Photos - New Canaan Land Trust

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Grateful to @millstonefarmct and Farmer Drew for w

Grateful to @millstonefarmct and Farmer Drew for welcoming our interns back again today.

Session two summer stewards got to learn about regenerative farming & how farms and working lands are just as important to open space preservation as woods and forests. They even got to help out and move the sheep to a fresh pasture!

#workinglands #ctfarms #ctgrown #preserveopenspace #agriculturalheritage #eatlocal #conservationeasement #loveyourctlandtrust #landtrust @wiltonlandtrust

High summer in the Silvermine-Fowler meadow. Nati

High summer in the Silvermine-Fowler meadow.

Native coneflower, black-eyed Susan, nodding onion, liatris, woodland sunflower and rattlesnake master all in full bloom.

Plans are underway this fall to expand the pollinator meadow and add native shrubs and understory trees along the woodland edges.

Photos courtesy of @susannbergen

#meadow #pollinator #pollinatorpathway #landstewardship #nativeplants #silverminefowler #stillpond #newcanaanlandtrust #newcanaan #landtrust #loveyourctlandtrust

Executive Director Aaron got out of the office thi

Executive Director Aaron got out of the office this afternoon to help us move some lumber and build a couple boardwalks.

He is pictured here explaining to our summer stewards about wood 'cupping', which is when wood warps as it dries and the bark side shrinks more than the heartwood side.

#getoutside #woodfacts #landstewardship #outdooreducation #ctlandtrust #loveyourctlandtrust

Round two at the @bartlettarboretum with our new s

Round two at the @bartlettarboretum with our new summer stewards.

Education Director Mike led our second session crew around the gardens, showing them unique plants and animals and explaining the history of the property.

The interns especially enjoyed getting to see honeybees up close!

#arboretum #treemuseum #bigtrees #botanicalgarden #protectopenspaces #cttourism #ctconservation #stamford #stamfordct #outdooreducation

Are you seeing beautiful monarch butterflies in yo

Are you seeing beautiful monarch butterflies in your backyard now? Monarchs’ bold orange and black wings are such a joy to spot during these summer days. Want to learn more and see more butterflies in the peak butterfly season in Connecticut?

Join us on Saturday, August 21st for a walk with local lepidopterist Victor DeMasi on our Livingston-Higley Preserve. The Livingston-Higley Meadow is home to native plants which provide the vital nectar sources for these glorious butterflies. By late August, this wildflower and grass habitat attracts all kinds of butterflies and pollinators, and offers opportunities to view other wildlife.

Butterfly expert Victor DeMasi will lead the walk and identify a variety of butterflies. Victor’s August 21st walk follows up his informative virtual presentation earlier this spring, delivered in partnership with the New Canaan Library. Register now to see these beautiful butterflies up close and personal. Registration is limited, so sign up now.

Imagine you might see – and identify -- a panoply of butterflies… hairstreaks, eastern tailed blues, pearl crescents, monarchs and many kinds of skippers. So be sure to register now!

Click on the link in the bio, and navigate to the event page to sign up. The walk starts at 10am, August 21st at the end of Apple Tree Lane, New Canaan.
@newcanaanlibrary
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#landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust
#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
#birdsbutterfliesandblooms #butterfliesarefree #natureupclose #beautifulbutterfly #ilovebutterflies #lovebutterflies #pollinatorsandflowers #pollinatorsparadise #pollinatorsrule #pollinatorsmatter #pollinate #pollinators🐝

Project free the tree! Our interns worked hard tod

Project free the tree! Our interns worked hard today despite the heat to free this cedar from encroaching vines. Swipe for the dramatic after picture!

#easternredcedar #juniperusvirginiana #landmanagement #beforeandafter

Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and heard

Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and heard a cacophony of birds and wondered what the noise meant?

Turn on the audio and you’ll hear the ‘chatter’ of birds on the trail to the Firefly Sanctuary. More like sharp sounds of alarm.…and yes, this was the birds’ warning that a predator was lurking among them.

Here is a hawk perched in a tree, observing the surroundings, and setting off the alarms from the potential prey. The hawk takes flight, perhaps with a target in sight.

Can you identify the hawk?

One more reason to take in nature at its best.

#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
#landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust #birdsofinstagram #hawksnation #redtailhawk #redtailedhawks #hawksofinstagram #natureupclose #inaturalist
#nocturnalanimals #backyardwildlife

Last field trip with the session one crew! We took

Last field trip with the session one crew! We took a watershed view of things yesterday starting with @norwalkriverwatershed at Oyster Shell Park in SONO learning about the health of the harbor and helping to remove invasive mugwort.

