Levels of Support
We greatly appreciate every level of support. Please let us know if you would like to keep your gift anonymous.
President’s Circle: $1,000+
With your gift of $1,000 or more, you will be invited to our Annual President’s Circle event, gain early access to event reservations and be recognized in our newsletter, A Sense of Place.
Preservationist: $500-$999
Protector: $250-$499
Conservationist: $100-$249
Family Membership: $50
Individual Membership: $30
Business Membership: $100
Planned Giving
Orchard Society
By including the Westerly Land Trust in your estate plans, you will become part of the Orchard Society, a group of forward-thinking individuals committed to protecting the natural beauty, environmental health, and urban character of Westerly for future generations.
For those who make a planned gift of $10,000 or more, we will plant a native Rhode Island tree in a Westerly Land Trust preserve garnished with a plaque acknowledging your legacy.
In whatever manner you choose to give, and in whatever amount, we are grateful for your investment in Westerly Land Trust’s future. Your planning today helps ensure the natural beauty and ecological integrity of Westerly tomorrow. Future generations will benefit form your foresight. You will truly give a gift that lasts forever.
Planned Giving Opportunities
Bequests through a will or trust
The most common and simplest way to make a planned gift is through your will or trust. You can provide a specific dollar amount, a percentage, a residual amount, real estate, or tangible property to the Westerly Land Trust. This provision can be made through a new will or trust or added as a codicil or amendment. The following sample language can be used to add a codicil to your will:
I give to the Westerly Land Trust, with its principal business office at P.O. Box 601, Westerly, Rhode Island 02891 (insert written amount of gift, percentage of the estate or residuary of estate, or description of property) for its land conservation work.
A simple codicil as this may be attached to your will at no cost. It need only be signed and dated by you and forwarded to your attorney.
IRA Rollover and Pension Fund Gifts
Often the largest part of one’s estate, these funds are some of the best ways to make a charitable gift because of the ease of initiation, particularly under recent legislation. Donating these assets to the Westerly Land Trust avoids potential double taxation under both income and estate tax provisions. The Westerly Land Trust can be named as a partial or contingent beneficiary of your retirement or pension plan.
Gifts of Life Insurance
Several options are available for making a charitable gift of insurance policies. With a relatively small outlay for premiums, you can make a substantial gift while obtaining tax benefits. The Westerly Land Trust can be named as the sole, partial, or contingent beneficiary of a new or existing policy. Also, a paid up policy can be donated to the Land Trust as the owner and sole beneficiary.
Charitable Gift Annuity
There are many ways to fund a Gift Annuity, but cash or appreciated stock are the most common. When transferring securities to the Westerly Land Trust, you can obtain an immediate charitable income tax deduction and avoid a portion of potential capital gains tax as well. In addition, your income can frequently be increased in the form of a lifetime annuity payment based upon your age.
The Next Step
If you would like assistance planning and directing your gift to the Westerly Land Trust, please contact Jennifer Fusco jfusco@westerlylandtrust.org or 401-315-2610.
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November brings shorter, colder days, but also more time to pause and reflect on the year coming to a close. Soon, we’ll all be in full holiday mode, moving a mile a minute. But until then, allow yourself space to sit and contemplate. How have you progressed toward your personal goals in 2025? What remains on your to-do list before the year ends? 🍂
🌳At the Westerly Land Trust, we find that these internal conversations are best had outdoors, surrounded by nature. Big things feel more achievable when you take notice of the everyday miracles around you.
💚In October, the world lost a conservation giant, Dr. Jane Goodall. As we slide headfirst into the holiday hustle, may Dr. Goodall’s words and outlook stay with you:
“People say to me so often, ‘Jane how can you be so peaceful when everywhere around you people want books signed, people are asking these questions and yet you seem peaceful,’ and I always answer that it is the peace of the forest that I carry inside.”
