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...

Did you know raccoons don't hibernate? 🦝 In the

Did you know raccoons don't hibernate? 🦝 In the winter, raccoons enter a dormancy state where their metabolism slows and hunker down in their dens. Every few weeks, they emerge to search for food and water... just like our friend Rocky Raccoon did at Browne Preserve! Rocky left his den for a mid-winter sip of water and left his footprints behind for us to see!

If you're willing to brave the frigid temperatures this weekend, take a winter walk at Browne Preserve! With a trail length of .75 miles and a view of the Grupes Reservoir, this scenic trail is the perfect place to challenge yourself to some winter hiking!❄🦝

If your New Year's Resolution was to spend more ti

If your New Year's Resolution was to spend more time in the great outdoors, it's never too early or too chilly to start! 🏃🌳❄️

Join us this Saturday (January 28th) at 10:00 AM at Watson-Symington Preserve for a winter hike! We recommend pre-registering so we know how many donuts to get, but you can also show up Saturday morning with a friend or your dog.

For more information and to register now, visit the link in our bio!

These False Turkey Tails (Stereum ostrea) were spo

These False Turkey Tails (Stereum ostrea) were spotted a few days ago at Still Pond Preserve.

False Turkey Tails are crust fungi typically found on fallen logs and decaying stumps of hardwood trees (oaks in particular). They are common throughout the U.S. and most prominent in New England between June and January.

Fungi play an important role in woodland ecology. As Nature’s recyclers, they break down dead organic materials and return the nutrients to the soil to support new life. They also add color and texture to the winter woods.

False Turkey Tails are just one of many kinds of fungi found along our walking trails. How many different varieties can you find?

There are still two days left of 2022! Please cons

There are still two days left of 2022! Please consider making a year-end gift to support the Land Trust. Your contribution ensures that nature is not remote to our residents and can thrive on land that's preserved forever.

To make your gift today, visit the link in our bio!

#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan
#newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty
#landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation
#landtrust

As 2022 draws to a close, please think of supporti

As 2022 draws to a close, please think of supporting the Land Trust. Your support ensures that nature is not remote to our residents. Instead, nature can thrive on land that's preserved forever.

To make your gift today, visit the link in our bio!

#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust

Today is the Winter Solstice. The Earth has reache

Today is the Winter Solstice. The Earth has reached its maximum tilt away from the Sun, resulting in the shortest day and longest night of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere). While you can't see this phenomenon, by standing outside at noon, you will cast your longest shadow of the year.

#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust

First ice of the season on Hupper Pond along NCLT’s GreenLink Trail.

This footpath is part of a walkable downtown loop that connects Irwin Park to the New Canaan Nature Center via land and easements held by NCLT.

The Land Trust has two other downtown GreenLinks: one on Oenoke Lane and the other between Autumn Lane and Fieldcrest Road. The latter offers a short cut from Main Street neighborhoods to the 3 public schools on Farm Road.

In addition, NCLT maintains over five miles of public walking trails on 7 open space preserves across town.

Did you know land trusts protect more than 40 mill

Did you know land trusts protect more than 40 million acres across the country? That's more than the entire national park system!

Listen to our Executive Director, John Winter, in the @newcanaanite podcast to learn more about how land trusts play an important role in land conservation and more about the NCLT's local conservation initiative. Click the link in our bio to go directly to the podcast!
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#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #instanewcanaan #landtrustlife #landtrustlife #LoveYourCTLandTrust
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No smoke or mirrors needed to create this natural

No smoke or mirrors needed to create this natural reflection of blue sky and upside down trees in a woodland pool on the GreenLink path between Irwin Park and the New Canaan Nature Center.

Biodiversity… From a distance fallen leaves on

Biodiversity…

From a distance fallen leaves on the forest floor may all look the same. A closer inspection reveals variations in color, shape and size. These leaves, collected yesterday from white and red oaks, maple and beech at Watson Symington woodlands, represent only a few of the kinds of trees found in our eastern hardwood forests. Each species has its niche and enriches the diversity of our natural habitats.

Seasonal transition… What a difference a few we

Seasonal transition…

What a difference a few weeks makes. This maple-leaf Viburnum was first photographed at Still Pond Preserve on October 23. The 2nd photo was taken on November 6.

In a few days all the leaves will be gone but the nascent buds left behind will wait out winter and unfurl next spring.

