Land Trust Alliance

05/29/2026

Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports has purchased more than 125 acres of land in Rochester and conserved the property with the accredited Vermont Land Trust. The land will become the organization’s first outdoor education and retreat center. The Vermont Adaptive Outdoor Center will be established on 125 conserved acres with existing trails for outdoor recreation and retreats for people of all ages and abilities.

The Vermont Adaptive Outdoor Center will be established on 125 conserved acres with existing trails for outdoor recreation and retreats for people of all ages and abilities.

05/28/2026

The first Saturday in June is , and it's rapidly approaching!

With 80% of land trusts providing opportunities to recreate and recharge, your local land trust is likely organizing a volunteer event to clean up a trail near you. Find your local land trust at the link below.

Visit a land trust near you to walk, hike, bike, volunteer, boat and more.

05/26/2026

One of the best parts of attending an Alliance regional conference, summit or Rally is getting out on the land. 🌲

Last week during the New York Land Conservation Conference, Alliance conservation initiatives land transaction manager Owen Wozniak had the opportunity to tour the Boehme Legacy Forest with Hudson Taconic Lands executive director Jim Bonesteel.

The 209-acre community forest sits on the Rensselaer Plateau east of Troy, New York. The Boehme Legacy Forest is one of 17 community forests established by Hudson Taconic Lands over the past 15 years. Each forest is managed by a volunteer committee of local community members, supported by the land trust and open to the public. This community forest is part of the much larger and intact forestland that sits at a higher elevation on the Rensselaer Plateau, making it a climate resilient landscape.

From the view atop Bunker Hill overlooking conserved lands and valleys to the collaborative stewardship model itself, this landscape is a reminder that conservation is strongest when communities are deeply connected to the places they protect.

Learn more about Boehme Legacy Forest: https://hudsontaconic.org/htl-preserves/boehme-legacy-forest/
We’re excited to see this community forest model highlighted at Rally 2026! Learn more and register here: https://landtrustalliance.org/resources/connect/rally-the-national-land-conservation-conference

05/20/2026

🏔️ Registration is officially open for Rally 2026: The National Land Conservation Conference!

Sept. 16-19 | Denver, Colorado

This September, land conservation leaders from across the country will gather in Denver for three days of learning, collaboration and connection focused on the future of land conservation.

Whether you work in stewardship, fundraising, communications, land protection, policy or organizational leadership, Rally offers practical tools, fresh ideas and meaningful conversations with peers who understand the opportunities and challenges facing conservation today.

Attendees can:
🪴 Explore expert-led sessions and workshops
🪴 Connect with land trust staff, board members and partners from across the country
🪴 Discover innovative conservation projects and strategies
🪴 Participate in regional receptions, role-specific gatherings and special events

Register by July 31 to lock in early bird pricing!

Learn more and register:

Connect with conservation professionals across the country online! Join our online conversations on topics ranging from stewardship, communications, community-centered conservation and more.

05/15/2026

✨ 🕉️ Your Friday moment of zen 🕉️ ✨

Please enjoy 10 seconds of spring birdsong from the grounds of ’s Johnson Education Center. We’re currently holding our 2026 New Jersey Land Trust Summit in the education center, and you can bet attendees will take a break from learning to enjoy Mother Nature’s soundtrack 😌🐦‍⬛🎶

05/13/2026

Last week, several of us gathered in Greenville, South Carolina for the Southeast Land Conservation Conference. During the plenary, Alliance CEO Ashley Demosthenes reflected on her connection to the region and the experiences that drew her into conservation. She then introduced keynote speaker Dr. J. Drew Lanham, who gave language to something many of us feel but don’t always articulate — he described “home” as more than just four walls defining a space where you live, and instead as something deeply personal, ecological and cultural.

His charge to us was clear: Saving home is our mission.

That requires more than just protecting acreage; it requires listening — really listening — as landowners “tell their own stories about why their land matters to them more than quick profit.” In that framing, conservationist and landowner become partners in saving what they both love, what he called “a kind of wild fidelity.”

Taken together, these moments reinforce a simple truth that has echoed throughout the conference: Our effectiveness depends on how well we listen, how intentionally we build relationships, and how clearly we center the values of the people and places we serve.

05/08/2026

Happy National Public Gardens Day!

Public gardens are more than beautiful places to visit. They show us how thoughtful planting and stewardship can support healthy, thriving landscapes.

Many gardens are leading the way by using native plants that support pollinators, improve soil health and strengthen local ecosystems.

Land trusts play a role in protecting the open spaces, natural areas and community landscapes where this kind of work can take root and grow. By conserving land, we help ensure these places are here for people to enjoy and learn from for years to come.

05/06/2026

On a rainy spring night in Cumberland, Maine, you might see something unexpected:

Volunteers in reflective vests, flashlights in hand, carefully scanning the road.

This annual event, known as “Big Night,” marks the brief window when amphibians migrate to vernal pools to breed. But when roads cut through their path, it can be deadly.

That’s where Chebeague and Cumberland Land Trustand their volunteers come in — guiding amphibians across the road and collecting data to better understand and reduce road impacts on wildlife.

Amphibians are a critical part of healthy ecosystems, serving as both predators and prey. Their decline is a warning sign, and efforts like this help protect them for the long term.

💚 🐸 Read the full story at

A “Big Night” event in Cumberland, Maine, is one of many community science efforts in the state to assist amphibians across roadways during their spring migration.