WintonburyLandTrust,Inc

Agenda, Tuesday, November 29, 2011

2011-11-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

WINTONBURY LAND TRUST

Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 7:00-9:00 pm, 52 Duncaster Road, Bloomfield

1. Special Projects

CCLC Challenge Grant- status, $4000 fee, contract, board retreat December 4, budget.

Fundraising Projects.

a. Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands status.

b. Lisa Lane: NRCS and DEEP status.

c. Thrall: Roof, barn cleaning and clearing status. Meeting with potential farmer will be rescheduled. Barn Grant submitted.

Committee Reports

a. Events: Holiday/Lisa Lane celebration at Golf Course, suggested dates in January 5 and 12, membership and invited guests.

b. Stewardship: CL&P - Capewell Greene planting finished. Downed trees at Tunxis, Capewell Greene and Cohen.

c. Grants: Ag Viability/ Barn Grant submitted

d. Financial: Financials on quicken deluxe 2009. CLCC Effective Financial Management Workshop on Saturday on November 19, 2011attended by two officers. 990ez tax form $200,000 gross receipts and under $500,000 in assets.

Need to start annual budget process. Lap Top for Financial data.

e. Marketing: Dunlandwood garden club presentation to be rescheduled. Possible future presentations: Rotary Club of Bloomfield, Duncaster, Seabury, Town Council.

f. Board members and committee posts: Vikki and Tami working on the Treasurer notebook, Gail Herson is checking Post Office Box mail. Transition of Secretarial duties has begun with meeting notes. Formalize subcommittee work will increase board effectiveness.

Need events subcommittee. Membership for a financial subcommittee, budgets and reconciliation.

New Business: Annual meeting, Bike Tour, Trails Day, and Garden Fall Tour

Next Meeting Date: Holiday celebration January 5 or 12, February 9^th?

Adjourn

WINTONBURY LAND TRUST September 1, 2011

2011-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

52 Duncaster Road, Bloomfield Present: Chip Caton, Dale Bertoldi, Jay Stoccatore, Himali_Shah; Vikki Reski, Tamara Hochman, Claudia Bell

Special Projects

a. The CCLC has awarded a $10,000 development grant with the stipulation that the grant have some modifications that will require Land Trust assessment. The board has approved this change. CCLC will send a consultant list. WLT does not have to choose the consultant from that list. Chip and Hannah Roditi will work on requirements of this change and report back to the board.

Lisa Lane Family Fun Fair- September 10, 10:00-1:00, See web site for more information.
Special election

a) Tami will stay as treasurer for a short time until we find a replacement. Tami and Vikki work on quicken for the accounts. The Land Trust may need a different 990 form this year.

b) Vikki Reski will step down from secretary position. Paula Jones is willing to take this position in a couple of months.

c) Diane Mack and Anne Farnum may be willing to take a board position in the future. There are 11 active board positions available. Chip recommends the Land Trust add an emeritus category to our board positions.

Fundraising Projects.

a) Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands awarded to DEP and WLT. DEP will hold Development Rights. DEP in process of appraisal. Grant paperwork is being done. Bafflin grant award for $35,000. Check is deposited and Thank you letter written. Chip will check on appraisal progress.

b) Lisa Lane: will receive $89,000 NCRS matching funds to purchase the development rights to the Lisa Lane Farm under the Federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program. Land Trust will hold the Development Rights and Bloomfield Town have ownership of land. Letters to update about funding to the anonymous donor and the Hartford Foundation are being written. The appraisal will be paid for by Thomas Henry will cost $3500 and will be completed by November 1. A meeting with the Town Manager and the Town Attorney is being arranged. Vikki and Dale will complete paperwork for the NRCS grant.

c) Thrall: Thrall Barn project will need critical guidance as we work towards an active CSA on the project. Dale and Vikki have spoken to Kevin Gough and Paula Jones about becoming active stewards on this property. We have asked the future farmer for an outline business plan. Critical items on the property are the barn roof and the clearing of the land. The barn roof if not repaired this fall may sustain too much damage this winter to make it feasible to repair. Dale estimated the temporary roof repair would cost about $2500 and could buy us 5 years till we can work on the complete reroofing. We will need some clearing which we will use the two grants the Land Trust received from Hamilton Sundstrand and NEGEF. Dale and Vikki will be working with Kevin and Paula on these issues in the next weeks. Chip will locate an ING contact for possible funding of the Thrall roof. Himali will complete the Hamilton Sundstrand grant.

