Fall 2016 | NEWSLETTER | aspetucklandtrust.org

Serving Westport, Weston, Fairfield, and Easton Since 1966

Caryl and Edna Haskins Lecture series guest speaker Edward Kanze spoke about the importance and value of protecting smaller parcels of land like those preserved locally by ALT.

The Land Trust acknowledged the special contributions of long-time board members Jack Light and Cynny Williams from Weston, Margery Silk from Westport, and retired ALT Executive Director Bruce LePage whose contributions included the preservation of the 1,009-acre Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area in Easton/Weston. Also honored were the special people who have donated land to the Land Trust over the years, including Joan duPont from Southport who donated the 34-acre Randall’s Farm Preserve in Easton, and Howard Aibel from Weston who recently donated 6 acres in Weston. Mr. Aibel was also a major contributor to the Land Trust’s newly established Land Stewardship Fund created to help the Land Trust maintain and improve habitats on its properties.

50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION PARTY Over two-hundred Aspetuck Land Trust (ALT) members gathered at the Pequot Library in Southport on Septem-ber 16th to celebrate the Land Trust’s 50th Anniversary. The evening included the screening of “Barlow’s Dream,” a video commemorating Aspetuck Land Trust founder Barlow Cutler Wotton featuring inspiring stories from our members and volunteers. The video is narrated by Lissy Newman, longtime Land Trust board member and steward at the Newman-Poses Preserve in Westport, a preserve made possible in part by a gift from her parents, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT www.aspetucklandtrust.org

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The festive evening included local craft beer donated by Aspetuck Brew Lab (founded by ALT members!), beau-tiful historical displays, flowers, tasty hors d’oeuvres, and wine from Newman’s Own.

ALT Executive Director David Brant and Board of Directors President Dick Ritzel spoke about the importance of the many people who support the Land Trust’s efforts to preserve local open space.

Brant said that “It’s the experiences of people and how they feel when they are out on our protected open spaces that tell the most about what Aspetuck Land Trust is all about.” He quoted responses from a recent ALT survey:

“Aspetuck Land Trust provides an oasis for my soul. A connection to the earth, peace and calm in well cared for and maintained spaces.”

“Hiking in Trout Brook with the Y’s Men has been an important source of enjoyment in my retirement.”

“The Trout Brook Valley Preserve is a short run or ride from my home, and it has become my “happy place” to ride my mountain bike, to take my family on a hike, or to go for a crisp Autumn trail run. It’s a true treasure.”

“I love to know that critters other than ourselves have a little space to exist.”

“I love it for the kids, getting them outside and learning about nature.”

Aspetuck Land Trust gratefully acknowledges the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee for their extraordinary efforts to make this event a success!

Aili DiBonaventura Letitia Carter Don Hyman

Aspetuck Land Trust Board of Directors. Credit Derek Sterling.

Early leaders of Aspetuck Land Trust (from left): Margery Silk, Ruth Glendinning, and Barlow Cutler-Wotton, founder of Aspetuck Land Trust.

From left: Jonathan Moffly (Moffly Media), ALT Executive Director David Brant, State Senator Tony Hwang, ALT board member Nancy Moon (Fairfield).

New Land Trust t-shirts for kids designed by Lissy Newman were given out to members. Credit Derek Sterling.

From left: ALT members Mike Widmer, Jen Epstein and Adam Goodman. Credit Derek Sterling.

> 5 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y c e l e b r a t i o n p a r t y

Jacquie Littlejohn Nancy Moon Dick Ritzel

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> 5 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y c e l e b r a t i o n p a r t y

From left: ALT board member Don Hyman (Fairfield), Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau, State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey and Brian Vahey, Fairfield Conservation Director Brian Carey and Maura Carey. Credit Mike Lauterborn.

From left: State Representative Laura Devlin, Cathy Walsh (Westport Planning and Zoning Commission), Mary Ellen Marpe, State Representative Gail Lavielle, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe. Credit Mike Lauterborn.

From left: ALT board members Ross Ogden (Easton) and Lissy Newman (Westport) with Easton artist and writer James Prosek. Credit Derek Sterling.

From left: Butterfly expert Victor DeMasi, ALT board member Jacquie Littlejohn (Weston), Naturalist Edward Kanze (guest speaker). Credit Derek Sterling.

