Darien Land Trust completes important Holly Pond Acquisition

With thanks to the generosity of Nancy Kranz, a parcel on Holly Pond that was first donated in 1973 by neighboring families was completed in September. This parcel is one of our beautiful Holly Pond properties that provide important habitat for birdlife. This sanctuary is important both for local birds and is a vital stopover for migrating birds as it is situated on coastal migration routes.

 

Annual Meeting

Do you know where our 187 acres of open space are located? Do you know about our six meadows or the two ponds we’ve recently restored? In “Who We Are and What We Do,” we’ll show you our gems on the big screen at the Annual Meeting November 9th at 5:00 p.m. at Wee Burn Country Club. We have an exciting report detailing habitat restoration and other accomplishments over the past year, and will be honoring departing trustees and welcoming new ones.

Inspired by our beautiful open spaces, a number of local artists have recently painted scenes of Land Trust properties. These works will be on display, and available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds going to support the Darien Land Trust. The meeting is open to all, and we hope that everyone will come to celebrate a good year’s work.

Darien Eagle Scout Andrew Gagne and his team completes project in Olson Woods

The Darien Land Trust completed a long over-due restoration of the trails in this lovely property last summer. The Darien Boy Scouts, among other volunteers, were instrumental in the completion of Phase 1 of the restoration. This included new fencing, a new bridge and boardwalk, restored paths, safe off-road parking and a massive clean-up. Visitors can now enjoy a stroll on the double- width paths that follow the Noroton River and observe the diverse bird life from strategically placed rocks. Phase 2 will involve the control of invasive plants and replanting of indigenous species.

Invasive Species Removal on Land Trust Properties

The Darien Land Trust is participating in the State of Connecticut's project to remove the Common Reed (Phragmites australis) on several of our properties. Phragmites is an aggressively growing exotic plant which negatively impacts the function and bio diversity of Long Island Sound. The immediate impact of the removal of the Phragmites will be to promote the return of native vegetation, wildlife use and restore visibility to the tidal marshes for the residents of Darien. [Read more....]

Darien Land Trust Acquires 2 acres on Hollow Tree Ridge Road

Just before the close of 2007, the Darien Land Trust received an important gift of land on Hollow Tree Ridge Road. The property totals 6.89 acres, permanently conserved as Open Space. This includes a 2-acre direct gift to the Darien Land Trust and 4.89 acres held in a conservation easement.The property owners have owned the land, part of the old Ox Ridge bridle trail, for some forty years. It was the donors' generous wish to permanently preserve their beautiful woodland property for future generations. [Read more...]

Darien Land Trust Annual Meeting — Sunday, November 4th
at 5:00 p.m., Noroton Yacht Club

The speaker will be Donald S. Strait, Executive Director of Connecticut Fund for the Environment. In 2004, Don guided the organization's merger with Save the Sound, which is now a Tri-state program of CFE. Prior accolades include: Don was a staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council in NY, co-founder of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, VP of the Environmental Support Center and board member of Restore America's Estuaries both based in Washington, D.C., and the Greenwich Land Trust.

A wonderful speaker, he will talk about the environmental successes and priorities we face now ~ and how we all can get involved!

[Download PDF...]

Darien Land Trust Acquires 77 Nearwater Lane

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. [Read more...]

Winner of Obie Harrington-Howes Community Spirit Award

It gives the Darien Land Trust great pleasure to announce that Janet Evans was the winner of the Obie Harrington–Howes Community Spirit Award for 2007. The Award was announced at the annual Volunteer Recognition Day luncheon which was held at the DCA on May 8, 2007. This is the third year in a row that a nominee of the Darien Land Trust has won the award!
Our nominee for Volunteer of the Year was Charles Janson.

Please read both nominations from our President Terrie Wood. [Read more...]