Committee Reports

a) Membership: Tami is willing to stay in a position to help with membership and Internet coordination.

b) Stewardship: CL&P planting at Capewell Greene will be done in fall.

c) Grants: Hannah Roditi participated in the teleconference for information on the People’s Garden Grant Program pulls together funds from AMS, APHIS, FNS, FS, and NRCS to facilitate the creation of produce, recreation, and/or wildlife gardens in urban and rural areas, which will provide opportunities for science-based informal education. She has recommended that we are not ready to do paperwork on this grant at this time.

d) Financial: Financials on quick books, Insurance changes, board insurance.

e) Marketing: The Land Trust needs membership to volunteer to help with Internet and Newsletter

f) Board members and committee posts: Individuals can be more involved and train for board positions in the committees. The committee can help us transition board members into critical officer positions. Chip especially needs help with fund raising.

Next Meeting Date: October 27.
Adjourn

Agenda, Thursday, Sept 1, 2011, 7:30-9:00 pm 52 Duncaster Road, Bloomfield

2011-08-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

1. Call to Order/ approval of minutes.

2. Fundraising Project.

a) Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands awarded to DEP and WLT. DEP will hold Development Rights. DEP in process of appraisal. Grant paperwork is being done.

Bafflin grant award for $35,000. Check is deposited and Thank you letter written.

b) Lisa Lane: will receive $77,000 NCRS matching funds to purchase the development rights to the Lisa Lane Farm under the Federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program. Land Trust will hold the Development Rights and Bloomfield Town have ownership of land.

Letters to update about funding to the anonymous donor and the Hartford Foundation.

d) Thrall: Pricing on clearing and roof repair. Two grants, Schedule Work Day, Farmer potential.

3. Special Projects

a) Lisa Lane Family Fun Fair- September 10, 10:00-1:00, Thank you letters to American Materials and Doris Johnson’s cleanup crew.

b) Penwood Celebration

c) CCLC Challenge Grant Award

4. Committee Reports

a) Membership: Hannah’s research and the CCLC Challenge Grant submission

b) Stewardship: CL&P - Capewell Greene planting

c) Grants: Ag Viability/ Conway School of Landscape Design, Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) is again accepting applications for grants up to $1,500 to fund environmental initiatives in communities served by the company. Eligible projects are those that protect, preserve or improve the environment and/or provide environmental education resources.

d) Financial: Financials on quick books, Insurance changes, board insurance.

e) Marketing: Internet and Newsletter

f) Board members and committee posts

5. New Business:

6. Next Meeting Date: October

7. Adjourn

WINTONBURY LAND TRUST Meeting July 6, 2011

2011-07-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Present: Claudia Bell, Chip Caton, Dale Bertoldi, Vic Herson, Tamara Hochman, Vikki Reski

1. Fundraising Project

a) Bafflin Grant announcements are expected sometime this week. A Grant Letter was sent for Lisa Lane/ Stout Fields/ Thrall Barn with project attachments.

b) Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands awarded to DEP and WLT. DEP will hold Development Rights. Chip, Vikki and Diane had a good meeting with Beth Brothers at DEP. An appraisal of the property will be bid and paid for by DEP. Easement value is typically 85-90% of total land value.

c) Lisa Lane: NRCS Farmland grant submitted with Bloomfield Town having ownership of land and Land Trust holding the Development Rights. Chip and Vikki met with NRCS state Conservationist Jay Mar and Kip Kolesinskas at Lisa Lane last week for a walk through on the farm. Privately $28,000 has been committed. With an additional $2,000 an anonymous matching grant of $10,000 will be triggered. The funding needs to be in place by the end of the year.

d) Thrall received a New England Grassroots Environment Fund of $1,250, check received, for clearing. The Land Trust will provide matching man hours in a fall work party.

