Connecticut Land Conservation Conference

2026 is the year our country celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In Connecticut we also celebrate the legend of the Charter Oak, an event that took place almost 90 years prior to the American Revolution, but which secured the Connecticut Charter as a governing document and ultimately as the essential framework of the US Constitution. The Charter Oak was a white oak (Quercus alba), white oak is the CT State Tree, and white oak as a species has extremely high historical, cultural and environmental value benefiting the citizens of our state. This workshop will present the historical and cultural role white oak has had in CT but will highlight and emphasize the importance of this species in the current landscape as an integral part of the forest canopy and as a critical habitat component contributing to natural biodiversity. Participants will learn the identifying morphological features and silvical characteristics of white oak, the conditions needed by white oaks to grow and thrive, the importance of perpetuating white oaks and the oak communities in our landscapes and white-oak-friendly management techniques that land managers can adopt. Participants will also be encouraged to host or join in white-oak-themed events in their communities as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.