The BLT is all about BIODIVERSITY! There is an extraordinary variety of living things on Earth — flora, fauna, and fungi — that weave together our complex ecosystems. Biodiversity is the web of life that sustains our precious planet. Biodiversity is also a safety net, creating resilience to natural disasters, diseases, pests, and climate shifts. Every living thing — from microorganisms to blue whales — plays a specific role in keeping natural communities functioning.
Taking a cue from the natural world, we know that there is strength in our diverse human community, too. At the BLT, we celebrate human diversity and want to welcome everyone — all of you — to love and care for our beautiful planet. Here are a few things we’ve been doing lately to strengthen that diversity.
At the beginning of the year when you received your membership renewal form, did you notice the new Pay What You Can option? This ensures that everyone who believes in our mission, regardless of their financial circumstances, can join forces with the BLT.
While most of our events and programs are free and open to the public, becoming a member helps support our work behind the scenes, including managing 1,000+ acres of open space, maintaining 30+ miles of hiking trails here in Branford, and coordinating more than two dozen events and programs throughout the year.
Did you get a chance to hear the guest speaker for our annual meeting in May? Justin Brownell, a Branford local, is an amputee who has competed in triathlons and has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, among other peaks. Justin spoke about the role that organizations like the BLT play in the sense of ‘belonging’ in nature for people with disabilities. You can see his talk here: tinyurl.com/BLTannual26.
When you were at the annual meeting, did you notice there was remote, simultaneous American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation? We’re working to make sure that those in our community who communicate with ASL are included and made to feel welcome at our events, and we received very positive feedback from members of our Deaf community who were in attendance at the annual meeting.
We want everyone to feel welcome at our events and as part of our organization — the BLT is for every body! Bringing all the members of our community together allows us to amplify our conservation efforts, share our skills and resources, and work to overcome the many challenges facing our environment. Do you have ideas on how we can reach more people in our community? Please let us know.
Together, we are stronger!
JULIE WAGNER
President, Branford Land Trust