Witch way to the trail? 🧙♀️🕷️🎃
#halloween #witch #trail #hike #westerlyri #landtrust #nature #outside #october #fall
“All the trees are losing their leaves, and not a single one of them is worried.” - Donald Miller
Take a lesson from the trees: slow down, release what no longer serves you, and trust that growth will come again. 🍂
#nature #mindfulness #outdoors #naturelovers #seasonsofchange #fallleaves #fall #leaves #growth
Who knew stone walls could be so busy? Trail cameras at Wahaneeta Preserve have captured bobcats, raccoons, and even a curious house cat traveling these wildlife highways! 🐾🦝
#wildlife #nature #naturelovers #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #animals #discoverwildlife #discover #conservation
In 2024, the Westerly Land Trust partnered with the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS) to establish a foundation plot at the Barlow Nature Preserve through RIWPS’s ReSeeding RI initiative. After a prolific summer bloom of heal-all (Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata), volunteers spent countless hours this fall deadheading the flowers and collecting the tiny seeds. 🌸
🌾CCC volunteer Ian Sykes took a break from trail stewardship to harvest seeds, and WLT Board member Deirdre O’Connor separated the seeds from a grocery bag full of flowers—when finished, she had filled a pint jar.
Some of these seeds will be replanted at Barlow, while others will be distributed by RIWPS across the state to help conserve native ecotypic plants and preserve local genetic diversity. Though the task of extracting the tiny seeds was slow and painstaking, it plays a vital role in supporting resilient native plant communities throughout Rhode Island. 🌿🌳
#native #plantnative #plant #seed #volunteer #nature #getputside #flower
It’s hunting season in Rhode Island which means fluorescent orange isn’t just a style choice, it’s the law. 🦺✴️
Here’s what you need to know:
🔸Anyone in a state management area, privately conserved area, or undeveloped state park that allows hunting must wear at least 200 sq inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange that’s visible from all sides
🔸During shotgun deer season (starting in December), that requirement increases to 500 sq inches - for everyone not just hunters!
🔸This requirement runs from the second Saturday in September to the last day of February and again from the third Saturday in April to the last day of May.
🔸If you’re not sure if you have to wear orange, always choose to wear it for safety. Stay visible, stay safe.
Thanks to @rhodeisland.dem for the video inspiration- check out their website for official orange requirements, hunting safety tips, and seasonal details. www.dem.ri.gov/orange🦌🧡
Need some orange? Support WLT’s conservation efforts through the purchase of a fluorescent orange WLT beanie! Follow the link in our bio to get one. 🌳
#westerlyri #rhodeisland #nature #landtrust #conservation #hike #outside #fall #huntingseason #westerlylandtrust
@birdability is a national nonprofit dedicated to making birding accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for people with disabilities and other health concerns, is proud to announce the 6th annual Birdability Week, taking place October 20–26, 2025.
In addition to a full schedule of virtual events open to participants nationwide, for the first time Birdability in Rhode Island has partnered with Rhode Island Audubon, Ocean State Bird Club, South Kingstown Land Trust, and Westerly Land Trust in to offer accessible local programs across the state. Registration for all events is now open; details can be found here.
This year’s event theme “You Belong Here” affirms that birding is for everybody and every body. Birdability Week highlights the joy, sense of belonging, and community ties that result from ensuring all people can share in the beauty of birds and the outdoors.
Join Westerly Land Trust on Saturday, October 25 from 2-4pm at Avondale Farm for Forest Bathing and Birding! This is a FREE event. Follow the link in our bio to our calendar of events to sign up!
#birding #birdability #nature #explore #outdoors #fall #accessibility
Mushrooms led the way at our Fungal Foray🍄
Jess from @dpnaturectr brought the fungi facts as we explored WLT’s Flora Whitely and Cottrell Preserves! 🍂🍄🟫
Did you miss out on the Fungi Fun? Check out DPNC’s Wild Mushroom Festival this weekend!
#mushrooms #fungus #fungi #forage #mushroom
