2010/2011 Photo Contest Announcement
The Sixth Annual Amateur Photo Contest, sponsored by local land/conservation trusts has been announced. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2011. Visit the Photo Contest page for details, entry form, and contest rules.
2011 and 2012 Nature Calendars
The 2011 calendar featuring Student and Adult Artwork was recently sent to our membership. We very much appreciate the donations, support, and art entries received in support of the calendar. Download rules and an entry form for the 2012 calendar. Download the form to send in your 2012 special occasion calendar dates to support EHLT.
Summer Activities
Work parties, hikes...see our Calendar Page for details about our summer activities. Here's a photo taken at the June 20's Father's Day Kayak/Canoe Trip; we spotted several bald eagles and egrets in and out of the nest. Nice trip!
EHLT on Facebook
We have discontinued our current Social Network site, where members can post photos, videos, comments, and hold discussions, due to the host instituting charges beginning in July. We've set up a Facebook site instead...please use that site to post your pictures and comments about the preserves, etc. We've posted all the photos from the past 2 years, links to Peter Marteka's Hartford Courant articles, etc. Click the FB logo below to access our FB site.
Anita Ballek Scholarship Winner 2010
Congratulations to Cody Lorentson, the winner of the 2010 scholarship. Cody will attend Eastern CT State University, majoring in Environmental Earth Sciences with a concentration in sustainable energy studies. Cody, an honer student, received the only perfect attendance award for his class! Click Here for details about the scholarship.
Monthly Hikes
We sponsor a monthly hike (September through June) on the last Sunday of the month. The hikes start at 1:00 PM and last about two hours. They explore open space properties in East Haddam and the neighboring towns. As time and location allow, there are brief discussions on the history, geology, flora and fauna of the area. See the Events Calendar for details each month and watch for email announcements.
Here's the Group Photo from the October 25 hike at Hartman Park in Lyme:
Recent News and Events
Pete Marteka revisited the Sheepskin Hollow Preserve and wrote about his experience in the March 28 edition of the Hartford Courant. Pictures are included. Click Here for a link to the article.
Work Parties THIRD Saturdays-Sept. to June
Mark your calendars every third Saturday (revised dates due to conflicts) through June for the monthly work party, 9 am-Noon. It's a great way to work together, improving or maintaining our preserves, while getting a bit of exercise and having fun! See calendar for details each month. Click here for an article in the Reminder about a Hammond Mill work day. Here's a group shot taken at the October 17 work party at Ballahack.
We Need Your Help
We are currently working with land owners to protect close to 150 acres of land on the Moodus River in the north to the Eightmile River in the south. To do this crucial work, we need your financial support. Our annual membership drive is the primary method of raising the necessary funds to purchase, protect and steward the lands of the trust. Read more about our efforts in the Newsletter or Click Here to donate or pay your membership dues.
News
Peter Marteka's December 11 column "Old Mills and Rivers Are Now Time Machines" featured the Hammond Mill and Bernstein Preserves. Click Here for a link to the article and pictures. His February 20 column "Breathtaking Waterfalls in Sheepskin Hollow" described his walk through that Preserve. Click Here for a link to his article and a video of the walk.
New and Past Events
East Haddam Land Trust and other town events are added frequently to the Events Calendar page; check this page often. There is also a link to printable, month-at-glance calendars that list local events for the applicable month.
East Haddam Land Trust, Inc. Mission
East Haddam Land Trust was incorporated in Connecticut in 1979 as a local, private, all-volunteer, non-profit, tax-exempt land conservation organization. Its purpose is to preserve and hold in trust, for the people, the natural resources of the town of East Haddam. This includes woodlands, fields, lakes, rivers, open spaces, and the plant and animal life thereon. The Trust currently owns 230 acres of land and holds 113 acres of easements on its preserves, many of which have marked hiking trails open to the public.
Our goal is to acquire natural areas and conservation easements through donations and purchases, so the town of East Haddam can preserve its natural resources. In addition, the Land Trust seeks to foster understanding and enjoyment of natural areas by sponsoring hikes, canoe trips, wildlife programs, and other activities in our preserves and other natural areas. Although many of the natural areas tend to be land, the Trust also focuses on protecting other resources, such as Eightmile River, Roaring Brook, Moodus River, Chapman Pond, Salmon River, Salmon Cove, and Succor Brook.