From left: Barlow’s Dream filmmaker Brian Russel (Red Shoe Film), ALT Board members Don Hyman (Fairfield), Nancy Moon (Fairfield), and Lissy Newman (Westport). Credit Derek Sterling.

ALT members Andrew & Relly Coleman from Weston. Credit Derek Sterling.

Aspetuck Land Trust Board of Directors President Dick Ritzel. Credit Derek Sterling.

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> A S P E T U C K L A N D T R U S T L A N D D O N O R S

EASTON LAND DONORSRalph D. Paine, Jr., 1976 (Pond View and Island Pond Preserves – 11 acres)

Trident Engineering & Development, 1979 (Gregory Farm Open Space – 3.7 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Warner Anglers Preserve #2, 1991. $17,269 (0.6 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Warner Anglers Preserve #3, 1991. $14,621 (3.11 acres)

Bernice Finklestone, 1992 ( Warner Angler’s Preserve #1 Finklestone Conservation Easement – 1 acre)

Elinor Poindexter, 1993 (Poindexter Preserve – 36 acres)

Anonymous, 1994 (Crow Hill Preserve - Part of Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area – 162 acres)

Anonymous, 1997 (Jump Hill Preserve - Part of Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area – 117 acres)

Holly Bannister and Doug Newhouse, 1997 (Pfeiffer Pond Conservation Easement – 2 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Trout Brook Valley, 1999. $11.3 million (684 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Four Corners, 1999. $250,000 (27.82 acres)

Easton Ponds, LLC, 1999 (Abbey Lane Fishing Pond – 1.80 acres)

Charles & Maron Lieb, 2000 (Charles and Maron Lieb Open Space Conservation Easement – 20 acres)

Elisa and Roger Piscitelli, 2006 (Elise Scherer Piscitelli Preserve – 3.5 acres)

Joan DuPont, 2011 (Randall’s Farm Preserve – 35 acres)

FAIRFIELD LAND DONORSH. Thomas Cavanaugh and William C. Keator, 1974 (Acorn Lane Upland Preserve – 5 acres)

Sybil H. Harwood, 1975 (Harwood Preserve – 15 acres)

Roswell F. Barratt, 1981 (Sasqua Wildflower Preserve - .31 acres)

Edward F and Genevieve Kirik, 1984 (Kirik Upland Preserve – 7 acres)

Cal Munson, 1986 (Butkus Pond Preserve – 4 acres)

Ruth Berlin, 1987 (Berlin Hay Field #1 – 4 acres)

Ernest Hillman, Jr. 1988 (Ernest Hillman Jr. Preserve – 10 acres)

Mark and Cecile Noel, 1990 (Noel Open Space – 5 acres)

Lobdell Family, 1991 (Lobdell Calf Pond Preserve – 4 acres)

Philip and Fran Snyder, 1992 (Putnam Preserve – 8 acres)

Ruth Berlin, 1992 (Berlin Hay Field #2 – 2 acres)

Jack Stock and Siblings, 1995 (Mitchell B. Stock Wildlife Habitat – 5 acres)David Sanders and Estate of Theodore Ruderman, 1995 (Wellington Drive Open Space – 2 acres)

Cordelia Rudkin, 1995 (Cordelia Rudkin Wildlife Habitat – 8 acres)

Katherine Reigel Emory, 1997 (Kensie Point Conservation Easement “Emory” – 6 acres)

Louise H. Benton Wagner Trust, 1998 (Kensie Point Conservation Easement “Wagner” – 11 acres)

Samuel Bell and Martin Greenberg, 1999 (Aspetuck River Fishing Access – .248 acres)

John Koren, 2000 (Southport Harbor Conservation Restriction - .47 acres)

Virginia Sanford, 2002 (Virginia Sanford Conservation Restriction – 6 acres)

Kathleen and Bruce Czapla, 2004 (Czapla Open Space – 7 acres)

Gibney Patterson, 2004 (Gibney Patterson Open Space – 7 acres)

Jean Baldridge Uehlinger, 2013 (The Go Between Open Space – 5 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Southport Beach Open Space, 2015. $105,000 (0.7 acres)

WESTPORT LAND DONORSRalph Glendinning, 1967 (Leonard Schine Preserve – 20 acres)John Codman Sr. & Constance Codman Brooks, 1970 (Sherwood Mill Pond Wildlife Refuge – 13.4 acres)

