Wyndham Land Trust launches fundraising drive to protect its birthplace
In 1975, Virginia “Jimmie” Booth, the owner of Hillandale Farm and the Golden Lamb restaurant in Brooklyn, looked across the iconic stone walls and hay fields of her farm to the woods that lined the property. She was struck by the beauty of the landscape and thought to herself: “We should start a land trust.”
Today, the Wyndham Land Trust has an extraordinary opportunity to protect much of the woods that inspired Booth almost 50 years ago. In April of this year The Conservation Fund, based in Arlington, VA, acquired 320 acres of woodlands on the old Hillandale Farm. The Conservation Fund has given the Land Trust until March 2025 to purchase the property from them.
In response to this challenge, the Land Trust is kicking off a 10-month fundraising drive to raise $635,000 to acquire what it has christened “The Hillandale Woods.”
“The property sits at the historic core of the Wyndham Land Trust,” said President Mike St Lawrence, “and we knew we wanted to protect it from development. However, we already have two big projects moving forward in 2024, and we just didn’t have the financial resources to close the deal this year.
“We are grateful to The Conservation Fund for stepping in and providing us this opportunity to acquire the property. Unfortunately, we have a relatively short timeline to raise the necessary funds. This substantial property is ideally suited for high-end housing development, and The Conservation Fund’s mission does not include long-term ownership and management of property.
“We’re working hard to raise the money. Because State and Federal grant programs take more than one year to complete, we’re applying for grants from a number of private foundations. However, we will need the financial support of the people in the Quiet Corner to reach our goal.”
“It’s an ecologically important piece of property to preserve,” confirmed Andy Rzeznikiewicz, the land manager for the Land Trust and Connecticut Audubon. “It has extensive wetlands that feed into Bush Hill Pond, but the frontage along Bush Hill Road makes it vulnerable to development.
“It’s adjacent to our Booth Preserve, a Wolf Den Land Trust preserve, and several properties that are protected by conservation easements. They all link up to connect with Natchaug State Forest and create a large forested block that supports nesting birds like Scarlet Tanagers, Pileated Woodpeckers, and Ovenbirds.
“It’s been on our radar for years, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect this land in perpetuity. There are already trails on the property, and once we own the land, the trails will be open to the public.”
You can support Virginia Booth’s vision and help protect Hillandale Woods by donating to the fundraising drive at wyndhamlandtrust.org.
The Wyndham Land Trust now protects 51 preserves covering over 6000 acres in the Quiet Corner and will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2025. What better way to celebrate the formation of the Land Trust than to acquire the property that inspired its founders.
To learn more about the work of the Wyndham Land Trust visit wyndhamlandtrust.org. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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