Candlewood Valley Regional Land Trust

Danbury and New Fairfield, CT

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Event Recap: Music Around the Pond

We had an amazing weekend in New Fairfield for their annual “Music Around the Pond” summer event, sponsored by Friends of Ball Pond! This fun, family-friendly event invites boaters to float, row, or paddle around Ball Pond, where local talent performs from docks and shorelines. This was the first time this event was held on a piece of CVRLT property (Hahlawah Preserve) with a LIVE band, The Bandolins: Connecticut Bluegrass Band! It was a great night enjoyed by all!

Check out some of the highlights of the evening:

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July is Lake Appreciation Month

You work and play on them. You drink from them. But do you really appreciate them? Growing population, development, and invasive species stress your local lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. All life needs water; let’s not take it for granted!

One of CVRLT’s properties is located on Ball Pond in New Fairfield. Ball pond recently had a potentially harmful “algae bloom.” According to the EPA, “Algal blooms can reduce the ability of fish and other aquatic life to find food and can cause entire populations to leave an area or even die. Harmful algal blooms cause thick, green muck that impacts clear water, recreation, businesses and property values.”

To help preserve Ball Pond, and all of the ponds and lakes that we are fortunate to have in Danbury and New Fairfield, please consider the following:

Do’s & Don’ts

  • Do reduce or eliminate use of fertilizer and pesticides. Lawn fertilizers increase the risk of algae in the water
  • Don’t sweep or blow leaves or grass clippings into ponds or lakes, try composting them instead
  • Do clean septic systems annually
  • Don’t put anything in storm drains other than water
  • Do pick up pet waster and dispose of it properly
  • Don’t wash your car where runoff flows into storm drains

Get out there to enjoy and protect our lakes…

  • Organize a physically-distanced shoreline cleanup (make sure to follow CDC guidelines)
  • Develop an educational self-guided lake tour
  • Organize a hike or biking event with a focus on your local lake
  • Enjoy your local lake, pond, or reservoir with fun summertime activities, such as: boating, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, or rowing; swimming; fishing; or enjoying the natural scenery with friends and family
  • Go birding or take pictures at a lake or pond

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Capture the Beauty at CVRLT

Summer is officially here and what better way to enjoy the warm weather and beautiful sunshine than by visiting our stunning properties here at CVRLT. If you’re a nature and photography lover, there’s so much to see! One of our devoted supporters, Dr. David Gropper, recently grabbed his camera and paid a visit to our Komlo Preserve property in New Fairfield and captured these stunning photos, featuring the pond and its wildlife sanctuary!

We love seeing the photos our followers take while exploring our properties. With our annual CVRLT photo contest coming this September, what is your favorite thing to photograph in the great outdoors?

To visit this “hidden gem” near New Fairfield’s town center, check our Komlo Preserve Property Page for details. In addition to its trails, it also includes pond access for non-motor watercraft. It’s the perfect summer spot!

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Explore CVRLT’s “Hidden Gem,” Komlo Preserve in New Fairfield

Located at 130 CT-37 near New Fairfield’s town center, finding Komlo Preserve’s entrance was challenging until new signage (shown above) was recently installed. Visitors enter the driveway to the right of the medical office and follow the Land Trust Access Only sign to our newly expanded parking area. With hiking trails and water access, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Thanks to our Land Monitoring volunteer team’s property clean-up day, Komlo’s trails are open through the forest, meadows, and wildlife sanctuary bordering its pond. Make sure to pay a visit!

Check out Komlo’s CVRLT Property Page for more information on enjoying its trails, scenery, wildlife and pond. Passive water sports, such as canoeing or paddling, are permitted.

We love this video, taken by CVRLT President, Cheryl Rykowski, of the babbling brook found in the forest of Komlo Preserve. It’s a great place to escape and relax…

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Enjoy nature this spring at CVRLT…

Spring has sprung! For walking, paddling, picnicking or savoring nature’s beauty, these lakeside preserves are the perfect close-to-home spot for a spring adventure. Visit our Properties page to learn more.

Hahlawah Preserve’s forest trails and Ball Pond invite visitors to walk, paddle, kayak, or simply enjoy nature.

Hahlawah Preserve’s 10 acres are located in three parcels on New Fairfield’s Brookwood and Weldon Woods Roads, and on Ball Pond East. The preserve offers forestland, lakeside trails, and access to 83-acre, spring-fed Ball Pond. Paddling, kayaking and canoeing are permitted on the pond, and are often enjoyed by CVRLT’s families.

Komlo Preserve’s forests, meadows, and pond are home to a thriving wildlife sanctuary.

Komlo Preserve is popular with CVRLT members for walking, hiking, and paddling, but its 26 acres are also home to a wildlife sanctuary. Its man-made pond is a habitat for beaver, ducks and geese, with a heronry at the edge of the forest. Many of nature’s wonderful moments can be enjoyed in this protected habitat, close to New Fairfield’s town center! 

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Candlewood Valley Regional Land Trust