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Simsbury Land Trust marks 50 years, credits volunteers and regional partnerships for 1,100 acres conserved
Summary
The Simsbury Land Trust celebrated its 50th anniversary on a Community Conversations episode, detailing its start in the mid-1970s, major farm acquisitions, volunteer-driven stewardship of roughly 1,100 acres, youth engagement through a Youth Conservation Corps and an upcoming June 4 dinner at Rosedale Farm.
Paul Hanal opened a Community Conversations episode with a profile of the Simsbury Land Trust as it marks its 50th anniversary. The trust said it began in the mid-1970s as a volunteer effort to preserve forests, wetlands and farmland and now protects or owns more than 1,100 acres.
"I think the thing that makes the Simsbury Land Trust so unique and so special is that a group of people came together 50 years this year and had the foresight to realize that open space needed to be preserved," said Amanda Thompson, the trust's executive director, describing the organization’s volunteer roots and steady expansion from forest and wetlands to farmland.
Board and advisory members credited a combination of local fundraising, grant assistance and high-profile donors for the trust’s growth. "We had 250 members and I think 2,500 bucks," said advisory board member Bill Cox, recalling early fundraising and outreach such as walkbooks and festival participation. Board member and past president Fred Fable highlighted a later multi-year "campaign for Simsbury" that aimed to add roughly 1,000 acres and preserved major properties including Rosedale and Hall farms.
The episode emphasized stewardship work as central to ongoing operations. Fable said most maintenance is volunteer-driven, with a director of stewardship overseeing trail work and paid contractors brought in for large-tree or specialized tasks. Thompson added that donations, membership dues and an endowment established for stewardship help pay for contracted work.
Youth engagement was a recurring theme. Thompson described a Youth Conservation Corps of Simsbury High School students who attend board meetings, organize programs such as scavenger hunts and trout releases, maintain an Instagram presence and are helping plan an inter-town trail project connecting Onion Mountain to Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton with Canton Land Trust participation.
As part of its anniversary activities, the trust will hold a special dinner at Rosedale Farm on June 4 where farm owner Marshall Epstein will speak about modern farming challenges. The organization is also promoting a 12-hike challenge; participants who report visits via an online form will receive a throwback Simsbury Land Trust hat while supplies last.
The program stressed regional cooperation as a forward-looking priority: trustees said working with neighboring land trusts and the Connecticut Land Conservation Council can help pool resources for larger-scale habitat connectivity across the Farmington Valley, including ridge lines and the federally designated Farmington River corridor.
The broadcast closed with archival recollections and lighter moments, including an anecdote from Cox about an early event featuring a condor visit. The trust urged community involvement through volunteering, donations and participation in upcoming events.
