The autumn foliage and crisp air of November is here. As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve taken time to reflect on what I am grateful for this year. Looking back on all the projects and trail crews, I’m amazed at all of the work that has been done on various properties. From post-storm cleanup to invasive removal, […]
Between Covid-19, recession, political and racial anger, drought, and power failures, this charming year reminds us that nothing is static. Ouch. The eastern Connecticut biota that we attempt to preserve and protect is dynamically responding to climate-induced change. But before we get too grim, let’s review what we each noticed in flora and fauna behavior
Your Turn: Anecdotal “Science” Read Post »
I recently had a conversation with our 3-year-old about biodiversity. This was after hearing, as we were driving to school, a story about how the United Nations Global Biodiversity Targets set in 2010 had been almost entirely missed by the 2020 summit. [Me]: We need to save species. Help mother nature so we can save
Changing habits in the land of steady ones Read Post »
Why would a reasonable person want to spend spare time clearing trails, fighting a battle against invasive species or installing kiosks? Why would a person work as a steward, maintaining properties and dealing with occasional paperwork? Why in the world would a reasonable person agree to volunteer time, energy and experience to help govern a nonprofit
Alluring golden light glints through the forest ahead, inviting us up on the open ridge alongside the improbable, imposing glacial erratic. Long before Joshua’s Trust made Wolf Rock our first conservation area purchase in 1971, Mansfield residents would picnic on this overlook next to the locally famous boulder. The easy trail, though it has probably
Enduring Wolf Rock Read Post »
If you have ever seen the Joshua’s Trust boundary medallions around, you may have noticed that some are a little different. Medallions that the one pictured here, indicate that the property is a conservation easement. These are managed very differently than the properties with trails. A conservation easement is a deed restriction that a landowner
Conservation Easements vs. Fee Owned Properties Read Post »
