Blog
Wildlife Trees
A venerable old snag at the Browne PreserveA visit to our open space preserves will reveal a number of dead, dying, or fallen trees. Deadwood is a natural phenomenon of forests as they age, or are subjected to disease, lightning strikes, and storm damage. If you...
Mushroom Kingdom
False Turkey Tails, a type of Polyspore Shelf MushroomIf you are of a certain age, you probably learned in school that all life on Earth is divided into two kingdoms: plant and animal. For years, scientists following Carl Linnaeus’ lead classified fungi (mushrooms,...
Summer Steward Interns: Session 2 Blogs
Pictured from L-R: Hector, Sofia, Jesse, Alex, LucaHector: I remember going through five main locations on the first day of this internship: the most memorable locations were Livington-Higley, with its beautiful meadow, and Still Pond, which both had such peaceful...
Summer Steward Interns: Session 3 Blogs
Pictured from L-R: Tom, Carsen, Manny, James, Ruth. Not pictured: KevinTom: My experience with the Land Trust was a great way to make a difference within a local community. The first week, our intern coordinator Theo led us through constructing a kiosk on the...
Summer Steward Interns: Session 1 Blog
FinnThere's something incredibly satisfying about transforming an overgrown, tangled mess into a neatly trimmed and clean space. Before we started, there were weeds taller than us, but after our hard work, everything looked so tidy and organized. It felt like a real...
Life in a Meadow
Livingston-Higley MeadowThe wind rustles through the grasses. Song sparrows and crickets serenade. Tree swallows soar overhead, catching insects on the wing. A cottontail nibbles clover on the edge of the path. Butterflies flutter about the wild bergamot. A praying...
Turtle Terrain
Eastern painted turtle basking on a log at Still Pond Preserve. Photo by Connor deMayo.Did you know that the United States has more species of turtles than any other country? According to CT’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, there are 328 species of...
Turn Out the Lights
Firefly Sanctuary at peak season photographed by Rob PetersenPeak firefly viewing season is quickly approaching. From late June through early July, thousands of fireflies twinkle in the dark at the New Canaan Land Trust’s Firefly Preserve. This extraordinary show...
Moths: Butterflies Unsung Cousins
The Pandorus Sphinx Moth with wing span of 3 ½ inchesDid you know there are more than 12,000 species of moths in North America? As the majority of them are active at night, we rarely see them. In contrast, there are about 765 species of North American butterflies....
Spring Beauties
Trout lilies with vinca minor at Silvermine-Fowler MeadowApril is a good month to hunt for native wildflowers in the understory of our woodland preserves. Early spring bloomers take advantage of warming soil and abundant sunshine. The five species highlighted here are...
Spring Migration
While we sleep on these warm spring nights, millions of birds are winging their way north to their summer breeding grounds. Migratory birds start returning to Connecticut as early as February and continue into late May. Each species keeps its own internal clock of...
Every Drop of Water: A Look at New Canaan’s Watersheds
New Canaan’s boundary is outlined in black; as illustrated, we share our watersheds with neighboring townsIf you take a walk at Watson Symington Preserve and head to the very top of the hill, you will be standing on the divide of two watersheds: the Rippowam drains to...
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Red Fox photographed by Avery StirrattOur natural landscapes and backyards are part of a complex food chain in which mammals occupy the highest echelon. Some animals that live among us are highly visible. Others are nocturnal and rarely seen, and a few wandering...
Little Treasures Underfoot
Ground covers are important to woodland ecology. They provide shelter, absorb rainwater and help keep the soil from eroding. Species that flower and produce berries feed bees and other pollinators, song and game birds, box turtles, and mammals, both large and small....
2022 Summer Stewards: Session 2, Weeks 3-4
Dear supporters of the New Canaan Land Trust: The New Canaan Land Trust 2022 Summer Internship Program has come to a conclusion. This summer came and went in no time as our teams worked together and bonded over the various projects, workshops, and excursions. The...
2022 Summer Stewards: Session 2, Weeks 1-2
Dear Supporters of the New Canaan Land Trust: The NCLT is proud to share the wonderful happenings of our second internship session. Following the completion of our first summer session, the Land Trust was more than excited to welcome several new members. Andrew,...
2022 Summer Stewards: Session 1, Weeks 2-4
Update on Our Summer Interns: New Canaan Land Trust's Summer Session 1 Our session 1 team of interns has been quite busy since our last update! As of now, the first installment of our two-part summer program is complete. Over the previous three weeks Anna, Cooper,...
2022 Summer Stewards: Session 1- Week 1
A message to all of our New Canaan Land Trust Supporters: Last week marked the beginning of the first session for our summer internship program. This summer’s first group is composed of Anna, Cooper, Elle, Jose, and Ned. Everyone arrived Monday morning eager to...
A Note of Gratitude
To friends and supporters of the New Canaan Land Trust: As our Board President, Tom Cronin, announced in last month’s eNews, I am moving on from my role as Executive Director of the New Canaan Land Trust. On this, my final week at NCLT, I wanted to take a moment to...
Announcing the Departure of our Executive Director, Aaron Lefland
Dear Land Trust Friends and Supporters, It is with bittersweet emotion that I announce our Executive Director, Aaron Lefland, will be leaving the Land Trust later this month. Aaron will become the new Deputy Director of the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, based...
Proposal to Acquire Vine Cottage
Letter from Tom Cronin, President of the Board of the New Canaan Land Trust March 7, 2022 We wanted to let the public know that the New Canaan Land Trust submitted a bid on December 2, 2021 to purchase Vine Cottage. While our bid has been declined, Land Trust’s Board...