2. Special Projects

a) Bike Tour- thanks to the entire volunteer staff that helped make the Bike Tour a success. The net of $197 added a positive financial reward. Our goal of exposure and the priceless goodwill created are most appreciated. Vic Herson, event coordinator, looks forward to next year. Special thanks to Bob Kaczmarczyk of Avon Country Deli for coordinating food, REI for door prizes and bike checks and Ted Paulsen for the art work. See the blog for more information.

b) The Wintonbury Land Trust sponsored two Trails Day Hikes on June 4. Kevin Gough and Paula Jones guided 22 people at Farmington River Park, Jay Stocctore & Himali Shah guided 20 on the hike from Speer Property to tower and back. See Facebook for photos.

c) Garden & Art Tour- netted $5,258.25 to be divided among three accounts: Lisa Lane, Stout Fields, general steward. Special thanks to Cheryl hosting after party, David Sullivan for the wine donated and Robin Sherwood for the donated art work.

d) A Geocache has been set up off first leg of the VanOtterloo Trail in the lower section of the site. Thanks to Homer Guilmartin the leg to the pond is being mowed.

3. Committee Reports

a) Acquisitions: Sigrun Gadwa, a wetlands biologist contacted WLT about buying 5-6 acres of wetlands property to replace wetlands being developed. Dale has contacted Jim Kandik at Windsor Land Trust for land around the Barber Pond. Dale and Dale discussed a joint approach.

b) Stewardship: Thrall/ Kevin Paula, Dale and Vikki meet with a prospective Farmer at Thrall. CL&P and Capewell Greene planting is being coordinated and will add 6 plants near the entrance to Capewell Greene off Adams Road. A dead tree on Cohen Property has been removed at a cost of $500 by Connelly and Hamilton. Dale spoke to the abutting neighbor about donating to the land trust. Kevin Connelly donated tree work from the removal of a fallen tree off VanOtterloo two years ago. Thank you Kevin, your work is most appreciated. Check out the geocache at Van Otterloo

c) Membership: Welcome new members Seth Shaw, Sharon Mann (life), Kenneth Karpowicz, Homer Guilmartin (life), Karen Peters, Dale and Sally Richter, Dianne Libbey and Steven Zuckerman, Cecilia Calhoun and Bob Firger, Cary Henderson and Robin Sherwood (life), Catherine and Philip Reynolds (life).

d) Grants: Ag Viability/ Conway School of Landscape Design, WLT and The Open Space Subcommittee composed a letter to introduce the study to the Bloomfield Plan of Conservation and Development. Final work on the Toolbox, criteria, farming statement and open space corridors are be coordinated.

The CCLC Challenge Grant submission went in and announcements are expected in end of August.

Chip and Hannah will research upgrade of membership costs.

e) Treasurer: Tami needs to step down as treasurer but will continue to work with the web site and internet. Tami will post mailchip newsletters when assembled by marketing; Tami to remain a board member.

Report- Balances: Lisa Lane Savings: $20,001.62, Stout Fields Savings: $2,000.28 + $500 from General Fund to keep account open without a fee, General Steward Savings: $27,711.18, Checking: $2,000, Trading Account: $748.08

Lisa Lane and Stout Fields accounts are being converted to money market accounts to earn more interest. The rates compare to one-year CDs but offer more flexibility.

f) Secretary: Vikki would like to step down from the secretary role in the land Trust and concentrate on stewardship, acquisitions and grants.

g) Marketing: Chip suggested a marketing sign for Stouts. He will check into pricing. Tami suggested a celebration on the grasslands grant in Penwood Park this fall. The Lisa Lane Farm celebration has been scheduled for August 10 rain date the 17^th. We expect speakers and activities for families. Save the date.

4. Meetings: A special board meeting on August 6 at Avon Country Deli at 9:00 will discuss board positions and Committee members. At Present committees are Acquisitions, Fundraising, Grants, Membership, Publicity, Stewardship, Events. Meeting will be verified.

Next open meeting is August 24.

5. ‘Mother Nature’s Child’ will be shown at the Prosser Library on Tuesday July 26, 2011 at 7:00pm. The film is about the importance of outdoor education in children’s life. The mental and physical health needs of child will be enhanced through outdoor educational opportunities. Outdoor education is being recognized through several grant programs. Teachers are being certified and opportunities for land trusts to provide stewardship to our youngest members is important.