You are invited to join our annual membership meet

You are invited to join our annual membership meeting on Tuesday, November 15th at the @newcanaannaturecenter, starting at 6:30 pm. Here is a chance for you to learn more about our 55-year old conservation organazation and meet other members of the community. All are welcome.

We start with a reception with hors d'oeuvres and refreshments. Then a brief business meeting, followed by guest-speaker and New Canaan resident Sarah Finnie Robinson, founding director of @the51percent.project, a climate communication initiative based at Boston University for Global Sustainability. Sarah will discuss climate change communications principals relevant to New Canaan residents. In addition, she will cover how the community and the Land Trust can address climate change.

Link on the link in the bio to go to our Event Registration page. The event is free, but we'd like to know if you plan on attending. Hope to you at the Nature Center on Tuesday the 12th!
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#landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
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A new crop of stinkhorns ‘blooming’ at the Cou

A new crop of stinkhorns ‘blooming’ at the Council Ring at Still Pond. These fungi sprout in organic soil and mulch. They first appear as small eggs on the ground, and mature very quickly, growing as much as six inches an hour!

The malodorous aroma attracts flies who come to feed and, in turn, disperse the spores for reproduction.

If you see stinkhorns one day, you’ll likely not see them again a few days later. They are short lived and disintegrate almost as quickly as they sprout.

There's still time to join us tomorrow at 4 pm for

There's still time to join us tomorrow at 4 pm for our Sculpture Trail Artists Talk & Walk at @newcanaanmuseum! Learn about the fascinating 20-year careers of collaborating artists Sandra Gibson + Luis Recoder in the field of expanded cinema.

Their work culiminates in the 2022 Sculpture Trail Threading Diagram. We will take a short walk to visit the sculpture on the GreenLink-Oenoke Trail and hear first hand from its creators. It's a Christo-like piece that you don't want to miss. Best yet, a glorious fall day is in store for tomorrow.

The exhibition ends on October 31st, so plan on joining us tomorrow to take in the last of this wonderful 5-month exhibition. Register on our website if you can for this Free, Fun event.
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Art Imitates Life… a different perspective on t

Art Imitates Life…

a different perspective on the Threading Diagram installed by artists Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder on the GreenLink-Oenoke Lane.

In fact, the collaborating artists Gibson + Recoder will be presenting at the @newcanaanmuseum on Friday at 4pm where they will share their 20-year practice in working in the field of expanded cinema. Their work culminates in Threading Diagram which has everything to do with cinema (not zebras). We will take a walk to the sculpture and then enjoy a reception with the artists. Join us...no charge, but register on our website (go to events).

Our 2022 Sculpture Tour is winding down. Come check out this art installation and 9 other outdoor sculptures located on the GreenLink-Nature Center trail, Still Pond Preserve, Hannan-Eberstadt Field, in front of the Town Hall and at the Carriage Barn Arts Center.

While the NCLT’s nature trails are open to the public every day, the sculptures will only be on display until the end of October. Don’t miss out.

Thanks to the @carriagebarnartscenter for their support throughout the exhibition.
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Have you seen this memorable sculpture at Still Po

Have you seen this memorable sculpture at Still Pond Preserve? If not, today is a good day to venture to Still Pond. The Last 42 Seeds arises from the center of the Council Ring and is part of the 2022 Scupture Trail. The exhibition is drawing to a close this month!

The Last 42 Seeds is artist Nicolae Golici's monument to seeds, the germ of life on earth. With this sculpture, Golici imagines a dystopian environmental crisis when there are only 42 seeds left on earth. He ponders: what would happen to life on earth without the tiny seeds that produce so much in Nature?

The sculpture is made of 42 recycled bottles. Each bottle has a statistic etched on it that refers to the dire situation that the plant species face due to climate change, habitat destruction, invasive species, and pollution. For example, you find the number "571" -- which refers to the number of species that have gone extinct in the past 250 years.

Along with the other two sculptures at Still Pond Preserve, it's worth a visit.

As we enter the last weeks of the 2022 Sculpture Trail, we want to recognize our media sponsor @bedfordnewcanaanmag who supported us throughout the 5-month exhibition by building awareness through the pages of their magazine. Thank you Bedford & New Canaan Magazine.
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#landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust #outdoorsculptureexhibition #outdoorsculpturecollect #newcanaanct #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #climatechangethefacts #globalclimatechange

Got a little time tomorrow to enhance your sense o

Got a little time tomorrow to enhance your sense of peace and solace? Join us at Still Pond at 10 am for Wellness Wednesday's Connecting Through The Senses.

