You’re welcome to attend Board of Directors meetings to learn about the organization or to get more involved. This month we will be at Bloomfield’s Human Services Center. Please contact us if you have questions or suggestions for the agenda.
CHANGE IN LOCATION: Penwood State Park is anticipated to remain closed through May 12 due to rain delays in the repaving project. This event has been moved across the street to Talcott Mountain State Park.
Join land trust member Brian Kleinman for a guided outing in search of native and migratory birds in the woods, around the pond, and along the traprock ridge of beautiful Talcott Mountain State Park. Brian is the owner of Riverside Reptiles Education Center and a member of the Hartford Audubon Society. Bring your binoculars, dress in layers, and meet in the main parking lot.
Update: Thank you to the 57 citizen volunteers who joined Town staff, the Bloomfield Beautification Committee, and other local organizations to remove 80 bags of litter from three parks and three streets on Earth Day. Your efforts make a positive impact on the environment and inspire others to take action as well. Thank you for helping to make Bloomfield a cleaner and healthier place. (Photo by Sharon Mann)
Your help is needed on Earth Day! Let’s prove we’re the “cleanest” town in Connecticut. Meet on the West side of the Human Services Center to pick up supplies. Gloves, pickers, bags, buckets, and safety vests will be provided. Then teams of volunteers will pick up debris on specific streets with guided assistance from team leaders. Volunteers will drop off garbage bags at a designated spot, and Public Works will come get them. Please preregister for free by April 14 to help organizers prepare supplies … including fun buttons for participants. Cosponsored with the Bloomfield Beautification Committee, Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services Department, and Bloomfield Public Works Department.
Update: Fifty-two hikers (and several dogs) kicked-off the New Year with Bloomfield’s second annual First Day hike at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course. Co-sponsored with Bloomfield Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services, this year’s hikers enjoyed some sun and warm temperatures in the fifties, although a stiff breeze added a bit of chill.
The approximately 2.5-mile hike showcased the town’s award-winning golf course abuting Wintonbury Land Trust’s Beacon Hill Preserve. Some of the property along Duncaster Road once was part of A. C. Peterson Farms and nicely illustrates the rural character of western Bloomfield. As a result of continuing, thoughtful management it is certified as a Cooperative Bird Sanctuary by Audubon International.
Wintonbury Hills is closed for the season for golfers. During this hiatus, walkers are welcome to use the grounds as long as they stay on the cart paths. Snowshoeing also is allowed once there is snow. Take advantage of this opportunity to explore one of Bloomfield’s nicest walks and wonderful views. Once Spring arrives, it will belong again to the golfers!
(Photos: Paula Jones)
Update: With leaves beginning to burst forth with vibrant color, David Kozak, Kevin Gough, and Paula Jones led 30 participants “Over the Mountain.” The annual hike began at Simsbury Land Trust’s Owen-Mortimer Preserve, traversed Penwood State Park, and crossed Wintonbury Land Trust properties to reach Bloomfield’s Filley Park. Everyone enjoyed the 7-mile hike and were proud of their accomplishment of completing a hike of this distance.
Thanks to Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services for providing a shuttle and to Paula Jones for sharing pictures. Clockwise from top left: Views from the Pinnacle in Penwood State Park, gathering at Simsbury Land Trust’s Tanager Hill Preserve, hikers crossing Wintonbury Land Trust’s Stout Family Fields, and the White Trail developed by Wintonbury Land Trust volunteers at Bloomfield’s LaSalette Park.
We are having a party with Wintonbury Land Trust members and supporters to celebrate recent land conservation achievements in our region. Bring a friend to socialize with neighbors under the big tent at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, and make new friends from nearby communities!
- Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, sodas, beer, and wine (or additional drinks from a cash bar).
- Hear how your membership in the Land Trust supports our community.
- Be entertained by Bloomfield High School’s Voices of Inspiration chorus.
Also you can become a “Cool Cat in a Wintonbury Hat.” New and Current Members will receive our new Land Trust cap! Treat a friend to the party! If they become a Member that evening, your guest will receive a cap, too.
