Resource Library
If your land trust’s board meetings are bogged down with reports and updates rather than meaningful discussions, this Inverted Board Agenda approach can help refocus meetings on strategy and mission-driven decisions. By starting with a Mission Moment and a Strategic Issue Discussion, board members engage with the heart of the organization before diving into necessary votes. Routine reports are bundled into a Consent Agenda to streamline the meeting, while updates and announcements are saved for the end. This structure ensures that board meetings are more engaging, productive, and aligned with your land trust’s long-term success.
CLCC and CT Farmland Trust hosted an online introduction to the FarmLink program, and how FarmLink can help match your land trust to a farmer who is interested in stewarding your agricultural lands. Topics discussed land and community benefits of leasing farmland, land trust considerations before leasing, and funding opportunities for your land trust.
This handbook was produced for New England by the Non-farming Landowner Task Force of the Land Access Project.
CLCC’s Land Trust Board Member Boot Camp is a five-part series that covers the essential roles, functions, and responsibilities of land trust board members. Originally produced in 2021, the content remains relevant and useful for those who are new to land trusts or board service, or for those in need of a refresher.
A collaboration of the Land Trust Alliance and Connecticut Land Conservation Council, the Connecticut Risk Management Initiative was created help land trusts ensure the permanency of their work by understanding and identifying risk, and assessing current risk management strategies through a series of online training sessions. Risk management is all about helping land trusts cope with uncertainty, and includes examining areas of potential risk within the organization including governance, financial practices, land transactions, stewardship, and programming.
This resource illustrates the importance of crafting donor-centered content that aligns with the values and motivations of your audience. It highlights strategies to evoke emotion and establish meaningful connections with donors through your communication. Land trusts can use this guide to enhance their appeals, newsletters, and other outreach materials, ensuring messages resonate deeply and inspire action.
Communicating about climate change can be challenging, but it’s essential for building support and inspiring action. This resource from the Land Trust Alliance and Open Space Institute offers practical strategies for land trusts and conservation leaders to discuss climate issues in a way that resonates with diverse audiences. Learn how to frame messages effectively, connect with shared values, and focus on solutions to engage your community and stakeholders in meaningful climate conversations.
As climate change accelerates, land conservation is a powerful tool for building resilience—protecting ecosystems, reducing climate risks, and supporting communities. This curated set of resources from The Nature Conservancy, a leader in resilience and conservation science, offers practical guidance on climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, and strategies for integrating resilience into land protection.
This handbook outlines a parcel prioritization analysis developed for the Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust (now Northwest CT Land Conservancy) to guide land conservation in Litchfield County and Sherman, CT. Using data-driven methods, it evaluates factors like climate resilience, habitat quality, water resources, and connectivity to inform conservation priorities. With a repeatable GIS-based model, land trusts can adjust priorities over time to ensure they are protecting the most ecologically significant lands.
As climate change progresses, birds’ habitats will shift, forcing them to relocate. Audubon scientists analyzed 140 million bird observations to map the current ranges of 604 North American species, then used climate models to predict future shifts. The findings indicate that many species will struggle to find suitable habitats, potentially threatening their survival.
Land trusts around the country provide access to nature, offering a valuable service to people in the form of health and wellness benefits gained from being outdoors. These benefits are well documented, from better overall health through exercise to reducing stress levels in the calming presence of nature. But land trusts need to ask: “Who are we leaving behind?” This guide addresses that question with regard to one group — people with disabilities — and provides practical ideas for incorporating inclusion into your land trust’s programming and organizational culture.
Smart Solar on Farmland and Ranchland – American Farmland Trust