Photos - New Canaan Land Trust

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The New Canaan Land Trust\'s Instagram page is a great way to follow along with current projects, be inspired by the beauty of our preserves, and learn about our community of volunteers and visitors. Below is a collection of our most recent posts. Check out our page for more...

A Bee or Not a Bee? This may look like a bee, but

A Bee or Not a Bee?

This may look like a bee, but it is a common species of flower fly called a transverse banded drone fly.

Many flower flies mimic bees and yellow jackets with their yellow and black striped coloring. This is believed to be an adaptation to ward off predators who avoid being stung by bees and wasps. Flower flies have no stingers and are docile.

To distinguish between bees and flower flies, look at the wings, eyes and antenna. Flower flies have only one pair of wings which they hold out horizontally when at rest. Bees have two pair of wings which are folded across their back when at rest. Flower flies have large eyes and short antenna.

There are nearly 900 species of flower flies in North America. They come in all sizes and excellent pollinators.

Pro tip: What is the best way to spot typos in you

Pro tip: What is the best way to spot typos in your monthly e-blast? Send it out labeled as 'Early August' when it's clearly mid-September! 😅

Despite the calendar confusion, don't miss our latest edition, featuring highlights from the Bristow Centennial, David Sibley's presentation, details of October's Last Saturday on the Trail, and Susan Bergen's amazing fern blog!

Mushroom challenge… It is easy to walk on by an

Mushroom challenge…

It is easy to walk on by and not pay any particular notice to this old tree stump on the path up to Still Pond. Look closely. Can you spot 3 different kinds of mushrooms growing at the base?

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🪶🪺🐦‍⬛ THANK YOU so much to everyone w

🪶🪺🐦‍⬛ THANK YOU so much to everyone who celebrated Bristow's centennial with us! Whether you attended the NCLT Annual Meeting followed by @sibleyguides presentation at the @newcanaanlibrary, or if you came to the preserve on Sunday, we thank you for supporting bird conservation in New Canaan!

Enjoy some pictures from the event, and we look forward to seeing you at October's Last Saturday on the Trail with the @mushroom_hunting_foundation! 🍄

In late summer, the Joe Pye Weed at the Colhoun me

In late summer, the Joe Pye Weed at the Colhoun meadow is a draw for all kinds of skipper butterflies. There are so many species of this type of butterfly in Connecticut that they can be difficult to differentiate. Two butterfly experts were asked to identify this one and they gave two different answers. One thought it was tawny edge skipper and the other said it was a sachem skipper. The latter is a southern species that migrates north in late summer.

Any other guesses?

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George Arthur, Art Director has been drawing, pain

George Arthur, Art Director has been drawing, painting, and sculpting his whole life and graduated from the leading School of Visual Arts in New York. He served for 33 years as the Executive Design Director at Consumer Reports where he was responsible for the design of the magazine, website, books, and special publications. Before that, he art directed the design of Sport Magazine and designed the content and covers for Life Magazine. George is a prize-winning photographer and a designer of many books, posters, and websites. George and his wife Sharon are retired and live in Placitas, New Mexico. You can bid on this incredible piece now through the link in our bio!

Own a unique piece of New Canaan history by acquir

Own a unique piece of New Canaan history by acquiring this beautiful, continuous grain live edge bench created by master woodworker and all-around nice guy John Hutchins. Built with planks milled from the 350-year old mighty white oak that stood before the Bristow entrance on Old Stamford Road, this natural oak bench is an artistic achievement of skilled woodworking. Bid now through the link in our bio!

Own a piece of New Canaan history with this beauti

Own a piece of New Canaan history with this beautiful turned white 10” in diameter and 3” high oak bowl by local artisan Lars Andersson. Of spectacular note are the medullary rays within the oak that shine throughout.

Bid now through the link in our bio!

Bid now through the link in our bio!

Bid now through the link in our bio!