After our time by the water, we headed over to meet @the.eco.dude at his store @ecoevolutionco on Washington St. Brad Kerner (the eco dude) chatted with the kids about how overconsumption and plastic pollution are threats to public health, as well as environmental health. The interns got to see low waste product alternatives to plastics and single use items.

Then we headed upriver to Wilton and the @norwalkrivervalleytrail to hear from Liz Craig, who talked the interns about the history of the trail and how to implement a pollinator garden project.

#watershed #norwalkriver #norwalkriverwatershed #norwalkct #waterpollution #norwalkharbor #conservation #invasivespecies #pollinatorgarden #pollinators

Dry stone wall building with master mason Greg Fai

Dry stone wall building with master mason Greg Faillaci.

Yesterday the interns got to work at Hawkins Preserve tearing down and rebuilding a section of wall. They learned lots of techniques and tips from Greg who has been a mason for 32 years.

Stone walls are an important part of our built vernacular heritage and serve as beautiful reminders of our agricultural roots.

Hawkins has been regularly maintained by a local doctor and his son, who happened to stop by to do some weed whacking while we were there. Take a drive down North Wilton sometime to see the progress!

#drystonewall #newenglandstonewalls #landpreservation #connecticutstonewalls #builtenvironment #builtvernacularheritage #vernacularbuiltheritage #newenglandpotatoes

If you glance at this meadow from afar, you will s

If you glance at this meadow from afar, you will see a jumble of tall green plants.

If you look more closely, you will notice several kinds of plants in bloom. At the moment there is orange butterfly weed, purple coneflowers and pinkish-white mountain mint.

If you walk slowly through the meadow at a snail’s pace or better yet just stand still for a period of time, you will notice many different pollinators at work.

This is the Silvermine-Fowler pollinator meadow now in its second year of bloom. Pollinating visitors this week included bumblebees, green sweat bees, banded long-horned beetles and silver-spotted skippers.

As pollinators are active at different times throughout the growing season, this meadow was planted to offer a succession of blooms from April thru November to correspond with their individual life cycles.

#meadow #pollinators #wildflowers #landstewardship #landtrust #newcanaan #loveyourctlandtrust @lweanerlandscape @susannbergen

Ready to try Forest Bathing? You may ask "What?"

Ready to try Forest Bathing?

You may ask "What?"

Here's your chance to try something new which is part of our wellness series, set on a Land Trust property, the Browne Preserve. Next Tuesday at 10am.

Some background on forest bathing -- and its health benefits:

Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which translates to ‘forest bathing’, is the medicine of simply being in the forest. It is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness. The purpose is to slow down and become immersed in the natural environment. The mental and physical health benefits include reducing stress and fostering relaxation, boosting the immune system, increasing energy, and decreasing anxiety, depression and anger.

With the glow of summer upon us, Carol Shear of the Community Mindfulness Project will explore the practice of forest bathing and then lead an experiential walk outside inspiring us to tune into our surroundings by using all of our senses - the smells, textures, tastes and sights of our natural world.

Carol Shear is a Registered Nurse, Integrative Health Coach and Mindfulness Meditation Facilitator trained at Duke University, Integrative Medicine Program and Certified Master Gardener. She currently offers meditation practice sessions with the Community Mindfulness Project.

Click on the link in the bio to go to our events page to register.

@communitymindfulness @letstalkaboutitnc
#livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust #forestbathingfriends #forestbathing🌲🌲🌲 #forestbathingretreat #forestbathingday #forestbathing🌲 #natureistherapy #theoutdoors #forestbathingtherapy #beoutside

Banded longhorn beetles (Typocerus velutinous) see

Banded longhorn beetles (Typocerus velutinous) seen yesterday at the Silvermine Fowler meadow.

Did you know that beetles were the first pollinators on earth? As a species they’ve been around since the dinosaurs. They evolved at the same time as terrestrial flowering plants and still pollinate ancient species such as magnolias and spicebush.

There are over 300,000 known species of beetles. While some kinds are destructive pests (such as the Asian longhorn) others like this native one are considered beneficial.

Banded longhorn beetles are common in Connecticut. They lay their eggs on decaying hardwoods, such as oaks and hickories, which are the main source of food for their larva. As adults, they visit a variety of flowers primarily for pollen.

Through their multi-phased life cycle, they are first decomposers and later pollinators - helping to create new life by nourishing the soil and rendering seeds fertile.

