The Farmington Land Trust

A Story of Stewardship

The Farmington Land Trust has a single mission: to protect open space in perpetuity. We do this through acquisition, stewardship, education and advocacy. As one of Connecticut's oldest land trusts, The Farmington Land Trust has pursued this goal since its founding in 1971. 

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the Land Trust now protects 290 acres of fields, forests, wetlands, scenic vistas, historic sites and wildlife habitat from development. All of the Land Trust's 65 parcels will remain as open space forever, enriching the quality of life for Farmington residents for generations to come.  We appreciate the commitment of our donors to the future of Farmington.

The Land Trust is governed by a board of Directors, elected by its membership at its Annual Meeting in April.  Current Land Trust members offer invaluable financial and volunteer support for maintaining and preserving the property under the Land Trust’s protection and for acquiring additional open space.

The Farmington Land Trust is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization supported by town residents dedicated to the preservation of open space.

For more about our history and our work to protect and preserve open space for current and future generations, view the video, "A Story of Stewardship", below. 

For more about our history and our work to protect and preserve open space for current and future generations, view the video, "A Story of Stewardship." ​​

The Outside Is Good For Your Inside

Picture

There’s no secret to why we at the Farmington Land Trust value open land​ and the preservation of forests, meadows and the other ecosystems those still-wild spaces support.

We appreciate the visual splendor of the natural world and the diversity of species it harbors. We celebrate and honor our past in the preservation of historic sites. We like the legacy these open spaces will provide future generations. Green spaces offer carbon sequestration, respite from urbanity, and can serve usefully as flood plains or other functional elements of the larger landscape. We take pleasure in providing home and habitat for the myriad critters that fly, crawl, and walk through the part of the world we share with them. Those rewards are compelling enough for our members and friends that they make donations to help us preservation efforts. ​

There’s another reason to love the land, one which we have known about, or at least suspected, all along. But this other reason has been a rather elusive concept, one that has proven difficulty to verify definitively, and even more challenging to assign it a value.
As it turns out, open space is boon to our well being. A walk in the woods is more than a good time; it is proven beyond any shadow of doubt to be a measurably health-giving venture. And all the funding and anxiety over health care in our country and around the world begs a question: why aren’t we investing in what we know makes people healthy? How do we start convincing cities and governments and perhaps even the health acre industry to invest in nature from a public health perspective?

Currently most health care dollars go to treatment rather than prevention. But putting money toward prevention may in the long run be a far better investment in improving public health. 

First, it helps to understand just how beneficial green spaces can be. In our increasingly city-centric world, where 70% of the population is expected to live in an urban area by 2050, open space, alive and green, is a proven antidote to the stresses of urban living.
Read more ...

Farmington's Open Spaces


​This newly created map shows the FLT parcels and all of Farmington's other open lands as the town progresses towards its goal of preserving 40% of its land as open space.
​ Click to download.
photo credit: Tina Delaney

A Home for Our Furred and Feathered Friends

Events

Happy Birthday
Farmington Land Trust

​Virtual Annual Meeting
Thursday, April 15th, 5:00 p.m.
via Zoom

Join Us as we celebrate our 50th birthday and all we have accomplished over the years!  Guest speaker Sadiya Muqueeth, Director of Community Health at the Trust for Public Lands, will speak about the health benefits of getting outside during Covid and the need for public green spaces in the future.  We will be electing new board members, and saying farewell to our board president Richard Kramer and Treasurer Doug Pelham.
The Annual Meeting is for current members of the FLT. To join, click here MEMBERSHIP. ​
​

Land Trust Honors Past President Charlie Leach

Picture

​“I believe very strongly in preserving,” Charlie said. And he was willing to go to the mat for preservation when he tackled a major problem for land trusts – property encroachments.
​Click for story or for video.
To learn more about the value of open space in Farmington and how it benefits our community, see "For What it's Worth" 

Get Involved

There are many ways to 'get involved'! Join us as a member, volunteer for one of our projects or programs, become a steward and help manage a property, get out on the land for a stroll or a hike, or simply read up on events in our newsletter to stay in touch!
Find out how you can get involved.

Our Properties

The Farmington Land Trust is fortunate to have 66 ecologically diverse and historical important properties encompassing 300 conserved acres, most of which were donated to us by generous, far-sighted Farmington residents. 
Learn about the properties.
SAVE THE LAND, Share the Responsibility