Wine, Whiskey and Song: All That and More As Many Turned Out to Support CVRLT – Page 3

January 13, 2022 by Jaclyn Gartner

Happy 2022 – Nature Lover’s Resolutions

Happy New Year from Candlewood Valley Regional Land Trust! Our protected lands help us relax and enjoy nature all year long! Let’s make a promise to further protect and enjoy nature in 2022 by following Alistair MacKenzie, Natural Heritage Education Supervisor at Ontario’s Pinery Provincial Park, 10 nature-lover’s resolutions:

1. Park once: Park once at your destination, and explore from there on foot, bike, canoe or kayak, to reduce pollution and your impact on the habitat

2. Get “friendly”: Support your local land trust or park as a friend or membership donor. You can donate directly to CVRLT by visiting https://candlewoodvalleyrlt.org/donate-now

3. Share photos of species you observe: promote and educate about land conservation by sharing what you find

4. Pick it up: Put garbage or recycling in designated onsite containers, or bring it home.

5. Bring children and teens to experience nature: Tomorrow’s voters help determine the future of our parks and preserves

6. Stay on the trail: Trails are located to allow hikers to view and experience nature safely. Respect the surrounding habitats and wildlife by keeping to the path

7. Give wildlife and fellow hikers the space they require: Be respectful of the wildlife and people surrounding you while out enjoying nature

8. Be quiet: Being quiet, especially with eyes closed, opens your ears to natural sounds

9. Drive slowly: enjoy the sights safely and protect wildlife and other visitors

10. Don’t introduce invasive species: Wash cars, bikes, boots and watercraft before entering the land, buy any firewood there, and report invasive species to the organization

To enjoy Mr. MacKenzie’s full article, click here, and enjoy nature safely!

December 27, 2021 by Jaclyn Gartner

Support CVRLT on Amazon Smile

Did you know you can support CVRLT simply by shopping on Amazon Smile? When you shop online via Amazon Smile, please consider making Candlewood Valley Regional Land Trust your selected charity by clicking HERE. When you do, 0.5% of eligible purchases will be donated right back to us! Shop now and support our mission in preserving open spaces.

December 2, 2021 by Jaclyn Gartner

Donate to CVRLT this Holiday Season

As an accredited land trust, we protect the land, water, vegetation, and wildlife on our preserves, and maintain trails and educational kiosks to help visitors safely enjoy nature’s many beautiful moments.

This holiday season, choose the gift of nature with a Membership, Friend, or Leadership donation to CVRLT’s Holiday Appeal. All our donors enjoy membership benefits, including a discount on all CVRLT paid events. Leadership donors are posted annually on our website and in our newsletter too. Help support our mission and make a donation at candlewoodvalleyrlt.org/donate-now. Online giving is also convenient, secure, and helps to conserve paper and our woodland habitats.

From all of us at CVRLT, enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season, and all the best in the new year!

November 4, 2021 by Jaclyn Gartner

2021 Fund the Land Appeal Honors Our Land Management Chair & Team

Each year, our Fund the Land Appeal celebrates leadership in preserving nature in our community. Our 2020 appeal honored the memory of Danbury conservationists, Philip and Monique Weidel. In 2021, we honor the decades of land and trail stewardship by our Land Management Chair, Mike Cunningham, and his team. Mike (shown hiking here) moved to Danbury in 1974. After years of running, hiking and exploring our local trails, he joined the Land Trust of Danbury, was invited to join its board, and has served on it for about 10 years in various roles.

Mike served on the team that completed the merger of the Danbury and New Fairfield Land Trusts to form CVRLT, and currently chairs our Land Management (LM) Committee. The LM team maintains and monitors CVRLT’s properties. They clear and blaze trails, clean up storm damage, beautify and protect preserves from invasive species, and work with our local Boy Scouts to build informational kiosks. Our thanks to Mike and LM team members Rich Hlavenka, Shane Cosentino, Gary Mummert, David Campbell, and Cheryl Russ for all they do! We are very grateful!

Mike is also Chairman of the Ives Trail & Greenway Regional Association, which built and now maintains the 20-mile-long Ives Trail that begins in Ridgefield, runs through Danbury and Bethel, and ends in Redding. The Association worked with town officials, conservation commissions, and land trusts to grow from a concept in 2002, to a 20-mile trail linking four towns in 2018.

The Ives Trail passes through five CVRLT preserves, including Weidel Preserve (shown here being enjoyed by our LM team member, David Campbell). Our thanks to Mike and the Association for a trail offering access to our preserves, ponds, mountains, views, and our connection to nature!

Support the stewardship of our preserves with your Fund the Land gift! Your support makes all our work possible. We are a 501(c)(3) organization so all donations are tax deductible, and we acknowledge leadership gifts on our website, too! Donate now at: https://candlewoodvalleyrlt.org/donate-now.

October 24, 2021 by Jaclyn Gartner

Loving our Lands Photo Contest Results

Our second Annual Loving our Lands Photo Contest Fundraiser was a HUGE success! We gratefully thank all our 2021 photo contest participants! Thanks to your support, we raised more than $2,300 for CVRLT! These funds will help us maintain our preserves for years to come!

We were blown away by the talent this year and appreciate all those who participated and voted for their favorite entries! Special thanks to our contest judge, photographer & art show curator, Linda Hubbard, as well as our prize donors: Barn Gallery & Frame Shop in New Fairfield and Visual Impact LLC in Danbury.

After receiving nearly 50 submissions in this years Loving Our Lands photo contest fundraiser, our judge, Linda Hubbard, had quite the task deciding on a winner since there were so many beautiful and deserving entries! “Under the Loving Watch of Mom” was selected as BEST IN SHOW! Linda says, “I chose this photo based on the mother and pup’s expressions that it captured, along with its composition, lighting, and clarity.” Photographer, Gregory Bernard, photographed the scene in Middlebury, CT. The Best in Show winner will receive a $200 gift certificate for custom printing and framing from Visual Impact LLC.

Check out the other winners in our four photo categories: