Who We Are

The Litchfield Land Trust is a non-profit, member-supported land trust, incorporated in 1968. Since then, we have been working with Litchfield land owners, nonprofit collaborators and public entities interested in preserving land as open space for the enjoyment of future generations through donations of land and donations of conservation easements. We are dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural environment and wildlife habitats. Our mission is simply stated as “Preserving and Protecting. Forever.”

LLT prioritizes strategic parcels of land that link wildlife corridors and ecologically valuable properties for permanent protection, working collaboratively with regional partnerships that extend beyond town boundaries.

Some brief highlights of our history:

1983

481 acres on Prospect Mountain were titled to LLT from the Nature Conservancy, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Gagarin, the James J. Porter Trust and Mr. Thurston Green. Since then additional parcels on Prospect Mountain have been obtained and LLT has established and maintains 4 scenic trails on its Prospect Mountain Preserve offering views from the highest elevation in Litchfield.
1997

The Stillman-Danaher Preserve was established as a 2 mile hiking trail with access from Clark Rd, providing 77 acres of varied woodlands and ridge views.
2001

LLT led a fundraising campaign towards the purchase of the 90 acre Haight property along the Bantam River, raising the majority of the funds through a State matching grant, a foundation grant, and private contributions. The property is now protected and managed by The White Memorial Foundation that contributed its own funds to complete this acquisition.
2003

We completed a significant purchase of land, Hassig Farm on Route 202, now renamed as the “Graham Thompson Preserve”.
2008

A Community Garden was established on the Graham Thompson Preserve that has grown significantly and improved since then. The Community Garden now offers 40 garden plots, running water, a storage shed to community members who share their bounty with each other and our larger community. In 2019, LLT added an easy trail, known as the Marsh Hawk Trail and installed an inviting platform that overlooks a habitat abundant with wildlife.
2015

Acquired 80 acres with access from Route 202 now known as the Shepaug Crossing Preserve that offers a 2.3 mile loop trail that parallels the Shepaug River.
2018-19

LLT completed trail construction of 2 additional trails: the half-mile Marsh Hawk Trail on its Graham Thompson Preserve and the Medicine Rock Trail on the Upper Bantam River Preserve through a generous grant from the Seherr-Thoss Charitable Trust.
2019

The generous and timely donation of land from neighbor John Bolus provided a location for safe off-road parking (Busy Rte. 202) to the Medicine Rock Trail on the Upper Bantam River Preserve. Thank you to John, the vendors, and the Seherr-Thoss Foundation who made this year-end project a reality.
2020

LLT extended the Marsh Hawk Trail and constructed a viewing platform into a vibrant wildlife habitat. One of Litchfield Land Trust’s newest acquisitions is the 15 acre Pepper Preserve on Prospect Mountain Road. The property includes a gravel parking lot and a new access point for the Prospect Mountain Preserve trail system. The new spur trail is blazed yellow with a red dot and connects to the Prospect Mountain Yellow trail. The remainder of the property is being reclaimed as a hayfield. The Pepper Preserve is marked with a memorial stone in honor of Gordon Pepper. We’ll be dedicating this new preserve in 2021. The Katzin family made a donation of 14.86 acres that will be eventually connected to the Danaher Stillman Trail in East Litchfield. The property contains a lovely small waterfall and babbling brook.
2021

LLT continued to expand its existing protected corridor along Route 118 through a generous donation by Moses Lieberman. The new 121 acre Lauren A. Lieberman Preserve is visible from Route 8 and ensures a green landscape for those driving along the highway. A renewed focus on the center of town is possible due to a gift of 33 acres by New Georgetown Properties. A new trail will be dedicated in 2022 and is within easy walking distance of Community Field.

Many additional environmentally sensitive parcels have acquired and/or preserved during its 50+ years of operation through the hard work of volunteer board members, along with many community residents and partners who support our work.

LLT is a member and/or collaborating partner with: