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Conservation Connections Campaign
Making connections is key to smart land conservation ...

UPDATE: East Haddam Land Trust has one pending land acquisition that will connect existing conserved properties to create a larger greenway for wildlife and allow for extended public hiking and increased opportunities for connecting with nature. 
EHLT closed on the Honey Hill Farm property in mid-October 2024. Watch for a grand opening in the upcoming months.
EHLT is still raising funds for the purchase of the Tater Hill Property. Read more below.

Honey Hill Farm – 123 Acres on Honey Hill Rd.

 

  • Mature forest, shrub understory, and inland wetlands on the northern side of Honey Hill Road in East Haddam.
  • Is directly across Honey Hill Road from EHLT's 69-acre Saunders Property.  Combined, these properties add just under 200 acres of contiguous forest to existing conserved land that includes the Town’s Lena & Roaring Brook Reserves, the Fox Hopyard Conservation Easement, Devil’s Hopyard State Park, and The Nature Conservancy’s Burnham Brook Preserve.
  • Helps protect the Connecticut River, recognized as one of the western hemisphere's "Last Great Places." A scenic stream descends from a large, undisturbed wetland in the northeast portion, flows through the center of the property, and eventually feeds the Roaring Brook, the Whalebone Creek Watershed, and the Connecticut River. Such inland streams support migratory fish species vital to the health of Connecticut River wildlife. 
  • Protects the habitat of a diverse array of wildlife and overwintering and migrating woodland birds and supports at least three (wood thrush, worm-eating warbler, and cerulean warbler) of the Audubon Connecticut species of greatest conservation concern.
 
EHLT was awarded a $321,100 Open Space & Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) grant by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and a $50,000 grant from the Bafflin Foundation towards the purchase of this property. 
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Tater Hill Property - 14.2 acres on Tater Hill Rd.​
  • Mature forest, shrub understory, and inland wetlands on the southern side of Tater Hill Rd. in East Haddam.
  • Is directly across Tater Hill Rd from EHLT's 87-acre Miller Farm Preserve. To the east, it borders EHLT's Walls Way, 14.2 acres donated to EHLT in April 2024 by Dave and Alice Walls. Like Walls Way, it shares a southern border with the Town's 207-acre Lena Reserve.
  • About two-thirds of the property is in the Eightmile Wild & Scenic River Watershed while the remaining one-third is in the Roaring Brook Watershed. Both of these watersheds are listed as high priorities for conservation in the Town of East Haddam's Plan of Conservation and Development.
  • Preserves land that was once part of a 250-acre farm and orchard that was divided among family members into smaller farm parcels. Aerial imagery from 1934 reflects that the southernmost portion of the lot, surrounded by several impressive stone walls, was still being farmed at the time, while the northern half of the property was then already forested.
  • Lies within Audubon Connecticut’s Lyme Forest Block Important Bird Area, acreage critical to overwintering and migratory birds.
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EHLT has applied for a grant from the Eightmile Wild & Scenic Watershed Coordinating Committee and expects to apply for an Open Space and Watershed Acquisition grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to aid in covering acquisition costs.
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Making connections
is key
to smart land conservation.

Donate to the
Conservation Connections Campaign
by credit card
or by mail to
East Haddam Land Trust,
P.O. Box 122,
East Haddam, CT 06423 
(note Connections Campaign
on your check).



Questions about
the Conservation Connections Campaign?
Contact Pete.Govert@ehlt.org or leave a message at 860-484-3458

East Haddam Land Trust:   

 

  • Has 45 years of history as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust. As one of the earlier land trusts incorporated in Connecticut, we are managed by a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors and a part-time Executive Director. We have more than 1000 members/supporters. 

  • Is one of about 30 Connecticut land trusts and one of about 465 land trusts in the United States accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission inspires excellence, promotes public trust, and ensures permanence in land conservation by recognizing organizations that meet rigorous quality standards and strive for continuous improvement. The Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts.

  • Manages over $3 million in assets with an annual operating budget of about $52,000 per year (exclusive of funds expended for land acquisition). We operate using best business practices, as required by accreditation standards.

  • Currently oversees nearly 800 acres of preserved land and maintains 10+ miles of trails for public use.

  • Pledges to use all excess funds donated to this campaign for land acquisition costs.   

 

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