ANNUAL REVIEW FALL 2017

NEWSLETTER DATE

Jonathan Doster

Jonathan Doster

Spotlight on Volunteers One of the benefits of living in Sharon is being part of a community that celebrates volunteerism and nonprofits. At the Sharon Land Trust, we are blessed with great volunteers that help us build trails, monitor easements, eradicate invasives, and so much more! We could not do it all without them.

Please join us in saying THANK YOU! And… Become a volunteer!

Jake Fricker & Douglas Weisman building

the new Bog Bridge

AmeriCorps volunteers with

Tim Hunter & Jake Fricker

Leonard Pouder with some of the volunteers who

cleared the Twin Oaks Hedgerow of invasive plants

Junior Environmentalists from Sharon Center School

removed invasive plants at Mary Moore Preserve

Bill Lynn, Matt Hansen, Brandon Amerighi, Tim Hansen, and Sarah Coon installing the

Mary Moore Trailhead

Sharon Land Trust 67 Main Street PO Box 1027 Sharon, CT 06069 860.364.5137

Have you noticed the Accredited Land Trust Logo on our stationary and web site?

The Sharon Land Trust has been an accredited land trust since 2014. This means we have sound finances, excellent land and easement stewardship and effective governance. We will be working toward reaccreditation this year - something we have to do every 5 years, so you know that we are a strong, effective organization you can trust. We are very proud to be recognized with this mark of distinction!

As part of our land stewardship, we are making a concerted effort to blaze new trails so that you can enjoy being outdoors safely. “Take a Hike” on the Mary Moore Trail and check out the 35 mile view explained on the Panoramic Plaque at the top of the upper meadow.

Or try the new Bog Bridge Trail on Sharon Mountain between Bowne Road and East Street. Help us fine tune and maintain these trails.

For fun, sign into our electronic Guest Book with your smart phones and the QR Code printed at the trail head signs. Tell us about your hike.

Let us know about other trails and walks you enjoy in town so that we can make a “Walk about” book so everyone can enjoy our “Secret Corner of NW CT.”

Always my best,

Kathleen Fuhr

Sharon Land Trust PO Box 1027

Sharon, CT 06069

(860) 364-5137

Board of Directors

Kathleen D. Fuhr President

Melinda M. Sweet Secretary

David J. Supino Vice President/Treasurer

Ruth Adams

Mardee Cavallaro

Chris Clow

Jonathan Doster

James D. Krissel

Roger Liddell

Robert H. Mattoon, Jr.

Lynden B. Miller

Christopher Roberts

Patricia Rowell

Directors Emeritus

Anne Hepner

Lawrence Power

***

Maria Grace Executive Director

Harry White Conservation Director

A Note from the President

Benefits of Accreditation Sharon Land Trust is proud to be an accredited land trust by the Land Trust Alliance. The accreditation seal is a mark of distinction, showing that Sharon Land Trust meets the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence. Sharon Land Trust joins more than 1,200 land trusts across the United States that have gone through rigorous third party review of policies and procedures that streamline operations and lead to more effective land conservation. Learn more at www.landtrustaccreditation.org

The view from the top of the 73 acre Benton Hill Preserve. © Jonathan Doster

Millbrook Garden Club Funds Trailhead Signage

Through the generous support of the Millbrook Garden Club, Sharon Land Trust was able to design and install two informational Trailheads at the Mary Moore and Hamlin Preserves.

The trailheads built by volunteer Bill Lynn, and installed by former Executive Director Sarah Coon, Tim and Matt Hansen and Brandon Amerighi, welcome visitors to these preserves and provide information about the trail network. Reminders are posted about trail etiquette and thelpful information about Lyme disease prevention

Thank you to the Millbrook Garden Club for supporting the Sharon Land Trust and creating a welcoming atmosphere at the Mary Moore and Hamlin Preserves! Thank you also to Bill Lynn for his expert trailhead construction and Tim Hunter for his hand carved trail signs to help lead us on our way.

Adopt A Trail!

Find this old trail maker!

New and the not so new!

Attention Neighbors! Sharon Land Trust is initiating an “Adopt A Trail” Program.

Choose from this list of trails and plan to check its condition and do light maintenance on a regular basis.

Trails to be adopted include:

Mary Moore/Hamlin Bear Trails

Bog Bridge Trail at Sharon Mountain

Benton Hill Preserve Trails

Volunteer Today!

Contact Maria at the SLT office

(860) 364-5137 or

maria@sharonlandtrust.org

Keith Johnson

Matthew Lyn & Graham Klemm

Jessica Fowler & James Krissel

Pamela Wilson & George Mason

Susan Hassler & Robert Maxwell

Kathleen & James Metz

Lynden & Leigh Miller

Pamela & Gifford Miller

Deborah & David Moore

Gretchen Hachmeister & Randy Orzano

Nora Jordan & Allen Reiser

Mary Robertson

Lucinda & Brian Ross

Benjamin Stapleton III

Michael Trapp

Kay & Tim Yates

Michael Zients & Derek Larson

Preservationist $250+ Shereen & Steven Berger

Terri & Norman Buchan

Kenneth Cohen & Christopher Conway

Lorna & Daniel Edmundson

Jae Joo & Derek Farrar

Francoise & Jonathan Friedlaender

Leslie & Richard Gottlieb

Harold Gurnee

Anne & Charles Hepner

Maura & Michael Kelly

Leigh & Christopher Larmoyeux

Carolyn & Robert Mattoon

Sofia Milonas

Nancy & Henry Monaghan

Marnie & Fritz Mueller

Carol & William Oliver

Jason Jobson & Christophe Pourny

Rachel & Rick Robbins

Kate Stiassni

Claire & John Van Der Tuin

Deborah Van Eck

Robin Zitter

Stargazer $5000+ Kathleen Fuhr

Jane & Richard Kresch

Fa & Roger Liddell

Theodore Spencer

Linda & David Supino

Visionary $2000+ Mary Ann & Kenneth Clark

Helen & Peter Haje

Hallingby Family Foundation

Linda & James Quella

Mary Bucksbaum Scanlon Family Foundation

Nancy Zannini & Chris Roberts

Steward $1000+ The William O. & Carole P. Bailey Family Foundation

Spencer J. Barksdale

James Buckley

Kathleen & Robert L. Clarke

Annette & Christopher Clow

Kristina Durr & J. Barclay Collins

Maureen & Patrick Dore

Lorene & Peter Gevalt

Shanna & Andrew Goldstone

Peggy & Richard Hayes

Elizabeth & Ian John

Jane & Robert Keiter

Amy & James Leahy

Lee & Fritz Link

Laurie Lisle

Deborah Donovan & Kenneth Page

Ellise & Eric Rose

Patricia Rowell & Ron Becker

Linda Beech & Thomas Schueller

Emily Soell

Melinda Sweet

Conservationist $500+

Carlin Vickery & James Capalino

Emily McGoldrick & Frederick Deknatel

Ann Goodbody

Trail Blazer $100+ Janet & Sal Accardo

Evelyn & Steven Alden

Ellen Burcroff & Robert Anderson

Judy & Norman Arons

Eliza Klose & Harding Bancroft

Judy & Skip Barber

Mitchell Baruchin

Lisa & Timothy Bazemore

Richard & Anne Bell

John Bisbing

Robert Blumberg

John Bolus

Pamela & Richard Bonanno

Angela & Michael Carabine

Patricia & Williston Case

Mardee Cavallaro

Richard & Brenda Curran

