Darien Land Trust
(203)
655-4148
www.darienlandtrust.org
August 15, 2007 – The Darien Land Trust (DLT), through the generosity of an anonymous donor via a grant from The New York Community Trust, today acquired the property located at 77 Nearwater Lane in Darien. Adjacent to two open space properties presently owned by the Land Trust, this acquisition brings the acreage under conservation along the marshes and tidal wetlands of Holly Pond on Nearwater Lane to nearly six acres.
Darien Land Trust President Terrie Wood described the acquisition as “an important one for the Land Trust, protecting additional open space upland from a valuable and environmentally sensitive area as well as preserving a vista along Darien’s western shore that will be visible to passersby along Nearwater Lane for generations to come.” It is the intent of the Darien Land Trust to remove the dwelling on the property and remediate it to a natural state appropriate to its location.
New York Community Trust general counsel Jane Wilton, who represented the Trust in the gift, said, “It has been our pleasure to work alongside the Darien Land Trust over the past several months in the effort to preserve this property. The New York Community Trust has been pleased to be able to further our donor’s desire to protect open space through this grant.”
The New York Community Trust, located in Manhattan, is the country's largest community foundation, with assets of $1.9 billion and almost 1,800 individual charitable funds. The Trust has been helping charitable individuals, businesses, and private foundations with their philanthropy since 1924.
The Darien Land Trust, Inc. is a non-profit membership organization whose mission and purpose is the acquisition, preservation and protection of open space for the benefit of the Darien community through education, stewardship and fundraising efforts in support of these goals.
The Darien Land Trust now owns or has conservation easements over 180 acres in Darien, permanently protecting diverse natural environments such as wetlands along the Five Mile River, tidal salt marshes at Holly Pond and Scott's Cove, and upland forests in Dunlap Woods. The acquisition of the 9-acre Mather Meadows property allowed the preservation of meadow habitat with historical significance. Recent land donations on Brookside Road, Valley Forge and Molly Lane have further expanded the open space under preservation.