News and Events

On January 1st, the Bethany Land Trust started the new year with a First Day Hike, guiding 27 hikers along newly rerouted trails in the Simpson Preserve and through Veterans Memorial Park. From there, we climbed into the woods above the lake to the Bethany Bog, enjoying a bright, sunny day despite chilly temperatures in the 20s. A recent snowfall made the hike especially fun, as we were rewarded with animal tracks in the snow. While areas of melting and refreezing blurred some prints, several tracks were fresh and clear enough to identify. Of particular interest were deer and coyote… Read more: Naturalist’s Notes February 2026

Celebrate the beginning of 2026 by joining the First Day Hike along the trails in Veterans Memorial Park and in the Town’s newly acquired Simpson Preserve. This hike, co-sponsored with Bethany Conservation Commission, will take hikers through rerouted trails in the Simpson Preserve that lead to the uplands near the Woodward Nature Preserve. From there, the hike will proceed to trails in Veterans Memorial Park, climbing up to near the Bethany Bog in the woods above the lake. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes for this hike of about 3 miles.  To register: contact Bob Harrison by Tuesday December 30th via cell at… Read more: First Day Hike – Simpson Preserve and Veterans Memorial Park – New Year’s Day 1-4 PM

Join us for a walk along the trails in Veterans Memorial Park and in the Town’s newly acquired Simpson Preserve, two parcels totaling close to 200 acres owned by the town. This hike, co-sponsored with Bethany Conservation Commission, will take hikers through newly rerouted trails in the Simpson Preserve that lead to the uplands adjacent to the Woodward Nature Preserve. We will then proceed to trails in Veterans Memorial Park above the lake. Expect a walk of about two miles.  To register: contact Bob Harrison by October 10th via cell at 203-506-5888 or bjh51box@gmail.com Parking: Veterans Memorial Park, 265 Beacon Rd (Route 42), Bethany;… Read more: Simpson Preserve and Veterans Memorial Park Hike – Sunday Oct. 12, 1-3 PM

On Thursday, October 16th at 7 PM at Veteran’s Memorial Lodge, Jim Powers, author, researcher, archaeologist and retired teacher from Guilford Connecticut will give a presentation describing indigenous ceremonial stone structures. With a small team, Jim has been investigating Ceremonial Stone Landscapes throughout southern Connecticut to further understand their astronomical, spiritual, and cultural significance to the Indigenous inhabitants of Connecticut and beyond. 

Local artist, Carol Vinick, has an exhibit titled “The Bethany Land Trust: Its Volunteers & Inhabitants” on display in the Clark Memorial Library’s Community Room and display cabinets throughout the month of September ending October 2nd. Ms. Vinick’s series honoring the volunteers of the Bethany Land Trust includes a large fabric piece depicting seven of the volunteers by a brook after a hard morning of work. This piece received the Katharine Seymour Day Award at the Connecticut Women Artists’ National Exhibition at the Benton Museum in Storrs. It is surrounded by pieces depicting creatures that live in Land Trust properties. … Read more: Exhibit at Clark Memorial Library – Art of Carol Vinick honors Land Trust Volunteers

As announced this spring, the Town of Bethany has purchased 50.88 acres of undeveloped land from the Simpson family. While owned by the town, the Simpson Preserve will be managed by the Bethany Land Trust per a stipulation in one of the grants. In addition to identifying exciting natural features and multiple habitat types, the Land Trust has begun work rerouting trails in the Preserve. All the existing trails in the Preserve have been severely impacted by motorized vehicle use, most notably ATV’s and dirt bikes. As readily observed in the Simpson Preserve, ATV and dirt bike use: The rerouted trails,… Read more: Rerouting Damaged Hiking Trails in the New Simpson Preserve

Barrie Collins, an ardent environmentalist and wife of land trust founder Stephen Collins, passed on 6/26/25 at the age of 97. She and Steve raised and housed a variety of wildlife – foxes, flying squirrels, snakes and a Great-Horned owl – in their own home. For 25 years, Barrie was the local reporter for the New Haven Register and attended most town commission meetings.

