteenth century preacher who was inspired by the fields of the Rose Farm
History Hike in October, with another talk by Hans DePold on the farm’s Revolutionary War encampment, now on the National Register of Historic Places
Sunset Spectacular, a hike along a portion of the Shenipsit Trail, ending at the summit of White’s Hill on Jon Treat’s farm for a beautiful view of Hartford and the Connecticut River Valley at sunset

(See Tales of Trail)

Other Community Outreach:

Hosted information tables at the Lions’ Club annual festival, Family Fun Day held after the Memorial Day Parade and the Community Education Foundation’s Learning Festival
Created a pamphlet outlining the different forms of land preservation and their benefits
Ongoing contribution of articles to the Bolton Community Newsletter

The Land Trust Needs Community Support

The land trust relies on members’ dues and contributions from the community to continue its preservation efforts. Funds are needed to acquire land as well as to:
Send direct mailings to all Bolton households with information about the land trust and its mission;
Hold more workshops on such topics as town-wide planning for open space preservation and invite all town land use boards and administration;
Produce more color maps that could be disseminated along with printed material; and
Create signs marking the access to and boundaries of its newly acquired parcels and parcels acquired in the future.

Please remember that all donations to the Bolton Land Trust are tax deductible. If you would like to become a member or contribute to the land trust, please send your check, payable to Bolton Land Trust, to:

Bolton Land Trust
c/o Mary Ann Murphy, treasurer
10 Hebron Road
Bolton, CT 06043