Kenneth Daniel

Marge DeMarrais & Charlie Paley

Jane & Harris Dienstfrey

Francesca Digirolamo

Donna & Jim DiMartino

Kim, Dennis & Livia Fallon

Dorothy Felske

Kathy & Jacob Fricker

Elizabeth Bruder & Kenneth Frydman

Gail & Arthur Goldweber

Stacy & Scott Gordon

Carol Gourley

Stephany & Thomas Haines

David Harris

Caroline Herrick & Ted Sands

Kim Zwick & Kevin Hill

Douglas Hobby

Kim & Ralph Hohlfeld

Kelly Hughes

Pamela Moulton & Bruce James

Kristin Johnson

Kay & Frederick Joseph

Howard Kaminsky

Jean & Michael Kashgarian

Lee Kennedy

Barbara & Mortimer Klaus

Bonnie Sears & Peter Kukresh

Sok Nam & Harold Kuplesky

Raymond Learsy

Robinson Leech, Jr.

Shirley & Bob Leibrock

Barbara & William Lewis

Robert Lindgren & Thomas Gibb

Peter Lombardo & Alfred Brooks

Jane Curtin & Patrick Lynch

Anne & Lee Minoff

Deedy & Ken Mishler

Leslie & Nicholas Moore

Belinda & Eric Morrow

TJ & Brian Murtagh

Betty & Dan Newcomb

Janet & Robert Nickson

Suzanne & David Oliver

Mary & Philip Oppenheimer

Ellie Owens

Dawn & Joseph Palmer

Nicholas Pentecost & John J. Jolly

Jane Poehler

Judith Poehler

Tracy & Michael Rand

Gabby Bernstein & Zach Rocklin

Victoria & Dennis Ross

Geraldine & Christopher Rubin

Alexia & Stephen Sachman

Emily & Billy Saster

Rebecca & James Saunders

Ann Doyle & Michael Schmitt

Carol & Joseph Seaman

Judith M. Smith

Marguerite & Lawrence Smith

Trish & John Stimpson

Peg & Paul Sweeney

Missy & Richard Talbot

Eileen Tedesco

Elizabeth Easton & James Traub

SHARON LAND TRUST MEMBERSHIP October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017

We apologize in advance if we have made an error with your listing. Please contact our office so we can make corrections.

SHARON LAND TRUST MEMBERSHIP October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017

Sue & Steve Van Tongeren

Danielle Jennings & Bo Wallen

Arete Warren

Ladd Weinberg

Bert Wells

Holly Kempner & Warren White

Robert Wilbur

Greg & Ian Witzman

Julia Wrigley

Marilyn & Todd Yerks

Member $25+ Janet & Frank Amendola

William Arnold

Aita & Norman Askinazi

Sarah Morgan & Paul Bacsik

Cynthia Vannoy & John Baroody

Barbara Bartram

Donna & Peter Begley

Nancy & Robert Bird

Michelle Booth

Joan & Steve Bowen

Susan & Craig Brenard

Jenny & Barry Brown

Louise & Malcolm Brown

Portia & John Buquicchio

Lori & Bruce Carlson

Whitney & Timothy Carr

Suzanne Smith & Donn Castonguay

Chipurnoi Incorporated

Lynn Kearcher & Carl Chaiet

Daniel Chiles

Lynn Cline

Robin Diamond & Robert Coombs

William J. Cord

Barbara Thibido & Jerome Cramp

Judith Crouch

Michael Deutsch

Janis & Jack Downey

Laurie & Dary Dunham

Joseph Dwyer

We apologize in advance if we have made an error with your listing. Please contact our office so we can make corrections.

