January 2010

Prospect Land Trust Joel Meisel, Ph.D., President PLT & Lisa San Soucie Board Member PLT

A Year in Review

Happy New Year to all our members and friends! The new year is always a time to reflect on the past, take stock of our good fortune and prepare and plan for the future. The past year was a very busy time for PLT. Prospect Land Trust celebrated its 15^th anniversary with a dinner meeting at Addona’s Banquet Room, with 37 members and friends in attendance. Special honors were given to two local Scouts: Tina Barry for the development of “Tina’s Trail”; and Mike Bohuski for improvements to College Farms trail. Junior member Lydia Segal was recognized for her winning Arbor Day poster for the State of Connecticut. Ann Stein presented a proposed Open Space Plan, and author John Sheirer read from his memoir, Loop Year: 365 Days on the Trail, which received the Connecticut Green Circle Award for environmental activism.

Governor M. Jodi Rell sent an Official Statement proclaiming April 22, 2009 as Prospect Land Trust Day, and complimenting “the volunteers and supporters of the group for their hard work, selfless service and dedication to excellence.

In November the Planning and Zoning Commission accepted unanimously the Open Space Plan which had been developed by a subcommittee over the past several years and chaired by Alberto Mimo. On the subcommittee were: PLT Board member Ann Stein; PLT Life Member Gary Baldowski, and PLT members Lois Chicano and Tom Galvin. The subcommittee was complimented for its work, especially its attention to the preservation of historic and archeological resources in the community.

Some other accomplishments of the year included: the first Annual Kite Day at Caplan Park, with 50 children and adults present; a Trail’s Day Hike at College Farms; improvements to Tina’s Trail at Summit Heights and the Blue Trail at Kathan Woods; and a program at the Peabody Museum with an expert on birds and natural history (the latter was co-sponsored with other Land Trusts and conservation groups). Our annual Fall Hike on Regional Water Authority land had to be cancelled because of a storm, but has been re-scheduled as a Winter Hike on the same property on Sunday, February 7^th.

Winter Hike

Please join us for our first winter hike on February 7 at 2 p.m. We will be meeting at the corner of Tress Road and Cornwall Avenue. Traveling east on Rt. 68 (towards Cheshire), turn right into Chatfield Road. At the end of Chatfield, turn right onto Tress Road. At the end of Tress Road, you will see a gate to the entrance of the reservoir. The hike will be lead by PLT Board member John Triana who is also a Board Member of the New Haven Bird Club. No pets, please. For more information, contact Joel Meisel, Ph.D., President PLT at (203) 758-6812.

Membership Drive

It is never to late to renew your membership or to become a member of the Prospect Land Trust. As you consider your new year’s resolutions, why don’t you please consider becoming a part of this very important group within your community? The Prospect Land trust is helping to keep and protect open space in our community for ourselves and future generations. As you know, the PLT receives no funding from the Town of Prospect. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization and operated entirely by volunteers. PLT is incorporated at the state level and hold federal non-profit status. Your membership dues and donations are tax-deductible. Individual Membership included with donations of $10 or more. Family Membership included with donations of $15 or more. Corporate or Business included with donations of $30 or more. Make checks payable to Prospect Land Trust, Inc. Our address is P.O. Box 7375, Prospect, Ct 06712 and our phone contact is (203) 758-6812 or you can e-mail us at PLT@aol.com

Monthly Meeting

Monetary donations are important to help keep the Land Trust going but People Power is just as important! If you wish to learn more about how you can become an active member please join us at our monthly meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30p.m. at the Prospect Public Library.