Audrey T. Townsend, 1970 (North Woods Nature Preserve – 6.9 acres)

Katharine W. Holmes, 1970 (Hemlock Kettle on the Saugatuck – 1.0 acres)

Adelaide N. Baker, 1971 (Guard Hill Nature Preserve – 5.7 acres)

Hobart & Mary Van Deusen, 1975 (Van Deusen Open Space – 2 acres)

Hortense Wolfson, 1976 (Wolfson Streamside Preserve – 2.1 acres)

Eno Foundation, 1976 (Eno Marsh Preserve – 14.3 acres)

Martin Greenberg, 1978 (Signal Lake Open Space – 8.1 acres)

Susan M. Staib McColl, 1980 (McColl Open Space – 0.7 acres)

Joel & Roberta Wise, 1981 (Wise Open Space – 2 acres)

The Nature Conservancy, 1984 (Walter D. Allen Salt Marsh – 6.1 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Addition to Walter D. Allen Salt Marsh Hicks Property, 1989. $40,264. (6.7 acres)

Charles M & Ilse Cortright Widmer, 1984 (Widmer Open Space – 1 acre)

Franc Vitale, 1985 (Vitale Open Space – 1 acre)

Larry Weisman, 1986 (Peter’s Gate Open Space – 6.1 acres)Christian J. Trefz, 1986 (Bermuda Salt Marsh – 1 acre)

Jaime & Susan Moreno, 1987 (Taylortown Salt Marsh – 3.2 acres)

Sherwood Farms Development Corp, 1988 (Talcot Wakeman Wildlife Habitat – 17.1 acres)

Frank Harsche & Mary Bellino, 1988 (Harborview Open Space – 1.6 acres)Gerard Nucera, 1990 (Sturges Woods Open Space – 4 acres)

Nature Conservancy, 1990 (Canfield Island Marsh – 1.7 acres)

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Caroline Lehn Gieges, 1991 (Lehn Farm Open Space – 2 acres)

Hilla von Rebay Trust, 1995 (Hilla von Rebay Arboretum – 8.6 acres)

Jack Stock and Siblings, 1995 (Mitchell B. Stock Wildlife Habitat – 1.1 acres)

Leo Nevas & Leah S. Greenberg, 1998 (Nevas Wetland Habitat – 13.8 acres)Elaine Schanzenbach, Timothy Romano & Gary Jackson, 2001 (Mayflower Pkwy Open Space – 1.8 acres)

Estate of Caryl Parker Haskins, 2002 (Caryl & Edna Haskins Preserve – 16 acres)

Leo Nevas, 2002 (Lee’s Canal Wetlands Habitat – 5.3 acres)

Leon C. Hirsch, 2003 (Hirsch Subdivision Pedestrian Easement – 0.3 acres)

Partnership with Town of Westport, 2010 (Newman Poses Preserve – 39 acres)

WESTON LAND DONORSAndre Beaumont,Elise Beaumont French, Christopher Plummer, Howard Fromson, David Strassler, 1968—2015 Assemblage (Honey Hill Nature Preserve – 81 acres)

Alice DeLamar, 1969 (Stonebridge Waterfowl Preserve – 21.3 acres)

Eva LeGallienne, 1969 (LeGallienne Bird Sanctuary – 12.4 acres)

Pauline Taylor, Martin Greenberg, 1975 (Taylor Woods Preserve – 22.3 acres)

Brighton Park Development Corp, 1977 (Silvermine Marsh Open Space – 8.5 acres)

Martin Greenberg & Samuel Bell, 1978 (Messex Open Space – 2.25 acres)

Hans Forland, 1978 (Andrews Farm Waterfowl Open Space – 10.3 acres)

Raphael Vogel, 1978 (Kettle Creek Park – 1.1 acres)

Norma Minkowitz & Barbara Kokot, 1978 (Oakwood Wetland Open Space – 2 acres)

Herbert Gordon & Herbert Fane, 1979 (White Oak Open Space – 3.2 acres)Martin Greenberg & Samuel Bell, 1984/1989, 1991 (Bernhard Upland Preserve and Freeborn Walk Trail – 2.5 acres)

Curtis & Norma Benjamin, 1985 (Benjamin Wildflower Preserve – 4 acres)

Craig Calhoun, Crosswicks Corp, 1985 (Crosswicks Open Space – 0.8 acres)