Yesterday there were numerous pairs at the meadow and, as you can see, they had other things on their mind than dining.

Fun farm field trip day learning about regenerativ

Fun farm field trip day learning about regenerative agriculture and preserving our agricultural heritage at @millstonefarmct

The interns met farmer Drew who gave us a tour of the beautiful property. He talked to us about the history of the property, heritage breed animals, and how Millstone works to improve their soil & promote biodiversity.

#connecticutfarms #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativefarming #farmlandpreservation #openspacepreservation #heritagebreeds @wiltonlandtrust @ctfarmland @livestockconservancy

We spotted this white tail deer earlier today, mun

We spotted this white tail deer earlier today, munching away at understory plants at the #WatsonSymingtonPreserve.

Deer eat approximately 6-8% of their body weight in greens every day. For a deer of this size, that’s about 10 pounds per day. If only we could convince them to try an invasive species diet 🤣

Time for mushrooms with @susannbergen… The rece

Time for mushrooms with @susannbergen…

The recent rain, heat, and humidity have brought out all kinds of mushrooms at the Watson-Symington Woodlands @nc_land_trust.

I’m also including a photo of emerging Indian Pipes. These look like mushrooms but they aren’t related. They are parasitic, non-photosynthesizing plants that live off the roots of trees and fungi. There is a large colony of them along the path leading up the hill on the south side of the preserve.

#mushrooms #mycology #fungi #watsonsymingtonpreserve #newcanaanlandtrust #newcanaan #landtrust #loveyourctlandtrust

The Firefly Sanctuary captured at its best! From

The Firefly Sanctuary captured at its best! From two nights ago, this remarkable photograph, a "Ration of Light", was taken by Scott Greenlee -- an artist extraordinaire of night time landscape photography.

A graphic design professional, Scott lives in Norwalk and has reactivated his childhood interest in astronomy over the past two years with the pursuit of night time photography. The result is apparent here. Check out Scott's website for more: ScottGreenlee.com.

#norwalkct #photographynight #nightphotographycaptures #nightshoots #nightimephotography #nightphotographypros #nightscapephotography #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct #instanewcanaan #northsalem #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust #labyrinths #startofsummer #summersolsticecelebration #stonehengesummersolstice #summersolsticeflow #fireflies #nightlandscape #firefliesphotography #natureislit

New boardwalks added at Colhoun Preserve! Our Su

New boardwalks added at Colhoun Preserve!

Our Summer Steward interns finished four new boardwalks in two days despite all of the recent rain. The hardest part was carrying the boards all the way to the top of the trail!

We're hiring! The New Canaan Land Trust is now acc

We're hiring! The New Canaan Land Trust is now accepting applications for a TerraCorps Community Engagement Coordinator, a year-long AmeriCorps -affiliated service position. Learn more about this incredible opportunity, and apply at: https://terracorps.org/job/community-engagement-coordinator-cec-with-the-new-canaan-land-trust/

Want to learn about the science behind the amazing

Want to learn about the science behind the amazing light show that fireflies put on during their peak mating season?

Here's your chance to hear from one of the world's leading firefly experts, renowned scientist Dr. Sara Lewis. (Our first podcast)! Dr. Lewis explains all about the fireflies courtyard rituals that result in the bioluminescent display that can be witnessed at our Firefly Sanctuary now, and over the next couple of weeks.

All facets of fireflies are covered in this 55-minute podcast. Subjects covered include:

• Firefly courtship and sex lives;
• The lifecycle from larvae to pupa to adult firefly;
• The Femme Fatale of fireflies and what triggered their vampire-like behavior;
• The chemistry that produces bioluminescence;
• Surprising applications of the light-emitting enzyme in space, medicine, industry and
more; and
• What citizens can do to protect firefly habitats in their backyards and towns.

So go to our website, and to the Firefly Sanctuary page to listen to the podcast. Or check out the podcast on the free app PodBean.

#landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust #labyrinths #startofsummer #fireflies #nightlandscape #firefliesphotography #natureislit #newpodcast #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct #instanewcanaan #northsalem #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust

Our Summer Stewards got to beat the heat at the be

Our Summer Stewards got to beat the heat at the beach today.

While at Sherwood Island State Park, the interns got a tour of @sherwoodnaturecenter, learned about the live animals on display, and even got to try their hand at seine fishing.

Afterwards, @sherwoodfriends board members Cece and Michele gave talks on the history of the park and the dune restoration work.

#conservationeducation #ctstateparks #dunerestoration #seinefishing #environmentaleducation @ct.deep

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