Adjourn

Edible Wild Plants of the Northeast on July 14th

2011-07-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

East Granby Land Trust and The East Granby Library will be presenting John Root speaking about Edible Wild Plants of the Northeast on July 14th at the East Granby Library, 7pm.

“Mother Nature’s Child” on July 26

2011-07-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

Bloomfield CEEC and Prosser Library will showing “Mother Nature’s Child” on July 26 at 7:00 pm at the library. Discussions will follow.

Agenda, Wednesday, July 6, 2011, 7:00-8:30 pm

2011-07-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

52 Duncaster Road, Bloomfield

1. Call to Order/ approval of minutes.

2. Fundraising Project.

a) Lisa Lane/ Stout Fields/ Thrall Barn: Grants to Bafflin

b) Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands awarded to DEP and WLT. DEP will hold Development Rights. Chip, Vikki and Diane met with Beth Brothers at DEP.

c) Lisa Lane/ NRCS Farmland grant submitted with Bloomfield Town having ownership of land and Land Trust holding the Development Rights. Chip and Vikki met with NRCS state Conservationist Jay Mar and Kip Kolesinskas at Lisa Lane last week for a walk through on the farm.

d) Thrall received a matching funds NEGEF Grant for clearing.

3. Special Projects

a) Bike Tour Report- May 22, REI sponsor, netted $197, goodwill was priceless, See Blog for more detail and pictures.

b) Trails Day Hikes- June 4, 22 people at Farmington River Park, Jay -See Facebook for photos.

c) Garden & Art Tour Report- June 18, great day netted over $5000 about 200 people attending. Party for participates was held at Cheryl Home with wine donated by David Sullivan.

4. Committee Reports

a) Membership: Hannah’s research and the CCLC Challenge Grant submission

b) Acquisitions: Sigrun Gadwa, a wetlands biologist contacted WLT about buying 5-6 acres of wetlands property to replace wetlands being developed.

c) Stewardship: Thrall-Kevin Paula, Dale and Vikki meet with a Farmer at Thrall, CL&P and Capewell Greene planting, Dead Tree on Cohen Property, check out the geocache at Van Otterloo

d) Grants: Ag Viability/ Conway School of Landscape Design

e) Financial:

g) Marketing: Internet and Newsletter, tutorial on MailChimp

5. Board and Committee Discussions.

a) Duties of Secretary and Treasurer will be defined. Tami will ask to step down and concentrate on web and internet coordination. Vikki would like to concentrate on Grants and Stewardship. The Board will open nominations for Treasurer and Secretary.

b) Committee needing personal: Membership, Fund Raising, Publicity, Events

c) Committees should develop formal needs list

6. Special Board morning breakfast/ appetizer meeting in August to discuss board and committee development.

7. Work Party at Thrall in Fall

8. Next Meeting Date: August 24?

10. New Business:

11. Adjourn

WLT Board meeting May 1, 2011

2011-07-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

Nancy Bowden, Cary Henderson, Chip Caton, Catherine Lyons, Dale Bertoldi, Vikki Reski, Tamara Hochman, Claudia Bell

1. Fundraising Project

a) Grants to Bafflin for Lisa Lane/ Stout Fields/ Thrall Barn were sent out. The summary project sheets were updated for each property. Announcements expected the end of June.

b) Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands awards have been delayed but expected soon. Vikki will be checking with the grant coordinator periodically. If a grant is awarded the DEP will hold the easement and the Land Trust will own the property. An appraisal of the property will be done if the grant is awarded to determine the easement value which is typically 85-90% of total land value. Before the grant is applied for the match needs to be in place.

c) Lisa Lane: The purchase price for the property is $300,000. A State of CT DEP grant of $195,000 will fund a significant part of the purchase. Privately an additional $28,000 has already been committed. With an additional $2,000 an anonymous matching grant of $10,000 will be triggered. In addition to the Bafflin grant, a farmland grant was been submitted to NRCS. Under the farmland grant the Town of Bloomfield will own the 10 acre farm and the Land Trust would hold the easement. The funding needs to be in place by the end of the year.