Marjorie Fischel, 1985 (Godfrey Woods Open Space – 11 acres)

Greenfield Planning/CN Builders, 1985 (Greenfields II Swamp – 6.3 acres)

Robert E. Fuller, 1985 (Pinefields Open Space – 4 acres)

Norman J. Cloutier, 1986 (Ledgebrook Swamp – 6 acres)

Olly Mattera Contracting Co., 1986 (Nimrod Open Space – 2.3 acres)

Paul & Jeff Tallman, 1986 (Buck Hill Swamp – 2 acres)

Stephen Rapaport, 1986-7 (Walter F. Wagner Preserve – 12.6 acres)

Michael Greenberg, 1987 (Fritz Reiner Open Space – 3.2 acres)

John Denham, Neil Callaghan, 1987 (Jennings Woods Preserve – 10.9 acres)

Walden Pond Association, 1987 (Walden Pond Open Space – 1.4 acres)

Old Farm Associates, 1987 (Raynor Creek Open Space – 1.8 acres)

Peter Voulgarakis, 1986-7, 1991 (Old Easton Swamp – 3.7 acres)

Terraspace Partners, 1988 (Beaver Swamp/Terraspace Open Space – 8.7 acres)

Associated Builders, 1988 (Laurel Ridge Open Space – 2.6 acres)

Fyber Properties, 1989 (Soundview Wildlife Habitat – 6.9 acres)

Charles Niewenhous, 1991 (Niewenhous Open Space – 2.9 acres)

Anson Morton, 1991 (Lillian Squires Morton Preserve – 3.6 acres)

Singing Oaks Associates, 1991 (Singing Oaks Nature Preserve – 18 acres)

Joseph G. Barata, 1991 (Barata Easement)

Basil D. Rissolo Inc., 1992 (Hackberry Wetland Habitat – 2 acres)

Charles Niewenhous, 1992 (Niewenhous Wetland Habitat – 2.6 acres)

Robert & Betty Foreman, 1992 (Foreman Open Space – 6.1 acres)

M.H. Builders, 1993 (Heine Wetland Habitat – 0.9 acres)

Joseph Gjuresko, 1993 (Gjuresko Wetladn Habitat – 4 acres)

Mr. & Mrs. John Ebbott, 1993 (Ebbott Open Space – 3.6 acres)

Pequot Development Corp., 1994 (Tall Pines Nature Preserve – 11.4 acres)Greenfield Planning Group, Leon Schonberg, 1995 (Winthrop Hills Open Space – 2.7 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Thorne Wildlife Habitat, 1995. $195,000 (2.9 acres)

Shilepsky Family, 1995 (Nathan and Julia Shilepsky Open Space – 4.1 acres)Richard & Joyce Pauker, Thomas St. Denis, 1997 (Byebrook Open Space – 8.1 acres)

Holly Bannister & Doug Newhouse, 1999 (Pfeiffer Pond Conservation Restriction – 5.9 acres)

Town of Weston, 1999 (Trout Brook Valley Bradley Rd Access Easement – 44.5 acres)

Kenneth & Susan Von Kohorn, 2001 (Beaver Brook Open Space – 1.8 acres)

Estate of Elisabeth Moore, 2002 (Elisabeth Luce Moore Nature Preserve – 28 acres)

Hope Evangelical Free Church, 2012 (Hope Church Open Space – 1 acre)

Howard Aibel, 2014 (Aibel Open Space – 6 acres)

Purchased by ALT: Mola Open Space, 2015. $100,000 (15.5 acres)

BRIDGEPORT LAND DONORSPurchased by ALT: Great Salt Marsh Island, 2005. $22,500 (7 acres)

REDDING LAND DONORSDiane Jennings Mayo, 2006 (Jennings Nature Preserve – 52 acres)

Anonymous, 2016 (Giles Hill Road Open Space – 13.7 acres)

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New Open Spaces PreservedOver the past year, we’ve preserved a total of 29.9 acres of additional land. This includes 13.7 acres in Redding on Giles Hill Road (anonymous gift) and 15.5 acres of land in Wilton adjacent to our 86-acre Honey Hill Preserve in Weston that we purchased in a bargain sale for $100,000.

We are currently in discussions with a Weston family to purchase 38 acres in Weston adjacent to our 86-acre Honey Hill Preserve.

