Joshua's Trust now protects over 4,000 acres of land in northeastern CT! Help us reach 5,000 acres - become a land trust member today!   Find us on Facebook! office hours Former Eagleville School House South Eagleville Rd Mansfield, Connecticut, Thurs.1:30pm to 3:30pm. Gristmill Lithograph The full color lithograph of a new painting of the Gristmill by artist Charles McCaughtry, is on sale at Joshua's Land Trust Office. Welcome Joshua's Trust is the largest land trust, by acres preserved, in the northeast "Quiet Corner" of Connecticut. A non-profit organization, the Trust is designed to supplement the open space and historic conservation efforts of federal, state, and local governments by receiving gifts of land, conservation easements, and money. The Trust may also purchase tracts of land that it considers especially important to preserve. Our land trust was founded in 1966 as a joint venture of the Mansfield Historical Society and the Mansfield Conservation Commission. Joshua's Trust now protects more than 4,000 acres in Connecticut. Some properties are owned by the Trust and others are protected by easements. Our CT land trust is named for Joshua, son of Uncas, Mohegan Sachem, who in 1676 bequeathed his hunting grounds in the heart of eastern Connecticut to "16 men of Norwich". Joshua's Trust serves an area roughly conterminous with the Windham Region and extending into Tolland County, including the towns of Andover, Ashford, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Lebanon, Mansfield, Mansfield Center, Scotland, Storrs, Tolland, Willington, Windham and Willimantic, CT. For More Information, visit Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust History. Generous landowners who donate conservation easements to Joshua’s Land Trust are inspired by many things: they love Eastern Connecticut, they feel connected to their land, and they wish to leave a legacy of protected land for future generations. This inspiration is at the heart of our work to permanently protect valuable natural resources here in northeastern Connecticut. But for almost all of our donors, donating a conservation easement is a major financial decision, and the federal income tax deduction that comes with a donation helps make easements possible for landowners in our community. Volunteer for Joshua's Trust! The work of Joshua’s Trust is carried out almost entirely by volunteers, everything from cutting trails to stuffing envelopes, leading walks and tours to writing grants. Click here to learn what you can do to help conserve and protect open space in our community! Calling for Trust Memorabilia The year 2016 will be the 50th anniversary of the formation of Joshua's Trust. The anniversary committee is gathering material for a history to be part of the celebration. We are asking members to send photos, clippings or other information to the trust office in care of the anniversary committee. We can copy and return material if you wish. We will also be interviewing people with stories to tell about the Trust. Call Mona Anderson 860-487-1381 with questions or suggestions. Be sure to check out the Joshua's Trust Properties section for details on the wildlife, waterways, trails and preserves that our Connecticut land trust is protecting. Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust is active in the towns and villages of Andover, Ashford, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Franklin, Hampton, Lebanon, Mansfield, Mansfield Center, Scotland, Storrs, Tolland, Willington, Windham and Willimantic, Connecticut. Trust Reports and Newsletters: You can find copies of the land trust newsletters and annual reports here. Find archived news and events about Joshua's Trust. Related Links: Connecticut Audubon Society Connecticut Museum of National History Conserving Tolland The Last Green Valley The Nature Conservancy Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary River Alliance of Connecticut Thames Valley Trout Unlimited Willimantic River Alliance Land Trust News June 1: White Cedar Bog Walk with David Wagner Join us for a guided walk with Professor Dave Wagner, a UConn forest entomologist and conservation biologist, through our beautiful and unique White Cedar Bog property in Windham on Saturday, June 1. Dr. Wagner will discuss the special features of this intriguing property and the role that land conservation plays in the preservation of imperiled forest insects. Participants will meet in the parking lot of the North Windham School at 9:30 AM Click here to learn more.. May 21-22: Birding Hubbard Sanctuary Join Steve Morytko as he leads a bird walk at the Hubbard Sanctuary in Chaplin. The grassland, wetlands, edge and nearby forest habitats attract many species including Cerulean Warbler (a beautiful threatened species) and a number of other breeding and migrating species. The grassland habitat, unique among Joshua's Trust properties, attracts Bobolink - another threatened species in Connecticut.Click here for all the details. 2013 Annual Meeting It was great to see such a large turnout of supporters at the annual meeting last Thursday. For those who couldn't make it, we'll be posting photos soon. Here is the link to the meeting report: Click to read the 2013 Annual Report. Madge Manfred Receives CLCC Award Madge Manfred of Mansfield received an Excellence in Conservation Individual Award from the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) at their 2103 conference held March 23rd in Middletown, CT. CLCC seeks to recognize organizations and individuals who have made a substantive contribution to the ongoing success of land conservation in Connecticut and projects that may serve as a guide to or be replicated by other lands and conservation organizations in our state. Continue reading here. Isabelle Knowlton Atwood Isabelle Knowlton Atwood of Mansfield, a founding member of the Trust and a long time chair of the Gristmill Committee died on Aug. 29, after a brief illness. She was 93. She was the twin daughter of Harold and Martha Halvorsen Atwood, born Nov. 24, 1918. Her twin, Harriett Cross Atwood, died in 1984. Isabelle was the last member of her family to carry the Atwood name and to live on Wormwood Hill where her ancestor, Thomas Atwood, settled in 1739. She attended all eight grades in the little red schoolhouse on Wormwood Hill, across the road from her home. Continue reading about Isabelle Atwood.