The public is invited to attend a symposium and hike on Sunday, July 20th starting at 9:15A.M. at Southern Connecticut State University’s School of Business, Room 102 on campus. There is no fee to attend since it will funded by a CTHumanities grant. Dedicated to the work of the late Dr. Stephen Collins, a former Bethany resident and former biology professor at SCSU, the symposium will focus on West Rock Ridge State Park in New Haven and the importance of preserving the environment. The symposium will feature a panel of four speakers: There will be a Q&A session and, depending upon… Read more: Symposium and Hike Celebrating 50th Anniversary Of West Rock Ridge State Park

In May, the Town of Bethany purchased 50.88 acres of undeveloped land from the Simpson family using monies from two grants written by the Land Trust: one from the State of Connecticut’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) Grant Program and the other from Audubon Connecticut In-lieu Fee Program.

Patty Wey of Bethany has meticulously restored wooden marquee signs for two Land Trust preserves, the Edna L. Delano Nature Sanctuary on Amity Road across from the library and the Podgwaite Preserve in the northeast corner of the junction of Routes 69 and 42.  Constructed and installed over two decades ago, both signs had weathered, their faded green lettering barely readable from the road. After prepping, sanding and restaining the wood, Patty painted the faded logo and lettering a vibrant green, finishing with an application of polyurethane. Patty said, “I am very happy I could help the Land Trust.” The… Read more: LAND TRUST VOLUNTEER REFURBISHES TWO LAND TRUST PRESERVE MARQUEE SIGNS

Join us for a fun-filled BioBlitz at Whispering Pines Preserve on Sunday, July13th from 1-3!  A BioBlitz is an exciting event where teams of scientists, students, and community members come together to identify as many species as possible in a specific area over a set period of time. It’s a hands-on way to engage with nature and learn about local biodiversity. During our BioBlitz, we will be surveying plants and animals that inhabit both the stream and nearby forest. Explore this beautiful spot with us and help identify its inhabitants! Your discoveries will be shared with the scientific community via iNaturalist.  … Read more: Kid Friendly Bio-Blitz Hike Sunday July 13, 1 – 3 PM

At the May Town Meeting, Ali Beres-Nork was recognized as Bethany’s 2025 Conservationist of Year Presented each year by the Conservation Commission recognizes excellence in environmental protection or significant contributions to the advancement of conservation Ali with her son, Evan Nominated by one of her students at Amity High School, Ali is an environmental science teacher, passionate about inspiring a love for science and the natural world.  Her students have volunteered to clear invasive plants from Bethany’s trails and they help maintain the campus pollinator garden she created.  She has also created a food rescue initiative through which thousands of pounds… Read more: Ali Nork, 2025 Conservationist of the Year!!!

Come join us on our Complete the Northwest Loop Hike on the newly created Bethany Northwest Loop Trail. We will be hiking through four Bethany Land Trust preserves, two Town of Bethany recreational parcels, and the Naugatuck State Forest. This hike will be a rigorous 4 miles.   CT Trails Day, held on the first full weekend in June every year, is the largest celebration of trails in the nation. Coordinated by the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, CT Trails Day features over 200 free events throughout the state. Co-sponsored by the Bethany Conservation Commission and the Bethany Land Trust, the… Read more: Sunday, June 8, 1 – 4 PM:  CT Trails Day Complete the Loop Hike

Using funds from two grants, the Town of Bethany has purchased 50.88 acres of undeveloped land from the Simpson family. Back in 2018, applications for two grants written by the Land Trust and submitted by the town were approved: one from the State of Connecticut’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) Grant Program and the other from Audubon Connecticut In-lieu Fee Program. The town closed on the property in early May.  The Simpson Preserve is bordered on three sides by open space, including Bethany Veterans Memorial Park and three open space preserves of the Bethany Land Trust. Public access… Read more: Town of Bethany Creates the Simpson Preserve