We recently completed a two-year project supported by Carto, a web based mapping company, to develop web-based maps to identify new land protection projects. Most of the land in our area has been developed which requires that we look more strategically and creatively at the available lands remaining and their connectivity to other open spaces. We have some exciting projects on the horizon!

If you would like more information about donating land or if you would like to learn more about our land protection efforts, contact David Brant at (203) 331-1906

New Wilton Property Purchased in a Bargain SaleWe preserved this 15.5-acre Wilton property for $100,000 which is adjacent to our 86-acre Honey Hill Preserve on the Weston/Wilton border.

Improvements at Newly Preserved Southport Beach Open SpaceLocal beachgoers love our sign at the new 0.7 acre South-port Beach Open Space. The nearly one-acre property was at risk of being developed and was purchased in a bargain sale from a developer for $105,000 with sup-port from the Southport Conservancy and local neigh-bors. We have removed invasive and dead trees and will be restoring the stream bank with salt tolerant native plants and trees.

New Southport Beach open space.

Local beachgoers love our new sign at the 0.7 acre Southport Beach Open Space.

New Wilton property adjacent to the 86-acre Honey Hill Preserve in Weston/Wilton.

LAND PROTECTIONOne of the most important things Aspetuck Land Trust supporters make possible is the preservation of local open space from development so people can enjoy the great outdoors and wildlife has a place to call home. Since 1966, we’ve preserved over 120 properties on 1,700+ acres in the towns of Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Easton, Redding, Wilton and Bridgeport. This includes 45 trailed nature preserves and 40 miles of hiking trails we maintain for the public.

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LAND CONSERVATIONAspetuck Land Trust member donations support our ef-forts to improve wildlife habitats on our nature preserves and maintain our properties. Land Trust staff, hired contractors and a committed cadre of volunteers help us take care of our properties. These activities include conducting ecological assessments on our open spaces to address the major threats to biodiversity and identifying conservation projects at varying scales as appropriate. We are currently conducting ecological assessments on 11 properties and actively improving wildlife habitats on 40 acres of land. Additionally, Land Trust volunteers are involved in a number of activities including pruning blueberries and apple trees, removing invasive plants, improving trails and serving as trail stewards.

To Volunteer contact Alice at: administration@aspetucklandtrust.org

Land management practices change over time. These are some of the things we do to maintain our properties:

• We are mowing our open fields in late winter to provide winter cover and food sources for migrat-ing birds and residents (birds those that don’t go south for the winter). Aside from the seeds that provide food, some insects will overwinter in the stems of meadow grasses. During the winter hungry birds will peck into the stems and eat the insects. If we mow our fields in late-summer or fall we eliminate an important food source.

• During field mowing we set our mower decks high to avoid mowing the basal rosettes of perennials like Joe Pie Weed (Eupatorium maculatum) and Butterfly Weed (Asclepias) and also so we don’t mow Eastern Box Turtles, a species of “Special Concern” in the state of Connecticut.

• We are removing invasive Japanese Barberry from our properties because it crowds out native plant species and provides a home to the white footed mouse which is a carrier for Lyme Disease. Studies have shown that you are seven times more likely to get Lyme Disease if you have invasive Barberry on your property.

• We are planting pollinator meadows to provide more diverse plant habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.

BEFORE: The marsh was 100% Invasive Phragmites. Picture taken from Kings Hwy North Bridge looking towards Post Road Bridge in background.

AFTER: Removing the invasive Phragmites caused a more diverse array of native plants to grow in the marsh resulting in more wildlife diversity.

Westport Salt Marsh Restoration CompletedIn 2016, we completed a three-year project to restore 3.2 acres of salt marsh at the Taylortown Salt Marsh prop-erty in downtown Westport by removing the invasive Phragmite weed. Our efforts have resulted in more native plants and wildlife in the marsh which was completely infested with invasive Phragmites.

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Volunteers Re-Route Blue Trail in Trout Brook ValleyVolunteers from Aspetuck Land Trust and the Fairfield County Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike As-sociation (FC NEMBA) re-routed a section of the Blue trail in May. Young mountain bike riders assisted with the project under the direction of Monika Stokes (far right in orange) who is a Trail Steward in the Jump Hill section of Trout Brook Valley. Thank you!