Fantastic deep burl bowl full of character from th

Fantastic deep burl bowl full of character from the 350 year old Mighty Bristow Oak.

Own a piece of history with the marks of age distinctly turned by a skilled artisan. Bid now through the link in our bio!

There’s no better firewood than aged white oak f

There’s no better firewood than aged white oak for long burning and BTU value. This 4’ x 3’ rack holds 1/4 cord with about 200 pieces of split oak. Ideal for a fireplace connoisseur and wood fit for a king. Bid now through the link in our bio!

Own a piece of history with this folio print of th

Own a piece of history with this folio print of the American Eagle! 🦅

Bid now through the link in our bio!

Own a piece of history with a beautiful print from

Own a piece of history with a beautiful print from the Emanuele Sweerts Florilegium. A lovely gift for a peony lover!🌸

Bid now through the link in our bio!

Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) blooming

Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) blooming now at the Silvermine Fowler meadow.

This late summer native perennial blooms in August and September with violet blue flowers. The flowers cluster along tall stalks with the lower blooms opening first. In this photo, you can see that the top buds haven’t opened yet.

Great blue lobelia is related to red cardinal flower. It grows best in partial shade in moist to wet soils and is a wonderful nectar plant for bees, flower flies and hummingbirds.

Many thanks to Diane Dooley who donated these transplants from her garden.

Pictured here at the Bristow Bird Sanctuary pavili

Pictured here at the Bristow Bird Sanctuary pavilion dedication last year, Harmonia V is an innovative professional Woodwind Quintet from Connecticut. This group of accomplished musicians is dedicated to performing the best standard literature, seldom-heard treasures, and the most dynamic contemporary music available today. Each member draws upon over 20 years of chamber music experience.

They will perform works composed by Bristow neighbor Gwyneth Walker (second picture).

The New Canaan High School Madrigals (third picture) will also have an acapella musical performance at Bristow.

Don't miss these fantastic performances at the September 8th Bristow Bird Sanctuary Centennial Celebration, Day Two in our incredible line-up to celebrate 100 years of Bristow.

Register now through the link in our bio!

Busy honey bees amidst the goldenrod, Joe Pye weed

Busy honey bees amidst the goldenrod, Joe Pye weed and woodland sunflowers at the Silvermine Fowler meadow.

One of the most exciting auction items is this lim

One of the most exciting auction items is this limited-edition copy of A Songbird Heaven: The 100-Year History of Bristow Park.

This graphically illustrated 80-page 8x11 booklet traces the founding of the New Canaan Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve in 1924 to the present-day restoration.

Learn about the major players who helped found the third-oldest bird sanctuary in the nation. Published by the Friends of Bristow Park and thoughtfully written by Greg Reilly, former Editor of New Canaan Advertiser, the book is based on extensive historical archives from the former New Canaan Audubon Society and its predecessor, New Canaan Bird Protective Society.

The story is a case study of a local not-for-profit organization that began conservation in New Canaan and left an indelible mark on our Town.

You can buy this limited-edition item now on the auction page with a $100 donation using the link in our bio!

Happy National Dog Day! 🐕🐩🐕‍🦺 Augus

Happy National Dog Day! 🐕🐩🐕‍🦺

August's Last Saturday on the Trail, held on August 24th, celebrated National Dog Day at Watson-Symington, NCLT's largest preserve that allows dogs off leash until noon.

Our partner @ppwpet had a fantastic display set up with T-R-E-A-T-S for our four-legged friends, and photographer @irregular_brien took some incredible pet portraits!

Check out a selection of pictures in the carousel, and then check out our website to see the rest!

David Sibley @sibleyguides is the author and illus

David Sibley @sibleyguides is the author and illustrator of the series of successful guides to nature that bear his name, including the New York Times bestseller The Sibley Guide to Birds. He has contributed art and articles to the Smithsonian, Science, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Birding, BirdWatching, and North American Birds. He also wrote an illustrated syndicated column for The New York Times. He is the recipient of the Roger Tory Peterson Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Birding Association and the Linnaean Society of New York’s Eisenmann Medal. He lives in Deerfield, MA.