After weeks of planning and construction, the Wild Bunch, under the direction of master carpenter Bart Piccirillo, has finished building a new bridge, replacing a series of inundated stepstones. This one crosses Hockanum Brook below the beaver dam in Mendell’s Folly.  After constructing gabions, metal cages filled with stones that support the bridge on both shorelines, the trail crew floated the bridge support beams to the site via boat and carried bridge decking through the woods. To provide access to the bridge from the trail, the crew created wooden steps and stone ramps, pulling large stones from the brook using… Read more: WE BUILT ANOTHER OF BART PICCIRILLO’S BRIDGES

Enclosed in a handsome display case crafted by master carpenter Bart Piccirillo, the Three Sister’s Preserve historical boundary stone has found a permanent home at the Clark Memorial Library across from the upstairs circulation desk.  This historical boundary stone once marked the location (circled in red on the map) where the boundaries of Bethany, Naugatuck, and Prospect meet at the head of a steep ravine in the Bethany Land Trust’s Three Sisters Preserve. The site marked later by the stone was also the location of a long-gone chestnut tree with three trunks that served as a reference point for Native… Read more: Historical Boundary Stone on Permanent Display at Clark Memorial Library

https://mailchi.mp/d149876db38e/bethany-land-trust-newsletter-may25?e=5d887fdd71

The Bethany Land Trust celebrated National Poetry Month in April with a hike, where we unveiled a new kind of adventure – Poetry in the Woods. You’ve probably heard of wine trails, and maybe even chocolate trails, but a poetry trail? The Bethany Land Trust’s Poetry in the Woods Poetry Trail is the first of its kind in the state of Connecticut.  The Land Trust partnered with the Connecticut Poetry Society to create this initiative.  At distinctive locations throughout three of the Land Trust’s preserves, Mendell’s Folly, Vane Epps Preserve, and Whispering Pines, a total of nine plaques have been installed on 4-foot posts.… Read more: Poetry in the Woods: CT’s First Poetry Trail 

Thanks to the generosity of over 50 donors and a match of $15,000 from an anonymous donor, the Land Trust is happy to announce that we’ve raised over $21,000 through the Great Give® 2025 held in early May.  We are very grateful to those who supported us during this campaign. The Land Trust plans to use Great Give donations towards the purchase of a large tract of forest that abuts one of our established preserves. When sufficient funds are raised, the Land Trust will be able to: Thanks once again to our donors for your generosity.

Monthly Newslettershttps://mailchi.mp/62623ec56e7a/new-bethany-land-trust-monthly-newsletter-23

Bethany Land Trust would like to thank Tom Capasso at Capasso Landscaping and Tree Removal (Bethany) for removing a large dead tree that was precariously obstructing the Delano Sanctuary trail entrance behind the Bethany Congregational Church.  On rare occasions our trail maintenance team encounters a situation that is too dangerous to handle and requires specialized equipment and professional assistance.  Hats off to Tom and his crew.

Join us with your binoculars and spotting scopes for a morning walk in Mendell’s Folly with guide, Christin Arnini, as we welcome back species returning from migration.  We will meet at the roadside parking area at the Van Epps Preserve at 390 Beacon Road (Route 42) in Bethany at 8 AM. Look for the green Land Trust banner. Off-road parking is also available.  All are welcome but space for the hike will be limited to 10 registered participants. Please leave your pets at home and inclement weather will cancel. To register: contact Bob Harrison by Friday, May 2 via cell at 203-506-5888 or bjh51box@gmail.com

“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien The Bethany Land Trust is thrilled to invite you to join us for a series of monthly guided hikes in 2025. If you’ve ever wanted to walk some hiking trails in Bethany and are not too sure where to start or if you enjoy sharing your favorite trails in town, these hikes are for you.