Maintaining Early Successional Habitat at the Newman Poses Preserve in WestportMatt Bartelme, owner of Bart’s Tree Service donated their crew and equipment to help us maintain early successional habitat at the Newman Poses Preserve in Westport. Early successional habitat is a habitat with vigorously growing grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees which provide excellent food and cover for wildlife but need disturbance to be maintained. Examples of early suc-cessional habitats include weedy areas, grasslands, old fields or pastures, shrub thickets (e.g. dogwood or alder), and young forest. If these habitats are not mowed, brush hogged, burned, cut, grazed or disturbed in some other fashion, they will eventually become forest over time. Grasslands will revert to old fields. Old fields will eventu-ally grow into young forest. Young forest will grow into mature forest. This process is referred to as succession. As such, grasslands, old fields, and young forests are often referred to as early-successional habitats.

Bart’s Tree Service crews working at the Newman Poses Preserve volunteered their time and equipment last winter at the Newman Poses Preserve in Westport. Thank you Bart’s!

The Land Trust is maintaining early successional habitat at the Newman Poses Preserve in Westport. This type of habitat is characterized by vigorously growing grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees which provide excellent food and cover for wildlife but need disturbance to be maintained.

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Legacy GiftsPlease think of Aspetuck Land Trust in your will. Making a gift through a bequest in a will and/or or a revocable living trust allows the you to decide how your estate will be distributed and enables you to take advantage of tax-saving opportunities. Please consult your attorney or financial advisor or contact ALT Executive Director David Brant at (203) 331-1906.

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ALT board member and blueberry czar Tom Johnson (in yellow) pruning blueberry bushes with volunteers.

Pruning veteran Harry Audley (center) with two new volunteers.

Land Trust member Bob Marcinuk enjoying some blueberries.

The Blueberry PatchEvery spring, over 100+ hardy volunteers turn out to help us prune our nearly 1,000 blueberry bushes. Annual pruning keeps the bushes healthy and encourages new growth which makes more blueberries. This past summer was our first member only blueberry picking season. We worked hard to fertilize and care for the bushes in hopes of a bountiful crop. Due to the drought and the birds we had a limited crop of blueberries but enough for limited picking. Our 50th Anniversary Adopt a Blueberry Bush Program to help replenish the blueberry patch was suc-cessful as many people adopted bushes.

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Land Trust members with their adopted blueberry bushes! To adopt a blueberry bush, click the Donate button on our website. The next round of bushes will be planted next fall but you can purchase a sponsorship at any time.

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Summer interns working with members of our Invasive Removal Team removed invasive Japanese Barberry from the Newman Poses Preserve in Westport.

Westport Girl Scout Troop 10578 volunteered to help plant native wildflowers at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport. We would like to thank Oliver Nurseries in Fairfield for donating plants.

Volunteer Alan Feldman pruning apple trees in the Trout Brook Valley orchard.

Summer Conservation InternsEvery summer we host interns from local high schools and colleges. This year we worked with a great crew of summer interns from Staples and Weston High Schools. Summer interns work on a variety of projects including invasive removal, and habitat improvement projects

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Lepidopterist Victor DeMasi leads our annual butterfly hike at the Randall’s Farm Preserve in Easton. Credit Steve White

The 34-acre Randall’s Farm property in Easton donated by Joan duPont provides rich butterfly habitat. Credit Steve White

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTEducational HikesOur guided educational hikes for adults and children are a fun way to get outside and enjoy nature. Our guided hikes run from spring through fall, are published on our website and are designed to highlight the habitats and natural features of our nature preserves. You can learn about bees, hawks, birds, butterflies, geology and natu-ral history, vernal pools, trees, invasive and indigenous plants, salt marshes and much more.

If you have expertise and knowledge about the natural world that you would like to share, contact Alice at administration@aspetucklandtrust.org.

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Children eagerly investigating the newly built Little Free Library at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport at our first ever Story Walk held in partnership with the Westport Public Library. The featured book was “Bird, Butterfly, Eel” by Easton artist and writer James Prosek.

A blue crab found by a child at our annual salt marsh hike at Great Salt Marsh Island Preserve in Ash Creek in Fairfield. ALT preserved this property with the town of Fairfield in 2005.

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Getting Kids OutsideWe believe that getting more children outside in nature is important and have developed initiatives to get more children outside. We hope you and your child can take advantage of these offerings. We thank our member sup-porters and the William C. Bullitt and Sexauer Founda-tions for their generous support of our efforts to inspire the next generation of conservationists.

