Are you cold yet?
Image by Tobias LaMontagne
Boy does time fly!
Yesterday evening the hilltowns witnessed the second snowfall of the season, a dusting of thick flakes. It’s hard to believe the snow is back and it's nearly Thanksgiving again!
We have lots to be grateful for as we enter the cold season.
We want to thank you for your generous support of our mission to conserve and steward the natural and working lands of western Massachusetts. Your donations, membership, and volunteer efforts have made a huge impact on protecting the land we love.
We are a grassroots organization, built by members of this community, to serve this community.
Your donations not only conserve more land, they also allow us to continue to protect and steward the land we’ve already conserved!
And in terms of fundraising, the biggest day on our calendar is approaching, a day that is key to sustaining our efforts.
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that will take place on November 28th. It is an opportunity for people to give back to the causes they care about and make a difference in their communities.
We invite you to join us in celebrating Giving Tuesday by making a donation to the Franklin Land Trust. Your gift will help us fight climate change by conserving healthy mature forests that sequester carbon, protect biodiversity by saving wildlife habitats from development, ensure clean water for our community by conserving water resources, and provide recreational opportunities for those looking to enjoy hikes and open spaces.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our planet and our way of life. It affects the health of our forests, farms, rivers, and wildlife. It also impacts our economy, our culture, and our well-being. By conserving and wisely stewarding land, we can store and sequester carbon and enhance resilience to extreme weather events. We can also preserve the beauty, diversity, and productivity of our natural and working lands for generations to come.
You can donate online at our website or mail a check to Franklin Land Trust, P.O. Box 450, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370. Any amount is greatly appreciated and will make a lasting impact on the land we love. Please mark your calendars for Giving Tuesday and join us in this global movement of generosity.
If you’d rather not wait until Giving Tuesday and want to give today, that’s okay too! Any Tuesday can be a Giving Tuesday if you make it one, and your donation will still protect our region.
We also want to invite you to two upcoming events that showcase some of the properties we have conserved.
Woods Walk at the Scheffey Property in Leverett. Join FLT’s Director of Stewardship Will Sloan Anderson, property owner Liz Scheffey, and her family’s forester Mike Mauri on a tour of the Scheffey’s 190+ acre, conserved and managed woodlot in Leverett. Discussions of past and future forestry activities will be discussed. FLT has held a restriction on this property since 2007. Woods walk will occur on Sunday December 10, from 1-3 PM. Wear appropriate clothing and pre-register for instructions on where to meet.
Neither Migration Nor Hibernation: The Winter Adaptations of Animals Who Stick it Out. From the enchanting to the disgusting, and from the innovative to the just plain weird, animals who stay active throughout the winter have evolved myriad ways to cope with the cold. Join Cesi Marseglia at the West Ridge Conservation Area on December 2nd from 11am to 1pm. In learning about the ingenious, species-specific adaptations of animals who are awake through the long winter months. Maybe you will come away with some adaptations of your own! Pre-register to attend.
We hope to see you at these events and we thank you for your generosity on Giving Tuesdays past and future. Together, we can ensure that the natural and working lands of western Massachusetts are conserved for generations to come.