“State of the Lands: Results from the 2023-24 Connecticut Land Trust Census” presents the findings of a groundbreaking effort to document land conservation activities, understand future priorities, and identify ways to better support land trusts. The insights gained from this census will guide CLCC’s future priorities and strengthen its support for the land trust community in Connecticut.
The Understanding Climate-Smart Forestry Practices speaker series from Yale Forest Forum explores strategies for managing forests to enhance carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Land trusts can use this resource to stay informed on emerging forestry practices, guiding their stewardship efforts to support both ecological and climate adaptation goals.
The “Adaptation Workbook” is an interactive tool developed by the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science that helps land trusts and conservation practitioners integrate climate change adaptation into their management and stewardship planning. By guiding users through a step-by-step process to assess climate risks and develop site-specific strategies, this resource supports resilient and sustainable land conservation efforts.
Curious about Motus towers and how they can inform your land trust’s understanding of bird migration and habitat use? This collection includes recordings from Audubon CT/NY’s 2025 Science Forum on the Motus Wildlife Tracking System features insights from top researchers on how the network is shaping conservation across the hemisphere. You’ll also find links to alternative bird monitoring technologies — like AI-powered Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) — that can help document species presence and habitat health.
Thinking about allowing research on your conserved land? This resource bundle includes practical templates and examples to guide you through the process — from initial inquiry to final publication. You’ll find a checklist of sequential steps, sample insurance language, a model letter of agreement, and more to help your land trust evaluate and manage research proposals with confidence.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Climate-Smart Mitigation Activities webpage provides an overview of conservation practices that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration. This resource is valuable for land trusts looking to integrate climate resilience into their conservation efforts through practices like forest management, wetland restoration, and soil health improvements. Land trusts can use this guide to inform landowners about climate-smart strategies and explore funding opportunities through NRCS programs like EQIP and CSP.
Understanding climate change resilience is essential for building resilience on the land we conserve and interactive mapping tools provide valuable data to guide our decision making. By integrating these tools into planning, land trusts can enhance habitat connectivity, protect biodiversity, and ensure the resilience of Connecticut’s conserved lands.
Ensuring that conserved lands remain protected in perpetuity requires careful financial planning. These Stewardship Reserve Calculators help land trusts estimate the funds needed to support the long-term stewardship of a property, including monitoring, legal defense, and management costs. These tools provide data-driven projections to help land trusts set realistic financial goals and ensure the sustainability of their conservation commitments.
Well-designed signage helps land trusts guide visitors, protect natural resources, and reinforce stewardship values. The CLCC Signage Library provides examples of trail markers, boundary signs, property rules, and policies on dogs and leash use—ensuring clear, consistent messaging across conserved lands. Whether you’re creating new signs or updating existing ones, these templates and examples offer inspiration for welcoming, informative, and durable signage that enhances visitor experience and supports land protection goals.
Strong policies are the foundation of a well-run land trust. CLCC’s Sample Policy Library provides a collection of ready-to-use templates covering governance, land stewardship, financial management, and more. Whether your land trust is refining existing policies or drafting new ones, these samples offer a valuable starting point to ensure best practices and compliance with Land Trust Standards & Practices. Use this resource to streamline policy development and strengthen your organization’s operations.
The Dark Sky Regulation Checklist provides guidance on reducing light pollution through local regulations that promote responsible outdoor lighting. This resource is especially relevant for land trusts working to protect wildlife habitats, maintain natural nightscapes, and support community efforts to improve sky visibility. Land trusts can use this checklist to advocate for dark sky-friendly policies, educate landowners on best practices, and collaborate with municipalities to implement lighting ordinances.
Pollinator Pathways, led by town conservation volunteers, create continuous corridors of pollinator-friendly habitats for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. The goal is to connect spaces within 750 meters, which is the average range of native bees, to ensure they have a thriving environment.