Branford Land Trust

23rd Annual Environmental Day Camp
2018-08-17 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
August 17
23rd Annual Environmental  Day Camp
Friday, 9:00am
Children ages 5-9 will enjoy hands-on activities, including touch tanks, woodland and Long Island Sound exploration, nature crafts, and more. The day will run from approximately 9am to 4pm. Register by August 14.

Denali Branford Grand Re-Opening
2018-08-01 18:00 - 20:00 | Denali, 1004 Main Street, Branford, CT, 06405
Denali (formerly Trailblazer) has partnered with the Branford Land Trust in recent months to help maintain Branford’s open space. Denali has recently renovated their store at 1004 Main Street, Branford. All are welcome to help them celebrate their redesigned space. Refreshments will be available, and there will be a raffle, the proceeds of which will be divided between the Branford, Guilford, and East Haven Land Trusts.

50th Anniversary Celebration
2018-06-23 10:30 - 12:30
June 23
50th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, 10:30am
Join us for this special celebration that includes dedication of the new the Red Hill Woods Bog Walk and a 50th Anniversary Reception.

Branford Festival
2018-06-16 10:30 - 16:00
June 16
Branford Festival
Saturday, 10:30am
Stop by the BLT tent at the Branford Festival! See you there!

Protect Our Valuable Neighbors, Horseshoe Crabs
2018-06-07 19:00 - 20:00
June 7
Protect Our Valuable Neighbors, Horseshoe Crabs
Thursday, 7:00pm
Martha Rice will describe the work being done to protect horseshoe crabs. Tag a crab and marvel at its complexity. Held at Killam’s Point*.

Wildflower Walk
2018-06-02 14:00 - 16:00
June 2
Wildflower Walk
Saturday, 2:00pm
Join botanist Lauren Brown in search of spring flora and fauna on a hike through the scenic Goss property off Tilcon Road in Pine Orchard.

Spring on the Point!
2018-05-19 13:00 - 15:00
May 19
Spring on the Point!
Saturday, 1:00pm
Join us for a spring walk at Killam’s Point*. You’ll see and learn to identify the trees, flowers, and wildlife native to one of Branford’s most beautiful shoreline preserves.

Poetry Reading
2018-05-18 18:30 - 20:30
May 18
Poetry Reading
Friday, 6:30pm
An evening of poetry with shoreline poets Carol Altieri, Juliana Harris, Nancy Meneely and Jen Payne. Bring your own poems for the open mic! At the Land Trust House, 26 School St, Stony Creek.

Spring Bird Walk
2018-05-13 08:30 - 10:30
May 12-13
Spring Bird Walk
Saturday & Sunday, 8:30am
Make time for these fun educational bird walks at the Trolley Trail and Vedder property with naturalist Chris Woerner.

Spring Bird Walk
2018-05-12 08:30 - 10:30
May 12-13
Saturday & Sunday, 8:30am
Make time for these fun educational bird walks at the Trolley Trail and Vedder property with naturalist Chris Woerner.

ANNUAL MEETING
2018-04-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Canoe Brook Senior Center, 11 Cherry Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
April 24 – 7:00 p.m.
BLT Annual Meeting – “Effects of Climate Change on Connecticut”
James O’Donnell (CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation | UCONN
Jim will discuss sea level, flooding, river flow, and drinking water resilience and touch on some of the impacts including insurance rates and health, and adaptation strategies. A short business meeting will take place for our featured speaker. Canoe Brook Center,11 Cherry Hill Road, Branford.

World Fish Migration Day
2018-04-21 11:00 - 15:00 | Branford Fish Ladder, 29 Short Rocks Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Join the Branford Land Trust as we celebrate World Fish Migration Day on Saturday, April 21!
Come see the beautiful fish ladder and counting station at Branford’s Supply Ponds. Hopefully, alewives will be running in the Queach Brook and shooting up the fishway to spawn in the Supply Ponds. It’s a great place to take the family for an outing in nature. Massive trees have fallen around the stream and provide excellent seating for groups. On a good year, we have 3,000 fish move up – one year (2010) we counted 40,000! Maybe this year…
Get details on the event here!

Earth Day Spring Clean Up!
2018-04-21 09:00 - 12:00
Join the Branford Land Trust, the town of Branford, and LOTS of Branford residents for the annual “Rid Litter” Day on Saturday, April 21! (More Info)

Winter/Spring Lecture Series
2018-03-27 19:00 - 20:30, 2018-02-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Canoe Brook Senior Center, 11 Cherry Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
This year’s Winter/Spring Lecture Series will be held in the Totoket Room at the Canoe Brook Senior Center, 11 Cherry Hill Road. Save the dates!

Animal Tracking Classes
2018-02-24 09:30 - 11:00, 2018-01-27 09:30 - 11:00 | Lake Saltonstall Preserve, Hosley Avenue, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Every year, dozens of families come out for the Branford Land Trust’s popular Animal Tracking classes led enthusiastically by naturalists Tom Cleveland and Chris Woerner. Come learn how to recognize animal footprints and other signs of their passage through the woods during two upcoming Animal Tracking Classes from 9:30 to 11 am on January 27 and February 24 at the Lake Saltonstall Preserve. We’ll hope for snow, but it will be fun even without it!
Please wear appropriate dress and comfortable, supportive walking shoes. Bring water. Walking sticks welcome. We’ll meet at the Regional Water Authority parking lot on the north side of Hosley Avenue, down Hosley Avenue 0.3 miles from Brushy Plain Road. Expect moderate terrain, some sloping trails and inclines, rocky underfooting. Parents should be prepared to carry younger children if they get tired.
Bad Weather dates: January 28 and February 25. Watch our Facebook page for possible schedule changes. For questions please call Tom Cleveland @ 203-981-9040.
The Branford Land Trust is a non-profit organization, celebrating 50 years of protecting Branford’s open space and natural resources. This annual event is free and open to the public. For updated information, visit www.branfordlandtrust.org.

Work Party
2018-02-17 09:00 - 12:00, 2018-01-20 09:00 - 12:00

Winter/Spring Lecture Series: Author Patrick Lynch
2018-01-30 19:00 - 20:30 | Canoe Brook Senior Center, 11 Cherry Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Author Patrick Lynch Headlines Branford Land Trust’s January lecture
Learn about the Natural History of Long Island Sound and Its Coastlines
Learn about the “Natural History of Long Island Sound and its Coastlines” with Patrick Lynch, illustrator, photographer, and author of A Field Guide to Long Island Sound. Patrick headlines the first Branford Land Trust lecture in its Winter/Spring series on Tuesday, January 30, 7:00pm, in the Totoket Room of the Canoe Brook Senior Center, 11 Cherry Hill Road. The lecture is free and open to the public. Save the dates for the Winter/Spring Lecture Series and watch for details on our website, Facebook page: January 30, February 27, March 27, and April 24. For more information, visit www.branfordlandtrust.org.

New Year's Day Hike
2018-01-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Saltonstall Mountain Preserve, Lantern View Drive, North Branford, CT, 06473, United States
MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1:00PM
Start off the New Year on the right foot! Come out for a hike with the BLT! This year, we’ll explore the Saltonstall Mountain Preserve, part of a steep traprock ridge that reaches from west to east, straddling the Branford/North Branford border. Enjoy this 2+ mile hike, led by Bill Horne and Matt Reed, through stunning habitat with expansive views from some of the highest points in Branford.
We’ll meet at the Lantern View Drive at 1pm. (Follow Mill Plain Road to Twin Lakes Road, left onto Twin Lakes, left onto Summit Drive, right onto Lantern View Drive. Park at the end.) Expect moderate terrain, some sloping trails and steep inclines, rocky underfooting. Parents should be prepared to carry younger children if they get tired. Please wear appropriate dress and comfortable, supportive walking shoes. Bring water. Walking sticks welcome. Weather may change our plans, watch our website and Facebook pages for details.

(Location of red arrow is approximate.)

Winter Art Show
2017-12-08 17:00 - 20:00 | Branford Land Trust House, 26 School Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
The Branford Land Trust is hosting a Winter Art Show on Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm to be held at the Land Trust House on School Street in Branford. Artist who would like to submit a piece of work should contact Jay Babina at jbabina@snet.com.
The basic theme of the show is open spaces, and works should reflect the basic fundamental mission of the Land Trust: to preserve open space in Branford, and to promote our community’s appreciation of Branford’s diverse natural features. This could be realistic, abstract or anything that typifies the resources that the organization is so passionate about preserving. Obviously landscapes reflect this. Our space only allows one piece per artist. As the show is finalized, further information will be presented to the public and specific details to the artists.

Work Party: Stony Creek Limited Partnership Preserve
2017-12-02 09:00 - 12:00 | Stony Creek Limited Partnership Preserve , Wallace Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
We will continue the clearing of woody shrubs and trees from the field on the Stony Creek Limited Partnership Preserve to maintain the old-field character. Bring loppers, small handsaws, sturdy hand clippers, and work gloves. Park on Long Point Rd or Wallace Rd (the far intersection of Wallace Rd with Thimble Island Rd, opposite Long Point Rd). See the website for location information and directions. The work parties offer a chance to get to know BLT properties and to spend a little time with some great people. If you have school-age kids, this is a chance for them to pick up some community service credits. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.

Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Hike at Van Wie Preserve
2017-11-19 13:00 - 15:00 | Van Wie Woods, 87 Red Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Join the Branford Land Trust for its pre-Thanksgiving hike to explore the fields, woodlands, streams and granite outcrops of the 100 acres donated by two generations of the Van Wie family. 87 Red Hill Rd. off Leetes Island Rd. Park along road at #87. (Read More)

Work Party: Zielinski Farm Field
2017-11-18 09:00 - 12:00 | Zielinski Farm Field, 186 Brushy Plain Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
We will continue clearing woody shrubs and small trees from the edges of the Zielinski Farm field, 186 Brushy Plain Rd. Bring loppers, small handsaws, sturdy hand clippers, and work gloves. One or two chainsaws would be welcome. Turn into the driveway and park along the side of the field, being careful not to block the driveway. The work parties offer a chance to get to know BLT properties and to spend a little time with some great people. If you have school-age kids, this is a chance for them to pick up some community service credits. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.

Killam's Point: A Walk through Natural History
2017-10-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Killam’s Point, Shore Drive, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
A Walk Through Natural History
Killam’ s Point Events
Come take a walk with us through natural history led by Jimmy Goggin. Clad in fall colors, the raw beauty of Killam’s Point will be on display. Crisp air, the ospreys feeding for their long migration, the granite bluffs against the sparkling Sound, schools of bunker fleeing a bluefish frenzy, chipmunks and squirrels harvesting acorns, and through it all, the peace and order of an undisturbed ecological system—this is the Point in all its glory. Held at Killam’s Point on Shore Dr. For info, call 203-747-4184. Co-sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Branford.

Work Party: Sybil Creek
2017-10-21 09:00 - 12:00 | Sybil Creek, Block Island Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
We will return to the Sybil Creek tract next to the Bruce & Johnson marina to continue cutting bittersweet and other climbing plants that are strangling the trees on this important upland part of the Sybil Creek Preserve. Park next to the woods between buildings #3 and #4 on the left after entering the marina at the end of Block Island Rd. Bring loppers, small handsaws, sturdy hand clippers, and work gloves. The work parties offer a chance to get to know BLT properties and to spend a little time with some great people. If you have school-age kids, this is a chance for them to pick up some community service credits. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.

Annual Branford River Parade
2017-09-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Branford High School, 185 E. Main Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Celebrate the beauty of the Branford River! Join kayakers and canoeists from Branford and surrounding communities as we paddle in a boat parade from behind the Branford High School to Branford Point on Saturday, September 16. (More Info)

22nd Annual Hands-on Environmental Day Camp
2017-08-14 | Killam’s Point, Shore Drive, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
The Branford Land Trust will hold its 22nd Annual Hands-on Environmental Day Camp on Monday, August 14, 2017. This camp, for children ages 5-9, is held at the Killam’s Point Conference Center in Branford. The event includes activities, presentations and games that help kids learn about such things as tide pools, woodland habitats, wildlife rehabilitation, nature crafts, and more. The cost of the camp is $45 for the day (additional children, same family $35.00), or $35 for BLT members. Scholarships available.
Registration deadline is Friday, August 10, 2017. Download the Registration Form, or contact Martha Rice at 203-314-7128, mhbrice@gmail.com.
The Branford Land Trust is a non-profit organization, celebrating 50 years of protecting Branford’s open space and natural resources.

Killam's Point: Exploring the Point
2017-08-12 09:00 - 11:00 | Killam’s Point, Shore Drive, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Tidal pools, stands of pitch pines, salt marshes, inland wetlands, an osprey nest, remains of a worked quarry, invasive species – Killam’s Point has something for all. The day is being planned so that young and old and everyone in between will experience the Point with newly opened eyes. Co-sponsored by the First Congregational Church of Branford.
