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 [email protected] or 401-315-2610.
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June 15th is Nature Photography Day—a time to celebrate nature through photography and highlight its role in conservation.
! Have you taken any pictures on WLT properties??
‼️Enter the Westerly Land Trust Photo Contest ‼️
We want to see WLT land through your eyes (and lens)! Snap shots of trails, plants, animals and landscapes, and send them to Erika at [email protected] by October 6th for a chance to be featured in our 2026 WLT calendar! 🌳🌸
#rhodeisland #westerlyri #Nature #NaturePhotography #NatureLovers #NatureGram #EarthFocus #OurPlanetDaily #MotherNature #WildernessCulture
Our friends at Tractor Supply in Pawcatuck went above and beyond, donating loads of garden supplies, including seeds and seedlings, for our upcoming summer sessions of Farm Squad! 🥗
In just a few weeks we’ll kick off this program at Barlow Nature Preserve. Here, Westerly’s K-4th graders will learn through first-hand experience how seeds grow into vegetables, along with lots of other lessons of farm life.
Thank you, @tractorsupply , for supporting local environmental and agricultural education! 🚜
#community #donation #gardening #childrensgarden #summer #nature #grow #vegetables
Barlow’s Farm Stand Opening Saturday, June 14!!
🥗Visit the farm stand at Barlow Nature Preserve (449 Westerly-Bradford Rd) for opening day on Saturday, June 14 from 12pm-4pm. The farm stand is operated by the two farms on the property: Frontier Farm and Echo Rock Flowers. Through out the summer, they’ll also have on hand Ever-Breeze Farm’s eggs and WesterBee’s honey. Their regular summer schedule will begin on Thursday, June 19:
Shoppable Hours:
Thursdays, 3-6pm
Fridays, 3-6pm
New in 2025: Saturdays, 12-4pm
#farmstand #farm #organicfarmers #organicfarming #organic #vegetables
📚The Little Free Library at Barlow Nature Preserve is now open! Local woodworker David Osborne, one of WLT’s many talented volunteers, hand-crafted a one-of-a-kind mini library and installed it in front of the Barlow Farm Stand, facing the Education Cottage. Come take a seat on the bench and peruse the books—take one or leave one—that’s what they are here for!
🥗And don’t miss the seed exchange drawer on the back.
Thank you, David, and thanks to all those who donated books and seeds! 💚📖
#library #littlefreelibrary #bookexchange #naturebooks #nature #reading #mindful
That’s a wrap on the 2025 Spring Semester at the Westerly Land Trust!
This was our FIFTH spring semester of Living Laboratories, our afterschool program for WPS K-4 students, plus we added some new programs to engage even more of our community’s youth: WLT visited Trinity Lutheran pre-k, and this was our first spring semester partnering with local homeschool families. We topped it all off with a busy field trip season, welcoming students from all three local elementary schools and Richmond Elementary School to Barlow Nature Preserve, each school bringing between 50 and 80 kids! Plus, we hosted our first field trip at Riverwood Preserve, where we had a great time with St. Michael School’s middle schoolers.
Next, we are flying right into our summer program Farm Squad in which students will learn first hand where our food comes from, how to grow vegetables from seeds, how to compost (and why), and the importance of pollinators in food production!
#westerlyri #landtrust #youtheducation #environmentaleducation #explore #nature #getoutside #wildlife #watersheds #gardening #pollinators #planting #fieldtrip #homeschool
Our summer interns are here and they have hit the ground running, settling nicely into their new roles. WLT would like to thank the Southeastern New England Educational and Charitable Foundation (SNEC) for supporting the Conservation Programs and Sustainable Farming internships in 2025.
Quincy Rome 🐝🌿🍄
Conservation Programs
Quincy is a Rhode Island native who just completed his freshman year at Appalachian State University where he’s studying environmental science. A former youth baseball coach, he’s well versed in encouraging growth in young kids, so we’re excited to have him helping out with our summer youth programs.
Ella Anderson 👩🌾🥕🌱
Sustainable Farming
Ella is a UCONN Husky with a special interest in natural resources and sustainability. She has worked on a Christmas tree farm since 2013–not just around the holidays, but over the summers, too! It’s a safe bet that her agricultural skills will be put to good use with @frontierfarmri and @echo_rock_flowers .
Will Wholean 🪚🌳🐿️
Land Stewardship
You may remember this familiar face! Will was our Conservation Programs intern last summer, and he’s back for a second year to focus on land stewardship. Will is pursuing a degree in biology from Clark University, where, we are proud to report, he’s on the Dean’s List!
Welcome back, Will!
☀️Amidst the hustle and bustle of the upcoming summer, it can be easy to forget self-care. At the Westerly Land Trust, we want to help you make it a priority. Time in nature has proven mental and physical benefits, so here are some healthy summer suggestions: For every late-night clam bake, schedule in one walk in the woods. Be sure you’re fueling your body with nutrious, locally grown foods. Sign up for any of the hikes, paddles, and yoga sessions we have scheduled for June.
🌳If you’re a part of the WLT community, chances are you’re taking care of nature.
Make time this summer to let nature return the favor.
🥾Thursday Hike/ End of Season Get Together
June 12, 10-11:30am
Wahaneeta Preserve
Join the Thursday Hiking Group for their final hike of the season before they transition to paddles!
🐝Beehive Check- Caring for your colony
Rescheduled for Sat, June 14, 10-11:30AM
Barlow Nature Preserve
Dive into the art of hive inspection with this practical, hands-on workshop designed for beekeepers of all experience levels.
🧘♀️Outdoor Summer Solstice Yoga
Friday, June 20, 6-7pm
Winnapaug Farm Preserve
Come celebrate the summer solstice with a special outdoor yoga class led by Krystal Rose from @barre_coast . Westerly Land Trust members, contact Erika Lebling for reduced price registration of $10.
✨Forest Bathing
Saturday, June 21, 8:30-11am
Wahaneeta Preserve
Forest Bathing is the pleasant practice of spending time in nature to enhance health and happiness. Evidence-based research confirms that time in nature has profound healing benefits for physical and emotional wellbeing.
🌸Summer Solstice Flower Crown Workshop
hosted by Echo Rock Flowers
Saturday, June 21, 3-4:30pm
Barlow Nature Preserve
Surrounded by the peace and serenity of the budding flower field, you’ll learn how to craft your own stunning flower crown with expert guidance. @echo_rock_flowers is generously donating 10% of all workshop proceeds to support WLT’s work.
#summer #spring #sun #sunshine #outside #nature #trees #woods #animals #yoga #community #friends #westerlyri #rhodeisland #connecticut
Thank you to our friends at Westerly Library and Wilcox Park for donating a whole host of perennial plants to WLT following their Garden Market Sale. Our CCC volunteers went straight to work, giving these plants a new home surrounding the Barlow Nature Preserve Education Cottage. 🪻🌿
❗️Also, coming soon to Barlow: One of our talented volunteers is building a “Little Free Library”. 📚Do you have any field guides or children’s nature books that you’d like to donate? There will also be a compartment for seed exchange, so if you have any extra seeds, we’ll happily take them, too! Please bring your donations to our office at 449 Westerly Bradford Road. Thank you!
#westerlyri #wilcoxpark #garden #landscape #plants #summer #volunteer #landtrust #rhodeisland #nature #conservation #education