Sunday April 27th, 2025 – 1:00 PM

Thursday May 8th

On April 13th, some 30 hikers joined the poetry hike in Mendell’s Folly, where we heard seven poems read by Jeanne LeVasseur, Pat Motolla, and Ginny Connors from the Connecticut Poetry Society in celebration of National Poetry Month.  According to hiker Amy Rushlow, “The Bethany Land Trust Poetry in the Woods hike was a magical experience allowing all my senses to be engaged and nourished.”  Those who joined us also participated in the launch of our new poetry trail initiative, Poetry in the Woods, the first of its kind in Connecticut!  Three kiosks with plaques can be found in various spots in Mendell’s Folly… Read more: April Hike: Walking the Poetry in the Woods Trail

The Bethany Land Trust series of hikes for 2025 got off to a rousing start with close to 40 hikers joining us for our First Day Hike on New Year’s Day 2025. On an overcast afternoon, we hiked 2.5 miles through Whispering Pines and the Carrington Preserve to reach the Land Trust’s newest addition, the Hidden Brook Preserve. Upon our return, we snacked on homemade treats, cider, and chocolate-covered Oreos, departing for home just before the late afternoon showers began. Great way to start the New Year! The following is the preliminary list of planned hikes for 2025; most of… Read more: BETHANY LAND TRUST HIKES FOR 2025 

New Year’s First Day Hike – Wednesday, January 1, 2025 1:00 – 3:00 PM The Land Trust will kick off our planned series of hikes for 2025 with a New Year’s Day afternoon hike through the Hidden Brook Preserve, the most recent Land Trust acquisition.  The hike will be about 2.5 miles through Whispering Pines and the Carrington Preserve as well as Hidden Brook. Join us and start your new year with a walk in the woods. We will meet at the end of Village Lane in Bethany at 1:00 PM. Ample street parking is available. Look for the green Land… Read more: January Hike

Come see the historical boundary stone once used to mark the sitewhere Bethany, Naugatuck, and Prospect meet at the top of a ravine inthe Bethany Land Trust’s Three Sisters Preserve. The stone, once lostbut now returned, is now on display in the library’s first floorexhibit case with photos and a map of the Three Sisters Preserve. On either side of the stone are photos of the Preserve’s bridgereconstruction and a display describing the rich history of the areaprovided by Will Brinton, Town Historian. The stone will be on display until the end of January 2025.

New Year’s First Day Hike – Wednesday, January 1, 2025 1:00 – 3:00 PM Kicking off our planned series of hikes for 2025 will be a New Year Day afternoon hike through the Hidden Brook Preserve, the most recent Land Trust acquisition.  Details to be posted soon on our website, Facebook page and in next month’s Bethany Bulletin.

Lakeview Lodge Veterans Memorial Park Bethany

Come learn about the positive effect of beavers upon the environment. Ali Beres-Nork, an Environmental Science teacher at Amity High School and Bethany Land Trust board member, will serve as our guide as we hike through the very active beaver habitat in Mendell’s Folly.

The Bethany Land Trust has acquired 36.1 acres of open space from the Giovanelly Family Trust and other family members. Located at 89 Russell Road in the southern part of Bethany, Hidden Brook Preserve includes approximately 8 acres of a mix of woodland and rocky outcrops encircling approximately 28 acres of rich woody marsh, which protects songbirds, wild flowers, and other wildlife.  This property borders the Town of Bethany’s 74-acre Carrington Preserve (managed by the Bethany Land Trust) and is close to the Land Trust’s 47-acre Whispering Pines Preserve. A series of trails and easements connect those parcels with trails in the… Read more: Land Trust Acquires Hidden Brook Preserve

The Bethany Land Trust is thrilled to announce the awarding of a land acquisition grant of $60,000 from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest CT Community Foundation.  The funds from this grant and those from a sizeable pledge from a private donor will be applied to the acquisition of 89 Russell Road in Bethany. Click here to view a map of the property. Carol Lambiase, President of the Land Trust, is very pleased with this award. “The Land Trust has a signed agreement with the owners to acquire this 38.5-acre property and we… Read more: Bethany Land Trust Recipient of Land Acquisition Grant