Pictured left photo: (left to right) Terrie Wood, President of the Darien Land Trust; Janet Evans, Trustee, Darien Land Trust: Charles Janson, Trustee, Darien Land Trust; Shirley Nichols Executive Director, Darien Land Trust

Pictured right photo: Obie Harrington congratulating Janet Evans

“SPRING” Into Action

It is always "all hands on deck" at the Darien Land Trust, and again this year we offer our members, friends and neighbors the chance to join us as "Stewards for a Day" for our annual Spring Clean-Up on Saturday, May 5th from 10:00-12:00.

All ages are welcome and volunteers need only a pair of garden gloves, comfortable work clothes and "mud-ready" shoes (the ground can be soft and wet this time of year). Our morning's work will be followed by (the now traditional and always delicious) cook-out for volunteers from 12:30-2:00 p.m. Those interested should RSVP to Kaye Rabin at 656-0272 by May 1st for property assignments and directions to the cook-out.

 

Presidents Gather to Celebrate Anonymous Gift

On Saturday, November 4th, 2006, 86 past and current Darien Land Trust trustees, spouses and guests gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “anonymous” gift that inspired the creation of the Darien Land Trust in 1956. A most extraordinary evening, it marked the first time that all the current and past trustees had gathered together.

Land Trust lore held that the organization was founded by an anonymous $5,000 contribution in 1956 to protect against the loss of undeveloped land and unspoiled woods. Several of us were curious who this anonymous person was – surely there had to be a name somewhere in the past minutes and archives. And after reading through the Land Trust's early minutes, several names emerged as likely candidates for attribution and recognition. A phone call to Avery Rogers Brook confirmed the identity of the anonymous donors of that initial gift as her and her husband, Joel.

Pictured: Former Presidents of the Darien Land Trust; (L to R: Bill Atkinson, Terrie Wood (current president), Bill Ziegler, Bob Fiske, Ed Cosden, Steve Mandel and Jay Shutts)

New Trustees Join Darien Land Trust Board

Three community members were elected to the Darien Land Trust Board of Trustees at its Annual Meeting, November 5, 2006.

Lynne Brooks, who served as the first Executive Director of the Darien Land Trust from 2001-2004, transformed the organization into a statewide recognized land trust and guided the organization to the successful completion of the Mather Meadows campaign. A co-founder of the Darien Environmental Group, dedicated to educating Darien residents about ways in which they can change their consumer and lifestyle habits to benefit our environment. Lynne has been a resident of Darien for 22 years. She works as a contract consultant, and serves on the Community Fund of Darien allocations committee.

Margaret (“Margot”) Hand was born in Darien and her family has lived on Brush Island since the 1950s. A freelance editor-proofreader and landscape painter (member of The Holly Pond Painters) she has a strong interest in preserving the beauty of and wildlife in salt marshes. An active member of the Friends of Weed Beach Park, Margot serves as Secretary and is planning a grant proposal for an educational trail through three ecosystems and wildlife refuge at the Park. A member of the Board of the Darien Library, Margot chairs the Library’s Art Exhibits.

Flip Huffard is a Senior Managing Director at the Blackstone Group in New York. A Greenwich native, Flip and his wife Kim (a Darien native) have lived in Darien since 1993.

President of the Darien Land Trust Terrie Wood said, “We have long been fortunate to have an extraordinary group of community leaders and dedicated volunteers on our board over the Land Trust’s history. Lynne, Margot and Flip continue that tradition as well as bringing new energy, ideas and talents to the group.”

Wilderness Historian Roderick F. Nash Spoke at the Annual Meeting of the Darien Land Trust, Sunday, November 5th

Roderick F. Nash, PhD, considered America's foremost wilderness historian and a national leader in the field of environmental history, management and education, was a speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Darien Land Trust, held on Sunday, November 5th at 5:00 p.m. at the Noroton Yacht Club. The event was very well attended.

Among Professor Nash’s numerous books and over 150 essays, best known is Wilderness and the American Mind. Professor Emeriti of History and the Environmental Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he is also a past Lindbergh Fellow, has served on the board of directors of the Yosemite Institute and as a member of the advisory committee to the U.S. National Park Service. He earned his B.A. at Harvard and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin.