Branford Land Trust

Spring Bird Walk
2019-05-11 08:30 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | Vedder Preserve, West Point Rd, Stony Creek, CT, 06405, United States
Local birder Chris Woerner leads these popular walks along the Stony Creek Trolley Trail and into the BLT’s Vedder property. You’ll learn to identify birds by sight and by song. Mostly flat terrain with one steep, rocky hill. Choose either day or come to both! Families and children welcome, but no dogs, please.
Meet in Stony Creek at the end of West Point Rd. across from Willoughby Wallace library.

Branford River and Town Litter Clean-Up Day
2019-04-27 09:00 - 12:00 | Branford Green, Town Hall Drive, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Join other volunteers to clean up the littered location in Town that bugs you the most!
Don’t know where to start? Pick up trash bags on the Branford Green beginning at 9:00 AM on Saturday, April 27 and get directions to the best (worst?) locations in town. Or grab your own trash bags and head out directly. When you’re done, just bring your trash collection back to the Green and throw it in the big dumpster. Come do your part to help Branford look its best!

Long Island Sound Blue Plan Public Meeting
2019-04-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Thimble Island Brewing, 16 Business Park Dr, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
The Branford Land Trust and the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) are co-hosting a public meeting on the Long Island Sound Blue Plan.
The Blue Plan is a new paradigm in Connecticut’s management of Long Island Sound that seeks to identify and protect Significant Human Use Areas and Ecologically Significant Areas, as well as reduce conflict in the siting of new structures and activities. The complete draft Long Island Sound Blue Plan is available online, and we’d like to hear from you!
The plan development team, led by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and in association with Thimble Island Brewing, the Branford Land Trust, and the Town of Branford, will hold a public meeting at Thimble Island Brewing to present on the Blue Plan and invite comments to improve the final document. We would like to invite you to join the discussion at this event; by participating in this process you are helping shape the future of the Sound. Your input will make a difference in how the Sound is preserved for our access.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Christian Fox, Blue Plan Outreach Coordinator at DEEP.BluePlanLIS@ct.gov or 203.568.6307. More information about the Blue Plan is available at www.ct.gov/deep/lisblueplan.

APRIL BOARD MEETING
2019-04-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Branford Land Trust House, 26 School Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Branford Land Trust Board meetings are open to the public.

April Work Party -- Vedder Preserve
2019-04-06 09:00 - 11:00
Note first Saturday date!
We will return to the Jenny Vedder Preserve to clean up chronic party sites, do any needed trail maintenance, and continue the removal of invasive plants, especially a large patch of garlic mustard, which should be leafing out but not yet starting to flower.
Meet at 9:00 am at the pull-off on Pleasant Point Rd. just south of the Amtrak line. Bring work gloves, mattocks, clippers and loppers. The Land Trust will have several weed wrenches available.
Call Bill Horne (488-6146) for more information.

MARCH BOARD MEETING
2019-03-18 19:30 - 21:30 | Branford Land Trust House, 26 School Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States

Climate Change Demonstration
2019-03-15 12:00 - 14:00 | Branford Green, Town Hall Drive, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
A demonstration organized by a Branford High School student is planned for noon Friday, March 15, on the town green.

The demonstration is to protest government inactivity on global change and to show solidarity with Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish high school student who started the #FridaysForFuture movement. Greta has missed school almost every Friday since last August to sit outside the Swedish parliament, demanding politicians bring her country into line with the Paris climate agreement.

You can learn more about the FridaysForFuture movement here: https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/

March WORK PARTY: Goss Preserve
2019-03-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Goss Preserve
Note Second Saturday date. We will work at the Goss Tract cleaning along the Totoket Road edge of the preserve, removing litter and invasive plants, and trimming the trails as needed.
Meet at 9:00 am at the Tilcon parking lot at the west end of the Pine Orchard/Stony Creek trolley trail.
Bring work gloves, mattocks, clippers and loppers.
For more information, call Bill Horne (203-488-6146).

Animal Tracking Class
2019-02-23 09:30 - 11:00 | Lake Saltonstall Preserve, Hosley Avenue, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Not just a walk in the woods, the Branford Land Trust’s popular Animal Tracking classes are led enthusiastically by naturalists Tom Cleveland and Chris Woerner each winter. Come find out how to recognize animal footprints and other signs of their passage through the woods during two Animal Tracking Classes scheduled for Saturday, January 26 and Saturday, February 23 from 9:30 to 11am at the Lake Saltonstall Recreational Area. We’ll hope for snow, but it will be fun even without it! (Read More)

FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING
2019-02-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Branford Land Trust House, 26 School Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States

WORK PARTY: Tinker Woods
2019-02-16 08:00 - 09:00
Tinker Woods – We will reestablish a trail along the boundary from Stony Creek Road to the rear of the property. Meet at 9:00. Park on Pepperwood Lane near Stony Creek Road/Rt. 146 (just east of the Tilcon rail tracks) and walk east on Stony Creek Road (toward Stony Creek). Enter the woods across the road from the first house on the left. Bring loppers, small handsaws, sturdy hand clippers, and work gloves. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.

JANUARY BOARD MEETING
2019-01-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Branford Land Trust House, 26 School Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States

WORK PARTY: DeLeo Field
2019-01-19 09:00 - 12:00
On January 19, we will work at the DeLeo field to remove the woody trees and shrubs that have encroached on the edges of the field, limiting the area that the Pages can mow for hay. Meet at 9:00 am. Bring loppers, small handsaws, sturdy hand clippers, and work gloves. Park on the wood road on the left just past 150 Laurel Hill Road. Call Matt Reed (203-376-6199) for more information.

NEW YEAR'S DAY HIKE
2019-01-01 01:00 - 15:00 | Van Wie Woods, 87 Red Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Start off the New Year on the right foot! Come out for a hike with the Branford Land Trust on Tuesday, January 1 at 1:00PM! This year, we’ll explore Van Wie Woods, a favorite among local hikers. Enjoy this 2+ mile hike led by Lauren Brown, Matt Reed and Julie Wagner, with an option for a shorter walk if you choose.
• Click here for details.

DECEMBER BOARD MEETING
2018-12-17 19:30 - 2018-12-18 21:30 | Branford Land Trust House, 26 School Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States

WORK PARTY: Branford Festival
2018-12-07 07:00 - 16:00
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.

WORK PARTY: Vedder Preserve
2018-12-01 09:00 - 12:00
This is the event previously scheduled for the May work party. We will clean up chronic party sites, do any needed trail maintenance and continue the removal of invasive plants, mostly privet, that has been the focus of our stewardship work on this preserve for several years, focusing on pulling the small seedlings that have sprouted in the previously cleared areas. Meet at 9:00 am at the pull-off on Pleasant Point Rd. just south of the Amtrak line. Bring work gloves, grub hoes, clippers and loppers. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.
Many of you specifically expressed interest in helping with trail maintenance. The Land Trust’s Trails Committee, chaired by Bud Dannheim and Matt Reed, focuses on blazing and maintaining the numerous trails on BLT properties. Work events are scheduled during the week, generally on Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 9:00 to noon. If you would like to receive information of where the Trail Committee will be working the following Tuesday morning, please contact Bud (Gunther.dannheim@gmail.com) or Matt ( mwreed81@gmail.com) and let them know of your interest.
The work parties offer a chance to get to know some of the 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.

Changes in the Land: A Talk by Jane Bouley
2018-11-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Branford Fire Headquarters, 45 North Main Street, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
The Branford Land Trust is pleased to welcome Town Historian Jane Bouley for a special presentation on “Changes in the Land,” to be held on Thursday, November 29, 7:00 p.m. at Branford Fire Headquarters.

A Walk in the Woods: Annual BLT Pre-Thanksgiving Walk
2018-11-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Van Wie Woods, 87 Red Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Join the Branford Land Trust on Sunday, November 18 at 1:00 PM for this traditional pre-Thanksgiving hike at Van Wie Woods, exploring fields, woodlands, streams, and granite outcrops of the 100 acres donated by two generations of the Van Wie family. Led by Bill Horne and Matt Reed, this is a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and refreshing fall weather with friends and family.

WORK PARTY: Hoadley Creek Preserve Fields
2018-11-17 09:00 - 12:00
We will clear around large rocks and boulders in the fields to make them more visible when the fields are mowed. Meet at 9:00; park on the woods road (continuation of the private driveway at the right-angle turn of Sawmill Rd [1 on attached map]), first in/last out, or at the small pull off at the intersection of Sawmill and Leetes Island Rd [2 on map]. Bring loppers, clippers and work gloves. Rain cancels. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.
Many of you specifically expressed interest in helping with trail maintenance. The Land Trust’s Trails Committee, chaired by Bud Dannheim and Matt Reed, focuses on blazing and maintaining the numerous trails on BLT properties. Work events are scheduled during the week, generally on Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 9:00 to noon. If you would like to receive information of where the Trail Committee will be working the following Tuesday morning, please contact Bud (Gunther.dannheim@gmail.com) or Matt ( mwreed81@gmail.com) and let them know of your interest.
The work parties offer a chance to get to know some of the 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.

WORK PARTY: Stony Creek Partnership Field
2018-10-20 09:00 - 12:00
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. Meet at 9:00 am. 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). We will walk in along the private road that goes off to the right just as Wallace Rd starts to climb the hill. Take the first driveway on the left (where the road curves right) and look for some stepping stones going up the hill on the right side of the driveway with a BLT signpost at the top. Follow the red blazes to the field, bearing left at the point where the trail splits. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.
Many of you specifically expressed interest in helping with trail maintenance. The Land Trust’s Trails Committee, chaired by Bud Dannheim and Matt Reed, focuses on blazing and maintaining the numerous trails on BLT properties. Work events are scheduled during the week, generally on Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 9:00 to noon. If you would like to receive information of where the Trail Committee will be working the following Tuesday morning, please contact Bud (Gunther.dannheim@gmail.com) or Matt ( mwreed81@gmail.com) and let them know of your interest.
The work parties offer a chance to get to know some of the 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.

Virtual Treasure Hunt at Killam's Point
2018-10-14 13:00 - 14:30 | Killam’s Point, Shore Drive, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
Join the Branford Land Trust and the First Congregational Church on Sunday, October 14 for A Virtual Treasure Hunt at Killam’s Point, 1:00pm. This is the final of four 2018 outdoor events co-sponsored by the two groups; it is free and open the public, giving all an opportunity to enjoy Killam’s Point and to learn about how we interact with nature. Click here for more information.

Noble Proctor Memorial Bench Dedication
2018-10-13 10:30 - 23:30
Amidst the flora and fauna of Supply Ponds, a bench of Stony Creek granite will be dedicated to the memory of Noble Proctor, Branford resident, professor emeritus of biology at Southern Connecticut State University, author and noted ornithologist. The ceremony will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, October 13th, along the Orange Trail beyond the old foundation. (If needed, rain date is October 14th.)
All are invited to attend and encouraged to share this information with others.

BLT's Annual Branford River Parade
2018-09-22 11:00 - 13:00
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 22. Click here for details.

Help Support the New Haven Land Trust
2018-09-16 16:00 - 19:00 | Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven
Enjoy craft beers from exciting local breweries, Copps Island oysters, live bluegrass music by The Bluegrass Characters, carousel rides, food trucks and more!
For more information and tickets, visit http://www.newhavenlandtrust.org/FallFundraiser18.

WORK PARTY: Lower Sybil Creek Preserve
2018-09-15 09:00 - 12:00
We will return to the Sybil Creek property 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. Meet at 9:00 am. Park next to the woods between buildings #3 and #4 (on the left immediately after entering the Bruce & Johnson Marina at the end of Block Island Road. Bring loppers, small handsaws, sturdy hand clippers, and work gloves. Call Bill Horne (203-488-6146) for more information.
Many of you specifically expressed interest in helping with trail maintenance. The Land Trust’s Trails Committee, chaired by Bud Dannheim and Matt Reed, focuses on blazing and maintaining the numerous trails on BLT properties. Work events are scheduled during the week, generally on Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 9:00 to noon. If you would like to receive information of where the Trail Committee will be working the following Tuesday morning, please contact Bud (Gunther.dannheim@gmail.com) or Matt ( mwreed81@gmail.com) and let them know of your interest.
The work parties offer a chance to get to know some of the 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.

2018-09-13 08:00 - 10:00 | Medlyn Upper Field, Saw Mill Rd, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
The BLT Trail Maintenance team will work exposing rocks and trimming the branches and saplings around the perimeter of Medlyn field at the end of Saw Mill Rd off 146 in Stony Creek.
Meet at: Medlyn upper field aluminum gate at the north end of Saw Mill Road (drive up the granite surfaced driveway to the dirt road and up). As always, bring water — temps are predicted to hit about 80.

Trail Maintenance
2018-09-11 08:00 - 10:00 | Medlyn Upper Field, Saw Mill Rd, Branford, CT, 06405, United States
The BLT Trail Maintenance team will work exposing rocks and trimming the branches and saplings around the perimeter of Medlyn field at the end of Saw Mill Rd off 146 in Stony Creek.
Meet at: Medlyn upper field aluminum gate at the north end of Saw Mill Road (drive up the granite surfaced driveway to the dirt road and up). Bring water — temps could be approaching 80°F again by the time we head home!

Trail Maintenance
2018-09-04 08:00 - 09:00 | Van Wie Preserve, 100 Red Hill Road, Branford, CT, 06405
The Trail Maintennce team will do minor, but needed trail trimming in Van Wie Preserve. Meet at the Van Wie blue trail head across from the Land Trust cottage on Red Hill Rd.

Summer on the Point
2018-08-18 09:00 - 11:00
August 18
Summer on the Point
Saturday, 9:00am
Martha Rice will share her extensive knowledge of Killam’s Point*. Hike the trails as nature prepares for the arrival of fall.
