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I was enjoying a run along a favorite rails-to-trail when I came upon a group of young teens – bikes parked, huddled together, and clearly engaged in a friendly debate. I didn’t give it much thought until I saw one of them holding a beautiful Eastern box turtle.

I immediately stopped.

The kids explained that they found the turtle in the middle of the trail and wanted to move it out of harm’s way, but they couldn’t agree on which side of the trail to set it free. I thanked them profusely and told them they likely saved the turtle’s life. Together, we moved the turtle across the trail in the direction it was originally headed.

These young do-gooders were so pleased with their actions and I couldn’t have been more delighted by their care and curiosity. I hope that the experience stays with them.

Throughout the remainder of my run, the encounter fueled my thoughts about the CLCC conference and the importance of connecting young people to the wonders of the natural world, no matter where they live.

Thanks to the financial support of donors like you, we are able to continue accepting the challenges – and embracing the opportunities – in engaging more people in our mission to protect land in perpetuity for the benefit of our present and future generations.

Will you show your support of CLCC with a gift today?

Land trusts get it. With our assistance, they are more focused than ever on building an enduring legacy – one that must include a younger, more diverse generation of leaders to guide and sustain decades of land conservation.

Young people get it, too. They are worried about the future they are

inheriting – and want to be part of the solution, now. The speakers participating in our recent 2022 conference made that perfectly clear.

We need more young people to know that their concerns are being addressed.

How will we do this?

By saving more land and water. With the State’s land acquisition efforts significantly off target, land trusts are critical to accelerating the pace of land conservation. With support from donors like you, CLCC will launch new programming to provide direct technical and financial assistance to local land trusts to conserve more land – land that is critical to the health of the environment, wildlife, and people, alike.

By empowering Connecticut’s land trusts. With a mission that extends well beyond our lifetimes, land trusts need ongoing support and assistance to get the job done. Your gift ensures that CLCC can work directly with boards and other volunteers throughout the year helping chart their vision and implement their mission. And, we will gather land trusts across the state for workshops, roundtables and other networking opportunities to learn from one another.

By serving more people. Preserves, parks, and other greenspaces have long been seen as a luxury for the few. Your gift will help us change this perception and enable support for land conservation as the foundation necessary for economically resilient, inspiring, and healthy communities for all.

CLCC’s advancement initiatives will help land trusts to connect with a broader array of potential partners – increasing their relevance, creating a more welcoming and inclusive landscape, and bringing the benefits of land and water to people everywhere.

By advocating for natural solutions. Increasing investments in land conservation programs and incorporating working and natural lands into state goals and implementation plans to address the climate crisis must be a top priority at every level of policy-making. Your support is how we can maintain a strong presence at the Capitol on behalf of the state’s land conservation community.

CLCC is your conservation voice.

By building a movement. From roundtable discussions to multi-generational networking events – your gift will be an integral part of how CLCC continues the momentum of the 2022 conference and work with land trusts to connect with younger, more diverse conservationists from around the state.

And you can help.

With these initiatives, the Connecticut Land Conservation Council is poised to take land conservation in Connecticut to the next level. Your support will protect more land, build stronger land trusts, and include more people along the way.

Will you join this movement with a gift?

Your contribution will show that you believe in the significant role that land conservation plays in our communities, now and for the future.

I am grateful that with your support Connecticut will be ready to embrace the future with renewed optimism and hope. I invite you to consider a monthly gift – making an affordable, automatic, monthly gift means providing sustained funding that CLCC can count on to support monthly planning – essentially making 12x the impact!