It was 50 years ago that a group of Greenwich residents recognized that the character of a community is shaped by not only its homes, roads and buildings, but by the natural places that surround them. That appreciation remains just as important today.
On September 9, 1976, these residents formally established Greenwich Land Trust with a mission that remains at the heart of the organization today: protecting and preserving open space in Greenwich.
Today, these lands provide habitat for wildlife, protect wetlands and waterways, preserve forests and meadows, and create places where generations of Greenwich residents can experience and connect with the natural world surrounding their homes.
The organization’s impact extends beyond the acres it conserves.
Hiking Converse Brook Preserve with Greenwich Land Trust members. Contributed photo: Greenwich Land Trust
A public sail to Shell Island (aka Tower Island), one of Greenwich Land Trust’s 82 preserves. Contributed photo: Greenwich Land Trust
“Fifty years ago, our founders understood that protecting open space was essential to preserving the character and environmental health of Greenwich,” said Will Kies, Executive Director of Greenwich Land Trust. “They could not have known exactly what Greenwich would look like 50 years later, but they understood that once important natural places are lost, they are very difficult to get back.”
Kies added, “We have grown from stewarding a little over 200 acres to over 1,014 acres, but the greatest growth has been in how we engage with the community. We are protecting land, caring for the places we already have, and educating young people and connecting more residents with the natural world.”
Indeed, Greenwich Land Trust has developed environmental education and youth employment programs, restored habitats, partnered with local schools and community organizations, and created opportunities for residents of all ages to explore and appreciate the natural world. The Youth Corps program, for example, gives local teenagers hands-on experience caring for the land while introducing the next generation to conservation and environmental stewardship.
Looking Ahead: Protecting Greenwich for the Next Generation
To help prepare for the future, Greenwich Land Trust is in the midst of a capital campaign designed to strengthen the organization’s long-term capacity to protect and steward land.
A centerpiece of the campaign is the creation of a permanent Open Space Fund, which will give Greenwich Land Trust greater flexibility and capacity to act when important conservation opportunities arise, restore and care for the natural areas already under its protection, and meet the challenges posed by development pressures and environmental change.
Greenwich Land Trust Youth Corps 2026 Session 1, hard at work. Contributed photo: Greenwich Land Trust
“The most important thing we can do at our 50th anniversary is think about the people who will be living here 50 years from now,” said Urling Searle, President of the Board of Directors.
This is bigger than any one campaign or one generation. It is about making sure that the places that define Greenwich remain part of Greenwich,” Searle added.
Greenwich Land Trust will mark its official anniversary on Wednesday, September 9, at 5:30pm with a celebration at its offices at 370 Round Hill Road. The event will feature remarks from local leaders, an official proclamation from First Selectman Fred Camillo, a tree planting and a time capsule ceremony.
The community is invited to join Greenwich Land Trust in celebrating 50 years of conservation and looking ahead to the next 50. Refreshments and light bites will be served.
To learn more about Greenwich Land Trust’s 50th anniversary, visit Greenwich Land Trust’s 50th Anniversary page or contact Andi Harrington Cosby, Director of Development at [email protected].
Founded in 1976, Greenwich Land Trust is dedicated to protecting and stewarding open space and natural resources in Greenwich and surrounding communities. Greenwich Land Trust currently protects and stewards more than 1,014 acres across 82 preserves and works to conserve natural habitats, provide environmental education, engage the community and inspire the next generation of conservationists.