Norwalk Land Trust (CT)
Waterfront at Farm Creek Preserve.
Photo courtesy D. Seeley Hubbard, President, Norwalk Land Trust
Sometimes, big conservation can be accomplished by small organizations—particularly with some help from The Conservation Fund. Take, for example, the Norwalk Land Trust in Connecticut. An all-volunteer group with an annual budget of less than $10,000, the Trust just purchased a coveted 2.2-acre waterfront parcel on Long Island Sound, completing a community nature preserve.
How? The group’s first break came when the parcel was auctioned and the $4 million winning bid came from a buyer who did not want “McMansions” built on land that foxes, coyotes and migratory birds call home. The buyer agreed to hold the property until the land trust could raise the funds to buy it back from him.
The fundraising effort caught the community’s imagination. Kids sold lemonade and cupcakes. A story in Forbes magazine boosted the project’s visibility. Donations from the residents of Norwalk and two nearby communities poured in. The Conservation Fund contributed a critical $2 million loan. Thanks to all our efforts, this cherished place will still be around for our children to enjoy as much as we do.
Watch the video to learn more about Norwalk Land Trust’s work establishing Farm Creek Preserve. Download the Farm Creek Preserve Informational Brochure.
D. Seeley Hubbard, President of Norwalk Land Trust
“Talk about angels! If it weren’t for TCF, the deal simply wouldn’t have happened. The Conservation Fund agreed to give us a $2 million mortgage with undermarket interest and very liberal repayment terms. We couldn’t have done it without them.” — D. Seeley Hubbard, President
