The Trust’s first land holding was a small parcel of salt marsh donated by Belton Copp. In 1973, William and Connie Pike donated a 44-acre parcel of secluded woodland which became the Trust’s first preserve, known as the Mile Creek Preserve. For a long time all land was acquired by donation. Many of the preserves bear the names of these very generous and foresighted donors. In 1988 the Trust bought a piece of property for the first time, saving the land from likely development. That purchase was the Elizabeth B. Karter Watch Rock Preserve.

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Today the Trust owns over 1,000 acres of conservation land. We hold conservation easements permanently protecting additional acreage as well. And we have partnered with other groups—the Nature Conservancy and the Town of Old Lyme, for example—in working toward a shared goal of preserving the rural character and natural environment of  Old Lyme. Initiatives with organizations such as the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, the Scouts, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Environmental Club, and the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library have enhanced our preserves and helped in achieving the educational component of our mission.

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The Trust has played a critical role in the preservation of open space in Old Lyme. We continue to actively seek available conservation land for acquisition. The need to protect the land and water resources of Old Lyme is as urgent as ever.

Old Lyme Land Trust is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, independent of the Town of Old Lyme, and does not receive taxpayer funding. 

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