Instructor Erika Long will take you on a mediative journey to engage your five senses to bring you home to the present moment. And what a perfect place to take on this moment -- at Still Pond's Council Ring. A wonderful place to gather...and in the gorgeous fall as the leaves begin to turn their brilliant colors. The solace of nature and mediation combine to create an inner peace.

Thanks to our partners @communitymindfulness and @letstalkaboutitnc who have helped us create an amazing wellness series.

Register on our website ($5 fee). Park at the Still Pond parking lot opposite 778 Silvermine Road. Hope to see you tomorrow.
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#newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #fairfieldcountyct #fairfieldcounty #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust #natureistherapy #theoutdoors #beoutside #outdoormediation
#westchesterlandtrust #landtrusts #landconservation #landtrust

Have you checked out Still Pond lately? Yes, its

Have you checked out Still Pond lately? Yes, its water level is lower than usual, but more unusual is the temporary installation of Chris Plaisted's Wind in the Waves. Part of our 2022 Sculpture Trail exhibition, Chris chose to place his sculpture right in the pond when he installed it in early June. Why not?

Plaisted's love for water inspired The Wind in the Waves. Comprised of undulating, dynamic curves that symbolize waves, no better place for his sculpture than in Still Pond. The drought has made it less of a water feature...but it is worth a visit.

Plaisted explains that The Wind in the Waves is part of a series that was inspired by fire, water, and various storms. The piece is symbolic in nature -- primarily abstract.

This could be yours for $1,700...perfect for land or water!

As we near the end of the 2022 Sculpture Trail, we express our appreciation for our sponsors. Bedford & New Canaan Magazine @bedfordnewcanaanmag, our exclusive media sponsor helped get the word out about our opening party and exhibition. Thank you!
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#outdoorsculptureexhibition #outdoorsculpturecollection #outdoorsculptureinstallation #outdoorsculpture #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
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Thinking about going downtown New Canaan this week

Thinking about going downtown New Canaan this weekend? If so, take a walk across the front lawn of Town Hall, and take in Gilbert Boro's (@borogilbert) Square Knot III. Part of the 2022 New Canaan Sculpture Trail, Boro is a returning artist from our 2020 inaugural exhibition. His 2020 piece After Alex 1/14 was also placed at Town Hall! Square Knot III will be on site for just a few more weeks, so don't miss out.

Boro's artwork focuses on the interplay of space, place, and form. He believes that a sculpture is more than an object. Instead, it becomes a place in itself. As a 'place, Boro's work is accessible and intended to be explored in total freedom. In other words, he wants you not only to view his art, but also touch it and explore it.

In his newest series, Boro uses sailing knots as his inspiration to showcase the harmony between strength and grace. To Boro, Square Knot III serves as a metaphor for understanding our commonality and the advantages of togetherness. Unlike taut sailor's knots, the voids floating between the strands recognize that we need space to expand and thrive.

This sculpture could be yours for $75,960! For more of Boro's work, visit his sculpture ground @studio80_sculpturegrounds in #oldlyme

As we approach the end of our exhibition, we want to thank our sponsors. The Town of New Canaan is one of our sponsors, a renewal from 2020's participation. We are so happy that the town and the Tourism and Economic Development Advisory Council had supported our bi-annual exhibition. Thank you Town of New Canaan. And thanks for our partner @carriagebarnartscenter for helping make the exhibition happen.

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#outdoorsculptureexhibition #outdoorsculpturecollection #outdoorsculptureinstallation #outdoorsculpture #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
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It's a good day to get out on the trail...especial

It's a good day to get out on the trail...especially during the last few weeks of the 2022 Sculpture Trail. Have you seen Threading Diagram on our newest trail, GreenLink - Oenoke Trail? It's not to be missed!

As you walk along the trail in this woodlands oasis so near downtown New Canaan, you come across Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder's large-scale, site-specific environmental installation. Reminds us of the famous installations of Christo. The juxtaposition of the natural surroundings with the stark black and white creates a visual impact that makes you stop...and admire. The black and white waterproof canvas is wrapped around four poplar trees. The artists tell us that Threading Diagram plays off of the old-fashioned film that was woven through movie projectors. (Anyone remember the film for old home movies?)

