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Health & Fitness

New Canaan Garden Club hosts President of the New Canaan Land Trust

Chris Schipper, Pres. of the NC Land Trust, will discuss the importance of open space on Friday, April 12 at the NC Nature Center at 10:30am. Program hosted by the NC Garden Club.

Garden Club to Learn about New Canaan’s Best Kept Secret 

The Conservation Committee of the New Canaan Garden Club is pleased to host Chris Schipper, recently elected President of the New Canaan Land Trust, for a public discussion on the importance of open space in New Canaan. This community program, free of charge, will be held in the Sturgess Room at the New Canaan Nature Center on Friday, April 12, 2013 starting at 10:30 am.

Schipper’s presentation will cover the history of the Land Trust movement, how the New Canaan Land Trust has grown in 45 years, a profile of the New Canaan Land Trust today and programs they are initiating for the future. “Founded by Jack Gunther in 1967, the Land Trust is New Canaan’s best kept secret,” Schipper ventures.  “We want to continue to attract potential donors and to assure our community that we are following best practices for land conservation and stewardship.”

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The Land Trust protects 311 acres throughout the community and while much is too wet or fragile for pedestrian access, the Trust Board currently is making two of the largest parcels open to the general public for hiking through the development of access ways and trails. Mr. Schipper reports, “The entire Board is excited to be sharing these beautiful properties with the town.”

In addition, the Trust recently received a grant from the USDA National Resources Conservation Service to undertake two forestry studies on the Land Trust properties. With the expertise of a certified forester the Trust soon will have a baseline measurement of key characteristics such as woodland diversity, invasive plant populations and wildlife habitat development on their lands. Management of the open space will be much easier with a scientific understanding of the current conditions.

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The New Canaan Land Trust is a membership organization whose mission is to preserve and protect open space, which, in turn, adds natural sanctuaries for residents, preserves precious wildlife habitats and maintains the rural character of the community for future generations. The New Canaan Garden Club, a member of the Garden Club of America, works to improve and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.

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