In Memory of Douglas Jardine

David and Joan Jardine

In Memory of Ruth Godsoe

Marilyn and Gerald Godsoe

In Memory of Susan L. Russell

Donald Russell

In Memory of Bruce K. MacFarlane

Joan MacFarlane

In Memory of William B. Warren

Arete Warren

In Memory of Garrett Goodbody

Keith R. Johnson

In Memory of Melvin Elliot

Peter Kukresh & Bonnie Sears

In Memory of Ronald Smith

Judith Smith

In Memory of Ralph E. Loper

Joan and Chaffee Loper

In Memory of Rose Metzger

Albert & Jane Metzger

In Memory of Jeanne Bowen

Steve and Joan Bowen

In Memory of Jack and Mary Anderson

Robert Anderson and Ellen Burcroff

In Memory of Cathy Weinberg

Anonymous

In Memory of Irene and John Pickering

Brenda & Richard Curran

Sarah & Alec Machiels

Terry & Joel Meisel

Jane & Albert Metzger

Wanda & Robert Moeller

Julie & John Morris

John O'Connell

Shirley & John Perotti

Sophia Purdy & Mark Peters

Lizbeth & Anthoy Piel

Carole Ascher & Robert Pittenger

Janet & Warren Prindle

Amy Schuchat & Barclay Prindle

Carol & Larry Rand

Brooke & Richard Rapaport

Marel Rogers

Mary Rogers

Sharon & Harvey Rosen

Donald Russell

Michael Sciepura

Margaret & John Sciepura

Kathleen & Campbell Scott

Randall Slack

Jonathan & Patsy Stroble

Meg & Steven Szalawicz

Rebecca & Scott Thornton

Richard & Barbara Thorsen

Kelly Thurston

Leigh & Jonathan Tunick

Walton Fishing Club

Barbara & Marc Weiss

William Whelan

Andrew Wilson

Josephine Wright

Lindley & Allen Young

Diane & Raymond Zelazny

Fern & Stuart Fisher

Sherry & Bruce Frankel

Nanette & Horst Fuellenkemper

Elizabeth Gall

Tiggie & Jay Gerli

Marilyn & Gerald Godsoe

Kathie & Michael Gordon

Phil Grindrod

Louise Gross

Johanna & Bruce Haan

Elizabeth Hall

Penny & George Hartz

Paul Held

Elaine Buckberg & Timothy Helwick

Marilyn & Robert Hock

Margaret Hohlfeld

Siegrun & Rolf Hohlfeld

Shelley Hotchkiss

Linda & Frank Hufner

Helen Humeston

Susan Irwin

Cathy Jacobs

Cathy Jacobs

Joan & David Jardine

Claudia Carson & Thomas Jeziorny

Deborah & Barton Jones

Nina Kaletsch

Sally Kaplan

Susan & Mark Keim

J. Chris Keneally

Kelly & Greg Kilmer

Larry King

Julia & Jeff Kivitz

Ina & Stan Lane

Sarah Getz & James LaPorta

Joan & James Levine

Joan & Chaffee Loper

Patricia Lynehan

Susan & William Lynn

Joan Macfarlane

Twin Oaks Hedgerow Restoration

The Hedgerow at the Twin Oaks is getting a facelift! Under the guidance of Leonard Pouder and his staff at LHP Services, a group of volunteers dedicated the weekend of June 22nd ~ 23rd to removing approximately 1000' by 30' of invasive plants that had taken over the tree line above Twin Oaks. This was the first step in transforming this historic site. The area has been planted with an annual rye mix and the grass is growing! A pollinator conservation seed mix will be planted in the spring.

Thank you Leonard Pouder and all our dedicated volunteers!

Junior Environmentalists It was a great year for youth volunteers at Sharon Land Trust!

Youth from both Sharon Center School and Housatonic Valley Regional High School worked at controlling invasives and maintaining trails on the Mary Moore Preserve. They eradicated over an acre of invasives, created a trail opening in a stone wall, sidecut a trail along a hill, created drainage ditches and moved several hundred pounds of rock along the trail.

Later this summer we had a hard working group of young adults from Americorps do two days of work debarking, hand milling, and hauling over a thousand pounds of logs to help build a bog bridge on Sharon Mountain Preserve.

And lastly, we had an energetic bunch of students from Indian Mountain School that helped to clear a new trail on Benton Hill Preserve. They brushed, raked, and hauled debris from almost a mile of new trail providing access to a beautiful pond. Thanks to them, it looks spectacular.

