The Aspetuck Land Trust is a nonprofit group that provides for "the preservation and conservation of open space, including farm and forest land, and the natural resources located thereon, primarily in the towns of Easton, Weston, Fairfield and Westport, for the benefit and education of the public," according to the group's website. Donations make up 75 percent of the land trust’s annual budget.
"You make it all possible," representatives said on the site. "We thank you from the bottom of your rich vernal pools to the tops of your tallest trees where mighty hawks soar."
The following are the top four reasons to donate to ALT, according to the group's website:
- No. 1. Your Support Preserves Local Open Space: In 2011, ALT preserved the 34-acre Randall's Farm property in Easton. In 2013, ALT helped to create Southport Park, a new 10-acre park in downtown Southport. ALT is restoring 12 acres of salt marsh in the heart of downtown Westport in the Saugatuck estuary.
- No. 2. Your Support Protects Endangered Species: ALT conducted a wildlife survey in its 1,009-acre Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area. Seventeen Connecticut Endangered Species and 80 species of Greatest Conservation Need were discovered, along with 146 bird species.
- No. 3. Your Support Gets More Children Outdoors: More than 5,000 children have visited the Natural Playground at ALT's Leonard Schine Preserve in Westport and hundreds of families have participated in its Short Hikes for Short People.
- No. 4. Your Support Creates Local Adventures: More than 10,000 people a year visit the Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area which has 20 miles of trails for hikers, cross-country skiers, runners, mountain bikers, dog walkers, birders and equestrians.
Those looking to donate to Aspetuck Land Trust are asked to visit the group's website.
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