d) Hawk Hill: Meeting for appraisal, Grants to New England Trail

2. Special Projects

a) Bike Tour- May 15, REI will sponsor provide technical bike service support at the Farmington River Park the day of the ride. Posters and pamphlets are being distributed. A new map with directions will be distributed after riders sign in at the start of the ride. Volunteers will be stationed at important Land Trust properties along the ride. The web site has a sign up link.

b) Garden & Art Tour- June 18, Posters and flyers are being printed. All the art work was donated by Robin Sherwood. Thank you, Robin. Web site has a sign up link. Need additional help with publicity. No rain date.

c) April 23 Earth day at Van Otterloo. Thanks to the Bloomfield Lowes additional tools, garbage bags and gloves helped the work party complete the first leg of the VanOtterloo Trail in the lower section of the site. Further work is needed to complete the upper trail loop. A Geocache will be set up on this site.

d) The Wintonbry Land Trust has sponsored two Trails Day Hikes on June 4. Kevin Gough and Paula Jones will guide the Farmington River Park hike at 9:30. Jay Stocctore & Himali Shah will lead the hike at Speer Property at 11:30. Rain date is the 5^th.

3. Committee Reports

a) Marketing: Tami will complete the WLT Newsletter on MailChimp. Chip and Vikki will coordinate printing of 200 more WLT brochures for upcoming events

b) Stewardship: Thrall/ Arcadis are monitoring residual pesticides from tobacco farming. If they find any hot spots of high concentration they will notify us. Rachel Rosen said that thus far they have found the normal amount for the Connecticut River Valley.

c) Grants: Ag Viability/ Conway School of Landscape Design, WLT will soon be able to review the final document. The Open Space Subcommittee will be composing a letter to introduce the study to the Bloomfield Plan of Conservation and Development.

d) Financial Report: 336 shares of Proctor and Gamble sold

4. The Connecticut Land Conservation Conference on April 11 at Wesleyan University was attended by Dale and Vikki. They split their time at the conference between different workshops and lunch-time discussions in order to gain the most information.

5. The Board has begun discussions on Committee members. At Present committees are Acquisitions, Fundraising, Grants, Membership, Publicity, Stewardship, Events.

6. Adjourn

Wintonbury Bike Tour/ TourduLand

2011-06-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

The inaugural Bike Tour (Tour du Land) of the WLT took place Sunday, May 22, 2011. The goal of the tour was to showcase land trust holdings and publicize WLT activities and missions. The Tour’s originally scheduled date was 5/15/2011 but postponed because of rain. Despite threatening early morning skies, the event was held under favorable bicycling conditions: cloudy but dry.

Registration/riders: a total of 30 people registered—1/3 on-line in advance and

2/3 on the day of the ride. Half of the registrants were from Bloomfield, the rest (in decreasing order) from West Hartford, S. Windsor, Hartford, Glastonbury, Terryville and Winsted. In addition to the riders, there were several staff/support members: tour guides (Dale @ Shaffer, Chip@ Stout’s, Tami @ Van Otterloo, and Vikki @ Capewell), registration (Steve), bike support/raffle/etc (Cary) and catering (Bob/Chris). The event followed the anticipated timeline with registration from 9:30-10, riding from 10-12 and refreshments from 12-1. About ½ of the riders stopped at some or all of the land trust sites. A few riders took the options to the Thrall and Speer properties.

Financials

Revenues---$300

Expenses----$103

Net -----------$197

+ Goodwill…………….priceless!

The feedback on the day was positive. The distance and grade made the ride attractive to the recreational/occasional biker. More “hard-core” riders might have preferred a greater challenge. This could be a more highlighted focus in subsequent years.

Special thanks to Cary for facilitating the great support from REI—tables/chairs/water bottles/air pump/raffle prize and Bob and Chris (Avon Country Deli) for the great food. I’d also like to thank the other members of the Bike Tour Committee: Val, Dale, and Patrick.

For its first year, the event was a modest success. Publicity for the ride included flyers and posters placed at local venues (e.g.: Wade’s, Bloomfield Bike, Town Hall, JCC, fitness centers) and mentions in WH Patch, Hartford Courant) electronic town events) and Bloomfield electronic bulletin Boards. The major goal next year will be to attract more riders. Among other options, we should consider printing up larger signs to post along Duncaster Rd (and perhaps other popular biking roads).

