Land lovers from across the region and beyond are supporting local land conservation for this year’s Give Back to the Land online giving day. Hilltown Land Trust is teaming up again with other regional land trusts to raise money to support the needs of the community for climate change mitigation, carbon capture and storage, water quality, biodiversity of native species, and land access.
Hilltown Land Trust has an ambitious goal of raising at least $10,000 to give back to the land that gives so much to all of us. The first $5,000 in gifts will be matched by a generous gift from our current and former Board members. Will you join us?
Make your gift on our website before midnight on April 20th to count to this year’s total.
If you prefer to make a gift via mail for Give Back to the Land day rather than online, you absolutely can! Please just email or call us (413-628-4485, ext. 5) before midnight on Thursday April 20th, and let us know the amount you are mailing in so that it will count towards the matching gift.
Your Impact
Since 1986, Hilltown Land Trust has helped conserve over 5,000 acres of land in The Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts thanks to the support of our members. This land includes habitat for rare and endangered plants and animals, wetlands and waterways, forests, farms, and public trails in our thirteen-town service area in Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire, and Hampden counties.
With your support this year for Give Back to the Land day, we plan to accelerate the pace of land conservation in the Hilltowns region in the coming years, in order to meet the needs of the community for climate change mitigation, carbon capture and storage, water quality, biodiversity of native species, and land access.
Wildlife Habitat
Our entire service area lies in an important region for the migration and movement of local wildlife, helping to provide a corridor of wilderness that connects the highlands of the Hudson River area in New York to the Green Mountains in Vermont. Protecting land that expands or connects parcels of critical habitat is one of the top priorities in determining which conservation projects to take on.
Currently, we are working to protect two properties adjacent to the DAR State Forest in Goshen, one to the northwest and the other to the southeast. Combined, these two properties will add nearly 300 acres of forested habitat to the area. Both of these conservation projects also serve to connect existing blocks of protected land.
Wetlands and Waterways
In addition to providing important habitat for native flora and fauna, wetlands in our region play an important role in combating climate change. In times of heavy rain, wetlands help to minimize flooding by soaking up water, and during droughts, they are a critical source of drinking water for wildlife. Similarly, conserving land around rivers and streams protects essential riparian habitat and helps reduce pollution of waterways from storm runoff.
In the past year, our members have helped HLT complete conservation of twenty acres of forested land along the West Branch of the Mill River in Williamsburg and 105 acres of forest lands next to Jackson Swamp in Worthington. We are currently working on multiple projects that will further protect these vital resources throughout the region.
Climate Change
The Highstead Foundation’s 2022 paper “New England’s Climate Imperative: Our Forests as a Natural Climate Solution” identifies preventing deforestation as one of the pathways to maximizing the potential of our forests to fight climate change.
Protecting climate resilient forests, as well as forests that capture and store carbon, is a key part of the natural solution to climate change, and a priority for HLT and our members. Unlike the more densely populated parts of the state, the rural Hilltowns region has large blocks of undeveloped forest land. By acting now to protect these places, we can work together towards a better future.
Land Access
Scientific study after study has shown that time spent in nature is a critical part of our physical and mental health. With our work, HLT seeks to reduce historical and present-day barriers to accessing our natural world.
In the past few years, we permanently protected the popular Locke’s Loop trail in Williamsburg, opened three miles of new public trails at the Conwell property in Worthington, and grew the Conwell property with the acquisition of 105 acres to with north which we will use to expand the existing trails. Many of our current projects include trails and public access, and increasing the places where people can enjoy and appreciate the natural world is an important piece of the work we do.
Farms and Agriculture
Hilltown Land Trust was founded to conserve a historic sugarbush, and maple sugaring remains an important industry for many in The Hilltowns. In addition to sugarbushes, like Two Mamas Farm in Cummington, HLT has helped conserve land used for agriculture throughout the region, including pasture land, small-scale vegetable operations, and a berry farm.
Education & Engagement
We strive to host engaging public events that deepen people’s connection to the natural world around them. By making our public events accessible to as many people as possible, we hope to support a community that cares deeply about protecting special outdoor places in The Hilltowns.
Our sliding scale fee structure seeks to remove financial barriers to event participation. We host our public programs at a variety of days and times throughout the week to accommodate different schedules. We organize a variety of events types, from outdoor recreation—like the Gorge après Gorge 5k trail race and family fun walk—to educational walks and webinars to programs for children, and partner with other local organizations, such as All Out Adventures and local libraries. And we strive to clearly communicate event accessibility so participants can make informed decisions about their ability to participate.
Member support is essential for all of this important work. We hope you will join us in creating a healthy future for The Hilltowns this year for Give Back to the Land day!