Register with a suggested minimum contribution of $20 per person by Saturday, September 17:
- Register & contribute online now with a credit card, or
- Download and print a PDF form to mail-in with a check.
Update: About three dozen hikers braved a chilly drizzle to welcome the new year with an outdoor adventure at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course. Walkers and birdwatchers are welcome on the cart paths while the course is closed for the season, and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are permitted when there is snow. Thanks to volunteer hike leaders Kevin Gough and Paula Jones and co-sponsors Bloomfield Leisure Services and Wintonbury Hills Golf Course. (Photos: Paula Jones)
Kick off the new year outdoors! Connect with nature and take a healthy hike (or snowshoe) co-sponsored by Wintonbury Land Trust, Bloomfield Leisure Services, and Wintonbury Hills Golf Course. We’ll highlight the natural beauty of this Town-owned property that is home to the award-winning course designed by Pete Dye and certified a Cooperative Bird Sanctuary by Audubon International.
The hike will be approximately 2.0-2.5 miles, depending on conditions, with stunning vistas of the Metacomet Range, Bloomfield Reservoir, and WLT’s latest acquisition, Beacon Hill Preserve. If there is snow on the ground we’ll snowshoe rather than hike. Meet at 11:00 in the parking lot. Leashed dogs are welcome. Please be prepared to take appropriate Covid-19 safety precautions as required, although this should be minimal for an outdoor event. Severe weather will cancel.
Please follow the free registration link at left to help us manage the group size for everyone’s safety. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to explore the Wintonbury Hills Golf Course property (if you’re not a regular golfer), one of Bloomfield’s most scenic locations! First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors. For a list of additional hikes, visit the Connecticut State Parks & Forests events calendar.
The 6th annual Wine&Dine: Take-Home Harvest Dinner was a smashing, sold-out affair, netting over $22,000 (the highest to date). This will help steward our preserves and farms, expand access to the outdoors via trails, connect people with nature through educational programs, and support general operations (learn more about where the money goes).
We also celebrated the value of trees as part of the TREES FOR BLOOMFIELD campaign: participants received “PLANT TREES” reusable shopping bags, contributions helped the Arbor Day Foundation plant 230 trees in national forests devastated by wildfires, and a generous patron donated an extra $5,000 for our stewardship of notable trees and forest habitats.
It truly was an Eat Well and Do Good event! We are humbled by everyone’s generosity. 150 guests, 6 sponsors, 27 businesses, 26 volunteers, and 23 additional donors made this event successful. Please help us return the favor by supporting the businesses and people who supported us; they are listed on our acknowledgements page. Thank you for being part of our conservation community and supporting our mission!
When our Wine & Dine Committee had to cancel the 5th annual fundraiser in April because of the coronavirus, they went to work finding another way to have a safe event: A Take-Home Harvest Dinner from our Farms to You.
Chair Sharon Mann recruited Gillette Ridge Golf Club’s manager Jordan Stein and executive chef Jeremy Archer. Our partners Newgate Farms and the 4Five Farm provided locally-sourced organic foods. Soon BackEast Brewery, Lost Acres Orchard, Petersen’s Flower Farm, Avery Beverages and Gillette Ridge Wine & Spirits joined in!
The weather was beautiful when 137 people picked up their delicious meals packaged in beautiful peach baskets with assorted beverages, wine, decorative cloth napkins, and handpicked fall flowers. In keeping with our sustainability efforts, food was packaged in recyclable containers, participants used their own dinnerware, and extra chicken was donated to a local food kitchen.
This sold-out event raised over $17,000 … more than last year!
The funds raised will support the Land Trust’s normal operating expenses and efforts to preserve farmland, conserve natural resources, and promote recreational use of our protected spaces. Learn more about where the money goes.
We could not have accomplished our goals without the support, involvement, and enthusiasm of our sponsors, donors, and volunteers. If you want to help continue the important community work of the Land Trust, consider becoming one of next year’s leading sponsors or voicing your support as a business or individual in our event program. (See last year’s sponsorship info and program for reference.)
Thank you for joining us to eat well and do good.