Sharon Land Trust is committed to providing rewarding community service projects to area youth. It is fun for them (and us) and also instills a conservation ethic, encouraging a love of the outdoors for their lifetime.

Before

After

Grass Growing

Aerial View

Bits And Pieces

The TWIN OAKS that were planted in 2014 are thriving! They have grown from 18” DBH to 33” DBH in 3 years. DBH stands for Diameter at Breast Height, a standard measurement when assessing tree health and productivity. The trees have also produced quite a large crop of acorns this fall! Volunteer Leonard Pouder of LHP Services will propogate seedlings from these acorns for distribution to the Sharon Community. Let us know if you want a Twin Oaks Sapling!

2017 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED Shelby Luminati and Liam Sweeney are the recipients of the 2017 SLT Scholarships. Shelby is studying Marine Biology at the University of Maine. Liam is studying Environmental Science at Champlain College. SLT is proud to support local youth as they continue their education in the sciences.

The Sharon Land Trust honored MAJOR DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS at a gathering on October 8th at the Stonehouse at the Miles Wildlife Sanctuary on West Cornwall Road. Special thanks to Audubon Sharon for allowing us to host the party at this historic and beautiful home. Major donors and volunteers were treated to brunch catered by JP Giffords. They were introduced to the new Executive Director of the Land Trust, Maria Grace, as well as Conservation Director Harry White and Land Steward, Tim Hunter.

New Twin Oak 2017

MONITORS Being a land monitor is a very important job for Sharon Land Trust. As an accredited land trust, we have the responsibility to make sure landowners are respecting the easements on their property. We are so thankful to our 20+ dedicated land monitors. We couldn’t do it without you!

Would you like to become a Land Monitor and learn the latest mapping technology with your smart phone? Call or email us today.

Thank you to TIM & MATT HANSEN for being a wonderful resource for SLT and for keeping our preserves looking great!

Speaking of the TWIN OAKS PRESERVE, volunteer Jake Fricker refurbished the gates that are located on Mudgetown Road. They look like new - go for a walk and check out the majestic entrance to our iconic Twin Oaks Preserve.

BENTON HILL PRESERVE was acquired by the Sharon Land Trust in the Spring. This 72 acre preserve is one of the first vistas that motorists see as they cross the NYS line into Sharon. SLT Land Steward Tim Hunter with volunteers Jake Fricker, Doug Weisman and others are busy blazing a trail that will provide additional recreational opportunities for our community.

Visit us on the web at SHARONLANDTRUST.ORG

Left Gate

Right Gate

“ Take a Hike” on Our Trails

SLT Properties Open to the Public

Don’t miss our new QR CODE GUESTBOOK when you walk one of our preserves - use your smartphone to take a photo of the QR Code, directing you to our trail guestbook - tell us how you like the trail and any wildlife you spotted along the way!

YOU CAN TRY IT RIGHT NOW!

Twin Oaks Preserve, Mudgetown Road, 87 acres

Talbot Preserve, Route 41, 67 acres

Sharon Mountain Preserve, access off of Bowne Road, East Street, and Tichnor Road

Home to the Bog Bridge Trail, this preserve has a 1.5 mile loop through the woods and the bog. It is a really lovely

and peaceful hike!

Garrett Goodbody Preserve, access off of Millerton Road, 19 acres

Hamlin Preserve, access off of Stonehouse Road, 259 acres

Mary Moore Preserve, access off of Williams Road, 181 acres

Start at the Mary Moore Lookout Trailhead on Williams Road, which connects to the Wike Farm Trail, and onto

the Hamlin Bear Trail, ending on Stone House Road. The Mary Moore Lookout, with the plaque explaining the

magnificent 35 mile panoramic view, is about a 30 minute walk from the Trailhead on Williams Road. You can divert

to see our CT State Champion Chinkapin Oak on the way.

Benton Hill Preserve, access off of Benton Hill Road, 72 acres

Trail Network coming soon!

Mary Moore Lookout Plaque explaining our fantastic view