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Dedication
Ben Williams was recognized for his dedication to the Wyndham Land Trust. He’s pictured with his brother. Courtesy photo.



Land trust
celebrates
incredible
year
The Winter Solstice gathering to celebrate the shortest day of the year is a Wyndham Land Trust tradition. This year members, volunteers, and friends gathered at the Lyon Preserve in Pomfret to enjoy the crisp winter air in the open grassland fields, while roasting chestnuts on an open fire and sampling coffee, hot chocolate, and Munchkins donated by the local Dunkin Donuts on Rt. 171. A chorus of Barred Owls hooted throughout the event, as if to thank the land trust for protecting their habitat for another year.
The gathering allowed reflection on the past year, and the land trust had much to celebrate during 2019.
George Jackson, a founding member of the Wyndham Land Trust, and Ben Williams, long-time board member, both stepped down after over 40 years of service. To honor their years of dedication, the land trust installed granite benches at separate preserves in Pomfret. Jackson’s bench at the Aicher Preserve recognizes his place among the founders of the land trust; Williams’s bench at the Lyon Preserve recognizes his passion for butterflies.
Earlier in the year the Wyndham Land Trust achieved accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance after completing a rigorous application.
Land trust accreditation is a mark of distinction, showing that a land trust meets high standards for land conservation.
Accreditation sends a message to landowners and supporters that the land trust is a strong, effective organization that can be trusted to conserve land forever.
The Wyndham Land Trust acquired properties in 2019 in Woodstock, Canterbury, and Thompson, and they now own more than 4000 acres of protected land spread across the 10 towns of northeastern Connecticut.
This includes the Bull Hill Project in Thompson and Woodstock, that now covers over 1000 acres in a large unbroken forested block. All of their preserves are open to the public to enjoy, and the most walkable properties are described on the land trust web site.


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