Take a look now that the suns is out. And join us on Friday, October 21st @newcanaanmuseum at 4pm to hear the artists Gibson and Recorder give an artist talk on their twenty-year collaborative practice working in the field of expanded cinema. Walk with us afterwards to Threading Diagram and then join us for a reception back at the museum. Check out our events page to register for this free event.

As we approach the end of our 5-month exhibition, we are so thankful for our sponsors. Today, we want to recognize @ainsleydesign who generously supported our exhibition. Ainsley Hayes is not only a New Canaan-based designer, but she is a member of the Land Trust board. Thank you Ainsley.
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#outdoorsculptureexhibition #outdoorsculpturecollection #outdoorsculptureinstallation #outdoorsculpture #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
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Have you noticed the graceful sculptures situated

Have you noticed the graceful sculptures situated in the meadow in the middle of Hannan Field, at the corner of Smith Ridge Rd. (Rt.123) and Canoe Hill Rd? It's John BonSignore's Kawa 1 & 2 and it mystically rises above the high grasses. @johnbonsignoresculpture

As we enter the last month of the 2022 New Canaan Sculpture Trail exhibition, perhaps you will want to drive by, or walk into the mowed path through the middle of the field, to see the two dancers that are part of BonSignore's River-dancers-toe-series. The artist encapsulates one brief moment of a flowing dance, freezing energy, and a pose. Smooth, precise, with elegant continous flow. Set in the middle of one of the most iconic sceneries of New Canaan, Kawa I & 2 are not to be missed.

As we look to the end of our five-month exhibition, we are thankful for all of the support that the Land Trust received. Today, we want to recognize our exclusive media sponsor Bedford & New Canaan Magazine @bedfordnewcanaanmag who through their powerful reach and editorial helped us get the word out. Thank you.
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#outdoorsculptureexhibition #outdoorsculpturecollection #outdoorsculptureinstallation #outdoorsculpture #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
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Have you taken a walk on our newest trail, The Gre

Have you taken a walk on our newest trail, The GreenLink -- Oenoke Lane? If not, check it out soon to visit Simone Kestelman's @kestelmansimone Chaos and Calm. Set in the woodlands in a beautiful 9-acre oasis right near downtown New Canaan, this display of 365 porcelain flowers is wonderful surprise as you turn corner from the bridge off of Oenoke Lane.

Simone explains in her artist statement that Chaos and Calm represents the contrasts that we see in everyday life. "Different events in our lives may lead us to states of chaos or states of calm — the beautiful ocean before a tsunami, or a rainbow after a thunderstorm. The purpose of my installation is to help people reflect on their lives and learn how to see the good in bad moments, and appreciate the good moments regardless of the bad in our lives.

The 365 flowers represent each day in a year. As Simone optimistically states in each day there's "a new opportunity, and a chance to look back and see the good in the bad, and the bad in the good."

With the Sculpture Trail nearing its end, we want to talk our supporters, including our sponsor Bankwell. We are so grateful for Bankwell's contribution which helped the Land Trust and our partner @carriagebarnartscenter hold the 2022 New Canaan Sculpture Trail.
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#outdoorsculptureexhibition #outdoorsculpturecollection #outdoorsculptureinstallation #outdoorsculpture #landtrustlife #loveyourctlandtrust #newcanaanmoms #newcanaanct #livenewcanaan #newcanaan #newcanaanct📍 #instanewcanaan #northsalem
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Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, we are p

Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, we are postponing Walk #2 of Walk Your Land Trust Series to next Saturday, October 8th. Hosted by @darienlandtrust, the event will take place at #darienct Mather Meadows. Beekeeper Peet Foster will discuss the role of apiaries on land trust properties, the seasonal stages of beekeeping, and the impact of pollinators.

Park at the Mather Meadow Homestead on 19 Stephen Mather Road. Go to our website and select "events calendar" at top to register. Free!

Thanks to our land trust partners who created this series. @wiltonlandtrust @norwalklandtrust #stamfordlandconservationtrust @darienlandtrust
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The Walk Your Land Trust (Fall Series) continues t

The Walk Your Land Trust (Fall Series) continues this weekend with the Darien Land Trust!

The event takes place at Mather Meadows, with parking at 19 Stephen Mather road. Walk #2 will feature a discussion lead by beekeeper Peet Foster, who will share knowledge of keeping bees, an apiary's role on land trust property, and the role of pollinators! The walk your land trust fall series is a great way to experience the beauty of nature in Autumn with members of your community. If you're interested, please RSVP here: https://darienlandtrust.org/walk-your-land-trust/

We hope to see you there!

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