Land Trust Alliance

10/21/2026

We're Anthem Awards finalists, and we need YOUR vote! 🏆🌎🌱

The Land Trust Alliance's Conservation Enthusiast Campaign has been named a finalist in the 6th Annual Anthem Awards, which celebrate purpose-driven work making a difference around the world!

This year, we tried something new: partnering with influencers and launching a digital advertising campaign to introduce more people to land trusts and the incredible work they do to protect the places we love.

Now, we have TWO chances to win The Anthem Awards Community Voice Award, and you can help us get there!

Please take a moment to vote for us in BOTH categories:

🌲 Sustainability, Environment & Climate - Campaign (Non-Profit): https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting #/2026/sustainability-environment-climate/campaign/non-profit
🌲 Sustainability, Environment & Climate - Industry Specific Program (Non-Profit): https://celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting #/2026/sustainability-environment-climate/industry-specific-program/non-profit

Every vote helps us amplify the message that land conservation matters.

Thank you for supporting our work and helping us spread the word about the power of land trusts!

Join me in celebrating the impact of this Anthem Awards finalist.

10/21/2026

It's National Estate Planning Awareness Week!

Estate planning isn't just about preparing for the future. It's about protecting the people you love, honoring your wishes and creating a lasting legacy.

A thoughtful estate plan can provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones. It can also be an opportunity to support the causes closest to your heart, including protecting the lands and waters that make our communities special.

Whether you're creating a will, establishing a trust or exploring ways to leave a charitable gift, there's no better time to start planning for the future.

Not sure where to begin? Start here: https://bit.ly/4rG9MZy

Your legacy can help protect the places you love for generations to come.

FreeWill lets you make your last will and testament quick, easy, and completely free. It is a simple online legal will maker that helps you compile will forms to print and sign, or to take as a basic will template to an estate planning lawyer. FreeWill is built alongside will making experts.

10/19/2026

Love foraging? Land trusts protect space for it.

Foraging is the act of searching for, finding and gathering wild plants for food and medicine from outdoor spaces. Foraging on this land has been happening for most of human history, and according to Feasting Wild: In Search of the Last Untamed Food by Gina Rae La Cerva, up until 200 years ago, about 50% of the North American diet consisted of gathered, wild foods.

Check out the story below to learn more about foraging from our friends at The Conservation Foundation (accredited) in Illinois, and how they are facilitating foraging activities in their community.

The Conservation Foundation expanded programs related to the practice of foraging, collecting and using wild plants in the local landscape.

10/15/2026

We celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day earlier this week, but celebrating Indigenous peoples, cultures and contributions to land conservation shouldn't be limited to one day.

This week, we're celebrating the 3rd ever First Stewards Summit, which brought together over 120 people together at the Denver Indian Center alongside Rally! The First Stewards Summit was created at the request of Indigenous land conservation leaders who sought a space to build community, exchange knowledge and address shared challenges in their land relationship, access, return and stewardship efforts.

The conversations and relationships at these events catalyzed a partnership between the Alliance and Native Americans in Philanthropy to support Indigenous-led conservation. Together, the Alliance and Native Americans in Philanthropy now cohost biannual in-person Summits and a virtual network to provide ongoing space for networking and peer learning.

The network provides a space for leaders working in Tribal and Indigenous land conservation to gather for honoring cultural connections to land, building relationships, creating collaborative impact and sharing knowledge about land access, return and stewardship.

Indigenous peoples have stewarded lands and waters since time immemorial, and their leadership continues to guide and shape conservation today. We are grateful for the Indigenous land stewards who have cared for the land and water for generations. 💚

10/14/2026

At Rio Fernando Park in Taos, New Mexico, the newest land stewards have hooves. 🐐

The accredited Taos Land Trust in New Mexico has introduced a livestock program at Rio Fernando Community Farm, bringing goats and turkeys into its work to restore soil health, manage weeds and support local agriculture.

The goats graze noxious weeds while naturally fertilizing the soil. This innovative (and adorable) way of combating noxious weeds is a part of the land trust's Working Lands Resiliency Initiative, which shares conservation and agricultural equipment, knowledge and labor to strengthen local agriculture and sustainable land use.

Read the full story at https://landtrustalliance.org/blog/at-taos-land-trust-in-new-mexico-goats-and-turkeys-are-joining-the-stewardship-team

Photos courtesy of Taos Land Trust

10/08/2026

Local land trusts work in communities to protect the places we all need and love — from parks and farms to forests, rivers and open spaces.

Join thousands of people taking action for local land and water at https://landtrustalliance.org/land-trusts/take-action-local-land-water.

10/06/2026

Don't sleep on the Draconid meteor shower! ☄️😴

The Draconid meteor shower will light up our night sky THIS WEEK, Oct. 8-9, with Oct. 9 being the best night to look up. This year, the shower peaks under a waning crescent moon that will be only 1% illuminated, so moonlight won't interfere with your stargazing. Get away from city lights and you may see up to six meteors per hour!

Did you know that dark skies are important for more than just stargazing?

Light pollution disrupts the ability of wildlife, plants and insects to rest, feed, migrate and communicate. From baby sea turtles to plants and trees to birds, countless species, including us, depend on natural darkness.

Land trusts help preserve our night skies. Across the country, they protect natural areas where you can take in the beauty of darkness. Need a place to go stargazing?

Find a land trust-protected preserve or park at findalandtrust.org.

Photos: 1. Taken by Alan Sheiness using The Beast telescope at Lyme Land Trust's Trail 53 Observatory in Connecticut. 2. Photo by Jacob Hogerson/NPS.

10/05/2026

October is a prime seed harvesting month across the Midwest. Many land trusts are leading volunteer opportunities to help you gather seeds for future plantings. Here are a few
events we found:

🌱ACRES Land Trust of Indiana has a seed collection workday planned for Oct. 28.
🌱Grosse Ile Nature & Land Conservancy of Michigan will hold a seed collection event at Airport Natural Area on Oct. 17.
🌱Kettle Moraine Land Trust of Wisconsin leads several seeding events each year, including on Oct. 16 at Jackson Creek Preserve.
🌱The Prairie Enthusiasts of Wisconsin hosts many seed collection events in September and October to choose from.
Learn more about the hows and whys of seed collection from this seed processing blog post by Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy at

Each fall, Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy collects native seeds from our protected properties and nearby natural areas. These seeds help us restore and strengthen local ecosystems, ensuring that native plants continue to thrive and support pollinators, wildlife, and healthy headwaters for generat...

10/02/2026

Every 30 seconds, America loses a football field of natural land. Once a family farm, favorite trail or wildlife habitat is gone, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.

The good news? Landowners and land trusts across the country are taking action to protect the land and water we need and love. Don’t wait: Be part of the solution.

Find a land trust near you at findalandtrust.org.

09/28/2026

Across the nation, land trusts have helped grow many of the public parks that people know and love. Through collaborative and creative partnerships, land trusts often work in tandem with local, state and federal agencies to protect critical tracts of land near public lands.

Threats to public lands are increasing, but you can help by getting to know your local land trust and engaging in the issues that matter locally. You can find yours at https://landtrustalliance.org/

Do you volunteer with your local land trust? Shout them out in the comments!

Save land. Strengthen communities. Create a healthier planet.