Junior Ranger Explorer Backpacks Now Available at Local LibrariesOur Jr. Ranger program is a great way to get outside and explore with your child. Parents can check out Jr. Ranger Explorer backpacks at the Westport, Fairfield Main, Fairfield Woods, Weston, Easton and Pequot Libraries. The backpacks contain an Explorer Guidebook and our 4 town open space map (yours to keep), binoculars, plant and tree guides, magnifying lenses and bug containers to make exploring fun and exciting for you and your child. We also included some helpful hints for parents so you can lead your child on a fun and rewarding hike. Please see “Exploring with Kids” in the Children’s Activities section of our website to learn more.

Complete the amazing activities in the A.L.T. Junior Ranger booklet and earn a special A.L.T. patch and certi�cate of completion in a ceremony honoring your accomplishment!To get started, contact Aspetuck Land Trust to request your ALT Jr. Ranger booklet at dbrant@aspetucklandtrust.org or call (203) 331-1906.

Parents can check out our new Jr. Ranger Backpacks at local libraries.

Looking for webmaster volunteers to help update Land Trust website. Up to 5 hours per month.

Contact Alice at: administration@aspetucklandtrust.org

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Ethnobotanist Inspired by Land Trust By Hayden Stebbins

Aspetuck Land Trust celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. I spent a considerable amount of my formative years in the preserves of the Aspetuck Land Trust, and this year I had the honor of leading plant and mushroom walks at the Caryl and Edna Haskins Preserve in West-port. During these walks, participants were given the tools to engage with the plant and fungal world around them in an intentional and meaningful manner.

I was in middle school when Trout Brook was protected by the ALT with the help of numerous supporters, in-cluding my mother and father. My parents encouraged my brother and me to mountain bike there as much as possible. This gave my already ecologically aware mind another excuse to get outside, play, and wonder at all that exists in the spaces between roads and buildings. My freshman year of high school, I wrote my application to The Island School, a 3-month experiential learning program in The Bahamas, about my time spent at Trout Brook. This program played no small role in my accep-tance at Cornell University and subsequent masters at Schumacher College in the UK.

In the intervening years, I have dug deeply into the plants and mushrooms the Aspetuck Land Trust helped to introduce me to. This year, I partnered with the Aspetuck Land Trust to guide plant and mushroom walks through-out this year at the Haskins Preserve in Westport. The fo-cus of these walks was to open people’s eyes to the plants and mushrooms that grow all around us, and how we can work with them as food or medicine. These were well attended, and everyone seemed to gain a new perspective on that which grows all around us.

In my eyes, the purpose of land conservation is not only to set aside open spaces to be enjoyed for generations to come, but to inspire those

generations, including the present, to bring the land ethic into their everyday lives.

In my eyes, the purpose of land conservation is not only to set aside open spaces to be enjoyed for generations to come, but to inspire those generations, including the present, to bring the land ethic into their everyday lives. By learning about plants and mushrooms, the “scenery” of our lives transforms from a “great green wall” to a por-trait of plants and mushrooms, growing, blooming, and fruiting throughout the seasons, making life itself more vivid and interesting. Additionally, we can learn to bring

plants and mushrooms into our lives by eating them, us-ing them for medicine, and letting our yards grow a little wilder, making our lives truly richer.

I would like to thank the Aspetuck Land Trust for protecting the lands that have made my life richer, and for enabling me to share this richness through walks at the Haskins Preserve. A place in nature away from the human-ness in which we exist is vital. Learning to pay attention to the non-human is a way to bring the wonder of open space everywhere you go. I look forward to 50 more years of Aspetuck Land Trust’s excellent work, and to seeing you at a future plant and mushroom walk.

Ethnobotanist Hayden Stebbins leading an edible and medicinal plant hike at the Caryl and Edna Haskins Preserve in Westport. Hayden’s mission is to spread awareness about and encourage the ecological use of plants and mushrooms in everyday life. His life journey was inspired by his family’s excursions on the Land Trust’s 1,009-acre Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area in Easton/Weston. You can learn more about the work of Hayden Stebbins and his events at www.haydensharvest.com.

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We built a new Children’s Nature Trail at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport. Check out our new Jr. Ranger backpack at your local library and explore the new trail or any of our other open spaces.