His talk "How to be a Bird" immediately follows the New Canaan Land Trust Annual Meeting on September 7th. Registering for the Annual Meeting gives you priority seating at the talk. (You must sign up for the Annual Meeting through NCLT and Sibley talk through the Library).

If you can't make it on Saturday, he will be the keynote speaker on Sunday, September 8th, at 2:00 PM at Bristow Bird Sanctuary.

Register now for this entire weekend of incredible Centennial Celebrations through the link in our bio!

Celebrate National Dog Day with NCLT and @ppwpet!

Celebrate National Dog Day with NCLT and @ppwpet! 🐕🐩🦮🐕‍🦺

Join us at Watson-Symington Preserve on Saturday, August 24th, at 10:00! Four-legged friends (their humans) are invited to enjoy some T-R-E-A-T-S provided by Pet Pantry Warehouse, get some professional photos taken on the trail, and walk on or off leash at our most popular persevere.

(And if you're a dog lover but not a dog owner, feel free to stop by and enjoy petting some doggos)

Registration is not required but is preferred. Sign up now at www.newcanaanlandtrust.org/events

Last year, the Mighty Oak Tree, a 300-year-old whi

Last year, the Mighty Oak Tree, a 300-year-old white oak that once stood proudly in Bristow, was cut down after succumbing to storm damage.

The Mighty Oak lives on in some incredible wood pieces that are up for auction at the Bristow Centennial Celebration. The Nutmeg Woodturners League, one of the oldest woodturning clubs in the United States, has crafted bowls and other items from this historic tree.

Check out some of the items available here, and see the rest through the link in our bio!

Bristow Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve is tu

Bristow Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve is turning 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣! 🎉🎉🎉
Join the New Canaan Land Trust, @bristowpark_birdsanctuary, @newcanaanlibrary, and @townofnewcanaan in celebrating this incredible milestone.

🐦‍⬛ Saturday, September 7th: The NCLT Annual Meeting kicks off the weekend of festivities, followed by a presentation by nationally renowned ornithologist David Sibley @sibleyguides. Registrants of the Annual Meeting get priority seating at the presentation. NOTE: You must register for both the Annual Meeting and the Library event separately.
🐦‍⬛ Sunday, September 8th: The festivities continue with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Bristow, with a keynote speech by David Sibley. There will be music by the Harmonia V Woodwind Quintet and the NCHS Madrigals, as well as an amazing series of auction items created from the Mighty Oak Tree that came down last year. Cake and refreshments will be served. Families are welcome.

Registration is free but required. You must register separately for each of the three parts of this amazing, fun-filled weekend.

Register now through the link in our bio!

The Colhoun Preserve is a cool place to explore on

The Colhoun Preserve is a cool place to explore on a hot August day. The shady boardwalk passes by large colonies of sensitive ferns, a small pocket of stunning red cardinal flowers; and thickets of summersweet, a native wetland shrub with white bottlebrush flowers that sweetly scent the air.

#newcanaanmoms
#newcanaanct
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#instanewcanaan
#loveyourlandtrust
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Joe Pye Weed at the Colhoun Meadow. Joe Pye Weed

Joe Pye Weed at the Colhoun Meadow.

Joe Pye Weed is an excellent native plant for pollinators. It not only offers pollen and nectar to a multitude of butterflies, bees and flowers flies, it also hosts more than 3 dozen species of moth and butterfly caterpillars.

According to legend, Joe Pye was a Native American herbalist who saved a colony of New England settlers during a typhoid outbreak by treating them with a medicinal tea made from this plant. From then on the plant has been called Joe Pye Weed. There’s not much written proof that this is a true story, but the oral legend persists.

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#newcanaanct
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#instanewcanaan
#loveyourlandtrust
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