Vic Herson Event Coordinator

Bike Tour Update

2011-05-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

The Bike Tour sponsored by the Wintonbury Land Trust scheduled for today is postponed due to the weather. The new date is Sunday May 22;
registration at 9:30 AM and ride starting at 10 AM. See you then!

Earth Day at Van Otterloo

2011-05-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

On a wet and drippy Saturday, April 23, 2011, the dedicated Van Otterloo Preserve work party gradually assembled. First wave to arrive was Dale Bertoldi and Vikki Reski at around 9:00. Dale and Vikki had scouted for a tree behind the road side stone wall to hold the Land Trust Plaque. A litter pickup on the Town of Bloomfield Mountain Road right of way began until the next dedicated volunteer arrival.

Skip House, Tami Hochman, John Hochman and Remie Hochman brought the additional manpower and the tools donated by Lowes for the earth day trail building. Anne Farnum was near at hand as Skip House led the team to the lower Van Otterloo trail. Skip and Anne had been laying out trail for several weeks with bright yellow tape attached to tree branches and shrubs. All participates had equipped themselves with gloves and sturdy footwear. Loppers, hand pruners, machete and hand saws were the tools of choice as we madly hacked our way through vines and wild rose. We clipped low hanging branches and sawed small trees and tripping hazards in the pathway. Our goal was the infamous falls near the concrete bridge at the center of the Van Otterloo Preserve. There the path would turn north and run parallel to the water course. The stream flows south to eventually become Tumbledown Brook flowing into West Hartford around the Wampanoag Country Club before turning north to flow back into Bloomfield into Tumble Brook.

Half way to our goal the third set of reinforcements arrived. Gail and Victor Herson attacked the invasive plants in and around the trail with such vigor that all were inspired with such renewed force that we made haste to that water fall that teased us from afar. In the spring the water flows with an appreciated amount of seasonal bounty. In the summer, the brook takes its leisure.

See below the map that Cary Henderson provided to the Land Trust the week following our heroic EARTH DAY AT VANOTTERLOO.

May 1, 2011, 6:30-8:00 pm

2011-04-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

AGENDA

1. Call to Order/ approval of minutes.

2. Fundraising Project.

a) Lisa Lane/ Stout Fields/ Thrall Barn: Grants to Bafflin

b) Review of Grants and marketing for Thrall Barn and Stout: LIP, WHIP and EQIP due May 15th

c) Hawk Hill: Meeting, Grants to New England Trail

d) Stout Fields: NRCS grasslands awards have been delayed but expected soon.

e) Lisa Lane/ NRCS Farmland grant to be submitted next week with Town ownership of land and Land Trust holding the Development Rights.

3. Special Projects

a) Bike Tour- May 15, REI sponsor, new map, posters and pamphlets

b) Garden & Art Tour- June 18, flyers and report

c) Earth day at Van Otterloo, Lowes in Bloomfield Sponsor

d) Trails Day Hikes- June 4

4. Committee Reports

a) Membership report, Hannah’s research

b) Marketing: Newsletter, printing of WLT brochure for upcoming events

c) Stewardship: Thrall/ Arcadis are monitoring residual pesticides from tobacco farming. If they find any hot spots of high concentration they will notify us. Rachel Rosen said that thus far they have found the normal amount for the Connecticut River Valley.

d) Grants: Ag Viability/ Conway School of Landscape Design

e) Financial Report: 336 shares of Proctor and Gamble sold

g) Fund Raising: Hamilton Sundstrand grant, tutorial on MailChimp

5. Presentations

a) Town of Bloomfield CEEC and Town Council

b) Other Presentations: The Duncaster, ING, Town of Windsor and BIZhub.

6. Special Board morning breakfast/ appetizer meeting in May 9, 12 or 21?

7. Earth Day May 22: Annual Meeting Work Party at Van Otterloo on April 23 or 30

8. Next Meeting Date: June 25?

9. New Business; Geocaching, GPS Workshop

10. Adjourn