THE WARREN CONSERVATOR FALL 2021

From The President’s Desk

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am so happy to report that we have been able to resume in-person events in recent months... and they were every bit as gratifying and enjoyable as we knew they would be.

We are always proud to work for the benefit of our community, environmentally (by conserving forests and watershed) agriculturally (by protecting farmland), and recreationally (by building trails on our preserves). But it is our programs that allow us

to engage directly with you, sharing first-hand the importance of our land conservation mission. And there is no better way to get to know neighbors and make new friends than being out in the woods and fields of our beautiful town.

We annually organize a regular set of events • Town Clean-up around Earth Day in April • CT Trails Day Hike in June • Housatonic Heritage Walk in September • Fall Festival in October • Holiday on the Hill in December. These are supplemented with other popular gatherings, such as volunteer trail-clearing sessions, donor thank-you events and other occasions (like 2019’s 30th anniversary picnic and next year’s planned Harvest Moon Walk). All of these activities not only showcase our work, but they weave the land trust into the fabric of the community, in part because in a small town like Warren, partnering with local and regional organizations is a great way to get things done while building and strengthening valuable and rewarding connections.

Take our Fall Housatonic Heritage Walk, for example. Housatonic Heritage, a regional organization seeking to promote the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the Upper Housatonic River Valley, provides a loose organizational framework. We partner with the Warren Historical Society (WHS) annually to determine a site and theme for a walk in Warren. This year, the event (about which you can read more about on page 4) was generously hosted by longtime supporters and conservation easement donors on their property. WHS Curator Heather Forstmann provided her expertise in local history, our host pointed out natural and environmental points of interest, and a board member who is a skilled amateur archaeologist appealed to the CT State Archaeologist to join us. Similar partnerships underlie our other events.

It takes a village, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. So if you’re interested in helping organize any of our existing programs, or have ideas for something new, in line with our land conservation mission, please get in touch and let us know!

Sincerely, 

Rebecca Neary