Happy New Year from Litchfield Land Trust!

2025 was a fruitful year for the land trust, thanks to the hard work of our board and our remarkable volunteers and critical support from our donors. Together we are a force for land preservation. Heartfelt thanks to everyone that has been able to help support our work together. We look forward to keeping the momentum going for 2026!

Special thanks to Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy for spearheading this fantastic initiative!

We are excited to participate in the Litchfield 250 Conservation Challenge—an initiative encouraging 250 acts of responsible conservation in honor of America’s 250th birthday! 

LLT is focusing on four initiatives in support of this challenge, and we welcome volunteers to sign up and help us!

• Watershed Evaluation Team (WET) - volunteers will be trained to monitor LLT properties and assess important riparian areas for Bantam Lake watershed
  
• Stone Wall Historians - volunteers meet and agree on a mapping approach based on UCONN Professor, Robert Thorson's research.
  
• Invasive Plant Management - volunteers will work together in a coordinated effort to eradicate invasive plants and to map the efforts.
  
• Hiking Trail Maintainers - volunteers will be trained in trail maintenance and work in groups with adopted sections of LLT trails.

LLT volunteers monitored 4,200 acres of permanently protected land. A total of 162 monitoring reports were created. We used mapping software and cell phones to walk 42 properties, and 120 properties were evaluated using satellite technology. The vast majority of this preserved forest and farmland is thriving; however, several encroachments have been observed, and LLT continues to work to maintain the protections that have been established for these lands. 

Stick to your New Year's resolution of hitting the trails more, and do it in style with an LLT hoodie, t-shirt, or water bottle! Our new online store is stocked with several styles, and 100% of the proceeds go directly toward supporting our mission.