News and Events

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

Thanks to a major donation and financial support from many committed individuals, the Bethany Land Trust has acquired another parcel of land: 16 acres purchased from Cathy and Dan Van Epps on Beacon Road (Route 42) near the border with Beacon Falls.  This new parcel expands the existing 6.9-acre Van Epps Preserve to over 20 acres. Cathy and Dan have now created an enduring legacy in partnership with the Bethany Land Trust to preserve in perpetuity pristine forest adjacent to their home, with Cathy’s Emerald Trail now named in her memory. The Van Epps Preserve lies in a glacial cirque… Read more: LAND TRUST ADDS 16 ACRES TO THE VAN EPPS PRESERVE

At the end of August, the Land Trust acquired 20 acres from Connecticut Water with funds generously donated to the Land Trust by the Zdru Family Fund. Located at 1154 Amity Road at the Naugatuck border, this parcel includes land in Bethany, Naugatuck and Prospect.  The Beacon Hill Brook, a Class III Trout stream, runs through the lowlands portion of the property near Amity Road while the uplands portion rises almost 300 feet higher, featuring steep escarpments on both sides of a spectacular ravine.  Built as an Eagle Scout project by Ryan Hendrick of Bethany, a hiking trail loop leaves the… Read more: LAND TRUST ACQUIRES THREE SISTERS PRESERVE