The Greenwich Land Trust will celebrate 50 years of conservation on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a public ceremony at its headquarters at 370 Round Hill Road.
The organization, founded Sept. 9, 1976, has grown from stewarding about 200 acres to protecting more than 1,014 acres across 82 preserves in Greenwich and surrounding communities. First Selectman Fred Camillo will deliver an official proclamation at the 5:30 p.m. event, which also includes a tree planting and a time capsule ceremony.
Executive Director Will Kies said in a statement published Aug. 26 to The Patch, that the organization's founders understood protecting open space was essential to Greenwich's character and environmental health. "They could not have known exactly what Greenwich would look like 50 years later, but they understood that once important natural places are lost, they are very difficult to get back," Kies said.
The milestone comes as GLT pursues a capital campaign to strengthen its long-term land-protection capacity. The campaign's centerpiece is a permanent Open Space Fund, which the organization says will let it act faster when conservation opportunities arise, restore areas already under its care and respond to development pressures and environmental change. No dollar target for the campaign has been disclosed.
Kies said the organization's growth goes beyond acreage. GLT now runs a Youth Corps program that puts local teenagers to work maintaining preserves, partners with Greenwich schools on environmental education and hosts public events across its 82 properties.
Urling I. Searle, president of the GLT board of directors, said the anniversary is about looking forward. The places that define Greenwich need to remain part of Greenwich for the next 50 years, Searle said, adding that the effort is bigger than any single campaign or generation.
The Sept. 9 celebration is open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Coming up at GLT:
- Wednesday, Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m.: 50th anniversary celebration, 370 Round Hill Road. Free and open to the public.
- Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:00 p.m.: Apple Picking and Cidering at Mueller Preserve. Limited to 30 participants; pre-registration required.