From left: Boy Scout Richard Costello, David Brant (ALT Executive Director) and Lois Schine pose for a picture at the grand opening of the new Nature Trail at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport named after the late Leonard Schine.

Boy Scout Robert Maron with his Little Free Library installed at the Natural Playground at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport.

Weston Girl Scout Troop 50537 recently adopted the Natural Playground at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport.

New Children’s Nature TrailALT built a new Family Nature Trail at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport. Officially open on June 11th, 2016, the nature trail is designed to introduce fami-lies to the many different features of Fairfield County’s diverse landscape. The purpose of the trail is to engage kids’ hearts, minds and imaginations in nature. The trail incorporates a Natural Playground that Early Childhood Education Zone named one of the 50 Best Playgrounds in America.

Little Free Library Built by Local Boy ScoutRobert Maron, from Boy Scout Troop 10 in Fairfield, built and installed a Little Free Library at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport in the Natural Playground as part of his Eagle Scout badge. A Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. Now when you and your child visit the Natural Playground they have their own outdoor nature library! Robert also installed a Little Free Library at Southport Park in South-port.

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Boy Scout Richard Costello Building the Bird’s Nest platform

Giant Bird Nest Built at Natural PlaygroundRichard Costello from Boy Scout Troop 100 in Westport built a giant bird nest for children to play on for his Eagle Scout badge. The giant nest can be found at Aspetuck Land Trust’s Natural Playground at the Leonard Schine Nature Preserve in Westport, located on Glendinning Place off of Weston Road. The Playground was voted one of the top 50 playgrounds in the U.S. and the giant bird nest is a new addition to the natural playscape which has areas for fort building, digging, tea-parties, tower-climbing, trail-walking, stick-stacking, nature collages and more.

Ecology Camp Starting in 2017In August 2017, we are organizing a one-week nature and ecology camp for ten middle-school students who are budding environmental scientists. The camp will be located at the Caryl and Edna Haskins Preserve in West-port. We hope to create future scientists like Caryl and Edna Haskins, both noted scientists, authors, and phi-lanthropists, who donated their amazing 22-acre estate in the middle of Westport to the Aspetuck Land Trust. If you have a middle-school age child who has a passion and interest in science, wildlife and the outdoors this will be a great experience for them. The cost per student will be $150. We are seeking two college-aged students to serve as Senior Counselors (paid) and two high school students to serve as Jr. Counselors (unpaid).

To learn more, contact Alice at administration@aspetucklandtrust.org

Children adding sticks to the newly built Giant Bird’s Nest located at the Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport.

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P.O. Box 444 Westport, CT 06881-0444

Jewish Home residents helping with a Land Trust mailing.

Thank You Jewish Home Residents from Jewish Senior Services Jewish Home on Park Avenue are now sending out Aspetuck Land Trust mailings. The Jewish Home Work Center engages residents in helping local non-profits like Aspetuck Land Trust.

Our new ALT t-shirt designed by board member Lissy Newman.

Make a gift to ALT this year Your tax deductible support is the foundation of the Land Trust and makes our work in protecting and taking care of our open spaces and involving the public on the land possible. Your gift has an immediate impact on our mission and programs. Please use the enclosed envelope to send your gift of support to Aspetuck Land Trust or visit our website at aspetucklandtrust.org to make a donation online. THANK YOU!

CONNECTBecome a Fan of Aspetuck Land Trust on Facebook and sign up on our website to receive our e-news. www.aspetucklandtrust.org

October 11 is “Aspetuck Land Trust Day” in Fairfield Says Fairfield’s First SelectmanFairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau presents Aspetuck Land Trust’s Executive Director David Brant with a proc-lamation officially declaring October 11 as “Aspetuck Land Trust Day” in Fairfield. “The Town of Fairfield con-gratulates Aspetuck Land Trust on celebrating its 50-year anniversary. This Land Trust is a vital asset to our com-munity through its dedicated work in preserving local open spaces that residents are encouraged to explore and learn more about. Aspetuck Land Trust’s steadfast com-mitment and foresight to preserve our land will have a major impact on the lives of residents for years to come.” Executive Director Brant added that, “People need open space for their mental and physical health. The Land Trust preserves big and small open spaces and each has value for people and wildlife.”

From left: Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau issues a proclamation to ALT Executive Director David Brant declaring October 11, 2016 as Aspetuck Land Trust Day in the Town of Fairfield.