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An annual gift of $30 (individual) or $50 (family) makes you a member of the Westerly Land Trust—and part of something lasting. Many members choose to give more, expanding their impact on the land, trails, and community programs they care about most. With a gift of $1,000 or more, you’ll join the President’s Circle—an inspiring group of supporters who provide essential leadership for our most ambitious conservation efforts. This special level of giving offers a meaningful opportunity to deepen your impact and connect more closely with our mission.
If you prefer to give by mail, please make your check out to The Westerly Land Trust and send to P.O. Box 601, Westerly, RI 02891.
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In December, the Westerly Land Trust was awarded a grant of $47,170 from the Champlin Foundation to support a collaborative agricultural initiative with the Jonnycake Center of Westerly. The project will convert a 3-acre hayfield at WLT’s Haggerty Family Preserve into a productive farm growing food for distribution to food-insecure residents in the Westerly area.
This initiative builds on @thejonnycakecenter successful Giving Garden at Ninigret Park, which is now operating at full capacity. In response to increasing community need, Jonnycake approached WLT to explore farming opportunities on conserved land.
WLT Executive Director Jennifer Fusco said,
“The Westerly Land Trust is committed to conserving open space and protecting our natural resources. When we can accomplish those goals while supporting a partner like Jonnycake and helping them put food on the table for families in need, it’s a win-win.”
Food insecurity is on the rise statewide, with demand at the Jonnycake Center routinely exceeding supply. In a letter to the Champlin Foundation, Jonnycake Center Executive Director Lee Eastbourne wrote,
“We as a Center strongly believe that food is medicine, and access to a greater array of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables will help in creating a healthier community.”
In the coming weeks, WLT will begin preparing the Haggerty Family Preserve for farming—turning conserved land into meaningful community impact. 💚🥗
#community #partnership #landtrust #conservation #outside #sustainableagriculture #farming #foodpantry #farm
What a fun, festive, winter day it was yesterday! Snow in the morning and the Westerly Light Parade at night❄️🎄
#winter #festive #community #lightparade #holidays #conservation #westerlyri
Our first Wednesday Wonder Walk was truly wonderful! 🍂✨
Families explored Wahaneeta with curiosity- studying leaves, and lichen up close, climbing over logs, and discovering every corner of the cabin together.
We’re so excited to partner with @wildrootsplay.ri for these monthly nature adventures. 💚
Join us for the next Wonder Walk on January 14th: Feathered Friends at Grills Preserve! Come walk, wonder, and grow with us!
Happy December! We’ve flipped the calendar page for the final time in 2025. Here’s to hoping that you’ve squeezed everything you wanted out of this year—that your walks were long and peaceful; that your bird count was high; that you made new friends along the trails. Keep reading to find out what’s happening this month!
🎄WLT/WildRoots Wednesday Wonder Walk
Wednesday, December 10, 10-11:15am
Wahaneeta Preserve
Program is NO COST and open to all ages. Registration is required. Follow the link in our bio for more information and to register!
@wildrootsplay.ri
🎄Thursday Hiking Group
Thursday mornings; time & place varies
Grills to Grills, December 11
Champlin Farm Preserve Hike, December 18
🎄Westerly Light Parade
Sunday, December 14, 6-7pm
Downtown Westerly
🎄Nutcracker Trail
To celebrate their 100th anniversary, @ocean_community_chamber has scattered 100 unique, 6-foot-tall, nutcrackers throughout Westerly, Pawcatuck, and Stonington. We at the Westerly Land Trust are lucky enough to host one at our homebase, Barlow Nature Preserve. Come by 449 Westerly-Bradford Road to catch a glimpse. While you’re here, take a hike on the trails, check out our Little Free Library, or pop in for a cup of coffee!
From all of us at the Westerly Land Trust, Happy Holidays!
This season of gratitude brings to mind the Westerly Land Trust’s pick for our 2025 book club last April: The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book promotes the benefits of the gift economy, encouraging readers to count the gifts the land gives us—food, water, wildlife, inspiration—and then reciprocate through stewardship, care, and conservation. Kimmerer speaks to the joy that’s born out of this gift giving cycle, saying,
“To name the world as a gift is to feel your membership
�in a web of reciprocity.”
As a part of the Westerly Land Trust community—whether you’re a donor, a volunteer, an advocate, a student, or the like—we hope you feel your special place in our web of reciprocity. Your continued care returns to the earth, enriching our shared landscapes and nurturing our community. And for this we tip our hats, and send this message of thanks:
From all of us at the Westerly Land Trust, thank you for building bridges between neighbors and nature, for believing in the importance of protecting these special places, and most of all, for being a part of our family.
Happy Thanksgiving! 🧡🌳
#community #thankful #westerlyri #rhodeisland #stoningtonct #pawcatuckct #conservation #outside #nature
Have you met the newest residents of Avondale Farm Preserve? A herd of Kiko goats has moved in and they are tearing up the neighborhood...in the best way possible!🌾
WLT has partnered with Coleman Replogle, owner and operator of Rōm Land + Livestock, to reduce the occurrence of invasive plants in Avondale’s fields. Coleman relocated his herd of goats here in November and will implement a rotational grazing system throughout the winter. Goat grazing is an environmentally friendly way to remove unwanted plants—the goats love porcelain berry— while improving the soil health. Not only are we able to forgo chemical herbicides and heavy machinery, but the goat droppings provide natural fertilizer, enriching the land.
@romlandlivestock believes in sustainable farming practices and strives to be responsible stewards of the land—two pillars close to WLT’s heart.
Aurora Borealis over Avondale Farm Preserve🌌✨
Thanks to recent solar activity causing strong geomagnetic storms, the northern lights were pushed further south, allowing us to see them here in Westerly, RI!
#auroraborealis #northernlights #nightsky #stars #astronomy #rhodeisland #southcountyri #westerlyri #avondale #landtrust
When @westerlylandtrust and @wildrootsplay.ri come together, learning turns into a magical adventure!✨
At our Prints, Paths, and Play program students discovered animal tracks and signs🐾, then hiked over to @wildrootsplay.ri for a cozy afternoon of play and tea. So grateful for a partnership that keeps curiosity and community thriving! 💚🌳
#westerlyri #rhodeislandlife #nature #conservation #hike #outside #childdevelopment #childledlearning #explore
