"Thank you for caring for and studying the bears, I think the sharing of your information can help mitigate some of the unfounded fear that many have of bears." That's what one viewer had to say after watching The Social Black Bear: What Bears Have Taught Me About Being Human, a presentation from Ben Kilham, Ph.D, a wildlife biologist from Lyme, New Hampshire. Reaching communities across town and state borders, the presentation was co-hosted by five land trusts and a local library and publicized through social media and on-line news throughout the region. We just love collaborations...and bears!...

“That’s the one silver lining out of all of this,” said Kristina White, Executive Director of the Lyme Land Trust. “People are finally experiencing and appreciating the outdoors and it’s really great to see. That’s the whole reason we do this.” One year into the pandemic and the demand for outdoor recreation continues to grow. From national parks to local hiking trails, there is an unprecedented interest in connecting with nature. The Connecticut Examiner caught up with a few of our fellow conservationists to discuss this phenomenon. Pete Govert, President of the East Haddam Land Trust, shares “we’re easily seeing double the number of cars we usually see in our parking lots – if not triple. We’re always looking for ways to get people in the woods, but we never dreamed it would take a pandemic to do it.”...

In early March, CLCC and Audubon Connecticut issued a press release applauding Governor Lamont for introducing An Act Concerning Climate Change Adaptation (HB 6441). At a public hearing on March 8, land trusts and their communities from across the state were particularly supportive of Section 3, which gives municipalities an option to generate local funding for stewardship, climate resilience, land conservation and other community environmental projects through a buyer's conveyance fee program. Here's what some of our friends in NW CT had to say about the bill in this news article...

The Environment Committee still needs to vote yes on HB 6441 by the end of the month to move the bill forward in the legislative process.

Please contact Amy ASAP to find out how you can help.

We love catching news items on land trusts doing it all – whether they're featured for their outstanding conservation work, advocating for important legislation, or working together to bring exciting learning opportunities to all people across the state and beyond.

Connecticut land trusts – big and small – are essential community partners.

#LoveYourCTLandTrust — they are always taking action!

Black Bear by Bill Arnold (Kent, CT); Anstett Property by Gina White (protected by Madison Land Conservation Trust); The RavineTrail by Rebecca Dahl (protected by Lyme Land Trust); Lost Lake Vista at Westwoods by Christine Palm (protected by Guilford Land Conservation Trust)