FLT Blog
Saving A Place For Solitude
IN MONTAGUE, THE FRANKLIN LAND TRUST (FLT) finalized a donated conservation restriction on approximately 32 acres of farm and forest land along Old Sunderland Road, formerly part of the historic Craven Farm. The property includes active agricultural soils, managed forestland, and roughly 500 feet of Cranberry Pond Brook, a cold-water fisheries resource near its confluence…
Read MoreThe Work of a Lifetime
ON DECEMBER 19, 2025, FRANKLIN LAND TRUST finalized a conservation restriction on a 19-acre forested property owned by Richard French and Emily Samuels along Mountain Road in Gill. The protection of this south-facing woodlot marks another milestone in a conservation legacy spanning more than three decades and over a dozen properties across Gill and Northfield.…
Read MoreAlong The Fall River
THIS PAST NOVEMBER THE FRANKLIN LAND TRUST secured permanent conservation of the Stotz Family’s property in Gill and Greenfield, through a Conservation Restriction (CR). The family donated a CR covering more than 88 acres of forestland, which safeguards over 6,000 feet of riverbank along the Fall River. This cold-water fishery begins in Guilford, Vermont,…
Read MoreBlue Heron Farm: 50 Years of Maple Sugaring, A Timeless Legacy of Preserving Land
Bill and Norma Coli are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Blue Heron Farm in Charlemont. We wanted to share the story of our longtime friends, whose entire approach to farming is rooted in a commitment to land conservation. The Colis first purchased their property in 1975. They saw a short, two-line advertisement in the Greenfield…
Read MoreInvertebrate Engineers: Meet the Bugs Building Our Forests
Have you ever wondered how something as small and numerous as insects shape a forest? Come join local naturalist Cesi Marseglia and the Franklin Land Trust at the North Pond Conservation Area, and learn about how forest ecology is shaped by invertebrates — the tiny architects working beneath every log, leaf, and root! This program…
Read MoreFLT Conserves Over 60 Acres Across Three Communities
Franklin Land Trust (FLT) is proud to announce the successful closing of three conservation projects on December 19, 2025, permanently protecting more than 60 acres of forest, farmland, wetlands, and wildlife habitat in the Connecticut River Valley and surrounding hill towns. These projects—made possible through partnerships with private landowners and municipalities—reflect Franklin Land Trust’s ongoing…
Read MoreThank You!
We did it—together! We’re thrilled to share that our GivingTuesday campaign exceeded every expectation. We are profoundly grateful to everyone who helped make this extraordinary achievement possible. Thanks to you, we can continue protecting the farms that grow our food, the forests that shelter wildlife, the rivers and streams that provide clean water, and the open spaces that bring healing…
Read MoreThe Homesteaders on Tunnel Road
Billy Hardison, an artist, and wife Leonda Hardison, a musician who has played with the likes of Muddy Waters, moved to their Tunnel Road homestead in 1968 in search of a rural, creative life immersed in nature. “We wanted a place where we could raise our children in the country and give them the kind…
Read MoreConserving A Little Piece of New England
This fall, the Franklin Land Trust completed the permanent conservation of 93 acres of forest and farmland along Adamsville Road in Colrain, MA, owned by the Judson M. DeCew, Jr. Trust. The land, spread across three parcels between Ed Clark Road and Hillman Road, includes about nine acres of hayfields and 84 acres of actively…
Read More88 Acres Conserved in Gill and Greenfield
Franklin Land Trust is thankful to the Stotz Family, whose land in Gill and Greenfield we have just permanently conserved with a Conservation Restriction (CR). The Stotz Family donated a CR over 88 acres of forestland, protecting over 6,000 feet of the bank of Fall River, a cold water fishery that originates in Guilford, VT…
Read More