Featured
Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture Press Release
The Massachusetts Woodlands Institute and the Franklin Land Trust RECEIVE GRANT FOR Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture 2023 Coldwater Stewardship Small Grants Program Engaging Land Stewards in Fisheries Habitat Restoration in the lower Deerfield Watershed Headwaters of Massachusetts FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Emily Boss, MWI, Executive Director] 413 625 9151 emily@masswoodlands.org January 2nd 2023 The Massachusetts…
Read MoreFLT Completes Acquisition of Edge Hill Golf Course
The Franklin Land Trust (FLT) is proud to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Edge Hill Golf Course in Ashfield, Massachusetts. The purchase was made possible by the generous donations of FLT supporters and an anonymous foundation grant. “We would like to thank the Graves Family for their partnership and patience throughout this…
Read MoreCandid Camera
By Alex Wahlstrom In Plainfield, on the edge of a babbling Meadow Brook, a great blue heron steps into focus. No more than two feet away from the camera lens, the heron cautiously continues to work the edge of the water. A few days later, in the woods of Heath, a Coyote darts through a…
Read MoreSomebody Has to Be Here
By Sebastian LaMontagne In 2022, millions of Americans were introduced to the minutiae of land conservation through an unexpected source, the television series Yellowstone on the Paramount Network. The show revolves around the fictional Dutton family, who own the vast Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Montana, led by Kevin Costner’s portrayal of John Dutton III, the…
Read MoreHome Is Where The Heart Is
Article by Sebastian LaMontagne “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl” says Thelma Nye Pilgrim as we walk across the open field behind her homestead in Plainfield. Thelma has lived in Springfield Massachusetts, Hartford and Wallingford in Connecticut, and even Florida over the…
Read MoreLetter From The Executive Director
Preserving a multi-generational legacy poses numerous challenges for landowners, ranging from succession planning to economic pressures. Each family’s situation is unique, and in our new series of blog posts covering some the work we’ve done this year, we explore the differing approaches that two such families took to conserving their land. In “Home Is Where…
Read MoreOur First Hawk Watch Was A Success!
On Wednesday, September 27th, we had a wonderful time watching hawks and other birds at Apex Orchards, one of the properties that the Franklin Land Trust helped to Conserve. About 50 people joined us for this informal event, led by Land Steward Alex Wahlstrom. Alex shared his passion and knowledge of birdwatching with us, as…
Read MoreWhat Is the “Forests As Climate Change Solutions” Initiative?
The Healey-Driscoll Administration in Massachusetts has announced a new initiative called “Forests as Climate Solutions” to optimize carbon sequestration and address climate change in the state. The initiative aims to expand existing state programs, invest in forest conservation, establish forest reserves, and develop forest management guidelines based on the latest climate science. These guidelines will…
Read MoreRead the Wild Lands in New England Report
The Wildlands in New England study is the first of its kind in the United States, mapping and characterizing all permanently conserved lands in one region that are managed to be forever wild. The report addresses three main questions: the location of the Wildlands in New England, their characteristics, and their current protection status. The…
Read MoreCareer Day Inspires Students
On the morning of May 11, 2023, Green Industry professionals and employers attended an event to promote their professions to the students and faculty at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke, MA. It was an opportunity to offer exposure to jobs and careers that young adults may have had little awareness of. The aim was…
Read More