The Middlesex Land Trust

Home
United States
Middletown, CT
The Middlesex Land Trust

The Middlesex Land Trust’s mission is to preserve open space in Northern Middlesex County.

06/04/2026

Trails Day 2026 Events

Each year, Connecticut Trails Day—part of the National Trails Day celebration—invites people across the state to explore the natural beauty of our local trails and open spaces. Organized by our friends at the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA), this statewide event highlights the incredible network of trails and outdoor spaces that connect us to the nature and to each other.

We’re proud to participate in this celebration by hosting three special events on our preserves, led by knowledgeable guides, dedicated volunteers, and local partners. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just discovering the joy of time in nature, Trails Day is a perfect opportunity to experience the landscapes we protect, learn something new, and connect with community.

Check out our lineup of Trails Day activities and join us in celebrating the places that inspire adventure and bring our community together: https://middlesexlandtrust.org/trails-day-2026-events

05/21/2026

From Waste to Worth: Reimagining the Way We Consume

Every year, the average American throws away more than 1,500 pounds of trash—a large portion of which could have been reused. Think about your favorite T-shirt, the one you keep reaching for without thinking. Why that T-shirt? You could have thrown it out a dozen times, yet you did not. Instead, you mended the hole and kept wearing it. Your “lucky” shirt could have been subjected to the same cycle of waste that defines modern consumption. But it was not. Imagine if it was able to tell the story of the waste it helped keep out of landfills. Sustainable consumption speaks for it, reminding us that even the smallest decisions matter.

Read the full article on our website: https://middlesexlandtrust.org/from-waste-to-worth-reimagining-the-way-we-consume

05/12/2026

Connecticut's Farmland Conservation Program

Connecticut’s Farmland Preservation Program continues to protect the state’s agricultural future by purchasing development rights to working farms. To date, more than 32,000 acres across 239 farms have been preserved.

With additional farms in the pipeline, the program prioritizes high-quality soils and supports both local agriculture and the rural landscapes that define much of Connecticut. Ongoing investment will be key to expanding these efforts and safeguarding farmland for generations to come.

Read the full article on our website: https://middlesexlandtrust.org/connecticuts-farmland-preservation-program

05/08/2026

Do You Have Bats?

Do you notice them regularly at sunset flying around your yard or on a regular walk? Middlesex Land Trust Board Member Kate Miller is doing biodiversity sampling this summer, including for bats, and is looking for spots to test out equipment and protocol. She has a thermal camera (which displays differences in temperature, such as a warm bat against a cool sky) and acoustic recorders (which record their high, inaudible echolocation calls). Kate will be testing this equipment in early- and mid-June, then plans to use it at a Land Trust property as part of a larger project to document biodiversity. If you know of a location where you’ve regularly seen bats please email her at [email protected]. And if you’d like to join Kate and her student researcher as they sample (for less than an hour), she'd be happy to coordinate. Thank you!

—Kate Miller, MxLT Board Member and Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University.

(Photo credit: Jeff Vlaun, posted by CT Fish and Wildlife. Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).)

05/04/2026

Learn to tackle invasive plants!

Join our friends from The Rockfall Foundation and Swamp Yankee Earthcare on Saturday, May 16th at 9:30 am for an educational invasive plants workshop!

Learn how to identify and remove invasive species such as multiflora rose, barberry, bittersweet, mugwort, Japanese knotweed, and burning bush. After a brief demonstration, we’ll head into the Rockfall Forest to get hands-on experience removing these plants.

Location: Connwood Foresters, 39 Cherry Hill Rd, Rockfall, CT (diagonally across the street from the Cherry Hill Road entrance to Wadsworth Falls).

What to bring: Closed-toe shoes, work gloves, clippers, loppers, or other tools. Some tools will be available to borrow.

Rain date: Sunday, May 17th

Registration is preferred but not required: https://rockfallfoundation.org/event/invasive-plants-removal-workshop/

05/01/2026

Don't miss it: Live concert this Sunday May 3 to benefit the Middlesex Land Trust!

🎶 Live Bluegrass & Folk Music for a Great Cause!🎶

Join Trinity Brownstone Church for an afternoon of music with Seat of Our Pants

Sunday, May 3 at 4:00 PM
345 Main Street, Portland

🎟️ Tickets are $15 at the door.

Enjoy bluegrass, folk, and more. Proceeds benefit Middlesex Land Trust to help preserve open space for future generations.

Come out for great music and a great cause!

04/27/2026

Join Us for a Hike at Mica Ledges Preserve in Durham

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00 AM

Join Andrew & Lucy Meigs for a 3-mile hike at the beautiful Mica Ledges Preserve.

We will visit pyramid rock, the Selectman’s Stones, a vernal pool, and enjoy the view from the ledges to the west and towards Whitney Pond to the east. There will be some steep ups and downs and rocky sections of trail.

Lucy & Andrew have been hiking and stewarding the Mica Ledges Preserve for over 20 years. Andrew is a member of the Middlesex Land Trust Board of Directors. Lucy is founder & director of Everyone Outside.

Rain cancels.

Registration is required. Email [email protected] to register.

Visit our website for hike location and Google Maps directions: https://middlesexlandtrust.org/hike-at-mica-ledges-preserve-may-9/

This is a joint hike with the Middlesex Land Trust and Everyone Outside.

04/24/2026

Women of the Woods hike at Palmer Taylor Preserve

Saturday, May 2, 2026, 10:00 AM

Join Women of the Woods (WoW) for a ~4 mile hike at Palmer-Taylor Preserve. The trails go through forests, fields and even a tunnel beneath an old railway line that is now the Airline Trail. WoW is a program of Everyone Outside and is open to all those who identify as female or gender nonbinary.

For more information and to register: https://www.everyoneoutside.org/event-details/wow-hike-at-palmer-taylor-preserve-5-2-26

04/21/2026

Family Hike at Palmer Taylor Preserve

May 03, 2026
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

For additional information and to register: https://www.everyoneoutside.org/event-details/family-hike-at-palmer-taylor-preserve-5-3-26

Palmer Taylor Preserve
258 Middle Haddam Rd
Portland, CT 06480

Family hike –- Great for kids!

Join us and our friends at Everyone Outside for a family-friendly hike at the Palmer Taylor Preserve in Portland with naturalist and Everyone Outside staff, Andie Bisceglia.

Open to nature-lovers of all ages, we will hike 1 to 1.5 miles and stop for fun, family-friendly activities and games along the way. We will likely stop for a visit at Fire Ring Farm towards the end of the hike.

Come prepared for the weather, and bring a pack with water and perhaps a snack. If you have very young children or infants, a backpack carrier is suggested.

This hike is a joint program of the Middlesex Land Trust and Everyone Outside.

Address

27 Washington Street, Ste 8
Middletown, CT
06457

Telephone

+18603437537

Website

http://www.middlesexlandtrust.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Middlesex Land Trust posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to The Middlesex Land Trust:

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Middletown?