Donate or Join/Renew Your Membership for 2022 You can help preserve, protect, and maintain Wellesley’s open spaces by joining or renewing your membership for $35 now for 2021. As the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization, your membership and donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
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We achieved our 2021 GuideStar Platinum level for non-profit transparency! Protecting open space in Wellesley with high integrity since 1958. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/04-6079721
The Wellesley Conservation Land Trust invites you to help us clean up Patch of Woods sanctuary, located at 138 Glen Road, on Saturday, December 4th from 9:00 to 11:30AM.
(Severe weather/rain date Sunday, December 5th.) We will pickup litter, outline an old trail with logs, and remove invasive plants including Norway maple saplings. Wild turkeys and deer can often be seen near Cold Spring Brook which runs behind the property. You can find more information about Patch of Woods here. Park across the street on Dean Road. Please sign up here. The Wellesley Conservation Land Trust
invites you to join your neighbors for hot cider at Cronk’s Rocky Woodland Sunday, October 24th at 4-5:30PM 18 Crown Ridge Road Come enjoy an open fire and celebrate our new fire screen, explore the charming Hansel and Gretel cottage, and learn how you can help “Cronk’s” continue as the wildflower garden that Gertrude Cronk established in the 1930s for all our neighborhoods to enjoy in perpetuity. Cronk’s Rocky Woodland Hot Cider Event website: http://www.wellesleyconservationcouncil.org/cronks-rocky-woodland.html Donate or Join/Renew Your Membership for 2021 You can help preserve, protect, and maintain Wellesley’s open spaces by joining or renewing your membership for $35 now for 2021. As the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization, your membership and donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
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Donate or Join/Renew Your Membership for 2021
You can help preserve, protect, and maintain Wellesley’s open spaces by joining or renewing your membership for $35 now for 2020. As the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization, your membership and donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
Press Release: October 5th, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mass. Appeals Court Sets Precedent for Conservation Land Damage Wellesley Conservation Land Trust Wins Appeal with Support of The Trustees of the Reservation and Massachusetts Land Trust Alliance Under new case precedent, an owner of Conservation Restricted property who violates the Restriction by clearing the land may be required to pay money damages in addition to restoring and replanting the land, according to a decision issued by the Massachusetts Appeals court on August 10. In response to a Wellesley Conservation Land Trust (WCLT) lawsuit against Wellesley landowners, the three-judge Appeals Court unanimously held that monetary damages can be awarded to the WCLT for the landowners’ violation of a Conservation Restriction. The landowners had cut and removed 23 mature trees to construct a sports court, fencing, and lighting on a portion of the clear-cut land. Initially, the case was brought to the Superior Court by the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust when it was known as the Wellesley Conservation Council. The Council was responsible for enforcing the Conservation Restriction established by the Haffenreffer family in the 1970s to keep the land in its natural, undeveloped state. The present landowners, Robert and Cheri Pereira, admitted they were aware of the Conservation Restriction when they violated it. The landowners argued that they had restored the land by removing the sports court and planting saplings to replace the decades-old trees they had cut. When the Superior court ruled that no further damages could be recovered, the WCLT successfully appealed that decision. Judges Vuono, Lemire, and McDonough of the Appeals Court agreed that the removal of the sports court and the planting of saplings did not compensate for the actual time it would take for the land to return to its original state, given that some of the mature trees were up to 36 inches in diameter. The case has been remanded to the Superior Court for further proceedings. According to lead attorney, Andrew Phelan, “The Wellesley Conservation Land Trust plans to return to Superior Court to seek reasonable monetary damages beyond the mitigation work the landowners have already performed. The Trust will use any recovery to further the conservation goals of its charter.” In response to the Appeals Court ruling, WCLT President Frederick Fortmiller said, “There are many good reasons for a landowner to establish a Conservation Restriction on property to preserve it from development. The benefits that generous landowners confer on property are significant and well known. In return, the landowner benefits from lower property taxes on the land, so in this case, seeking monetary damages for a violation seems appropriate.” Mr. Fortmiller added, “The WCLT is extremely grateful for the supporting ‘amicus’ briefs given to the Appeals Court by The Trustees of Reservations, the oldest land trust in the nation, and the Massachusetts Land Trust Alliance, an association of land trusts in the Commonwealth.” The WCLT President gave “particular thanks” to Mr. Phelan, the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and attorney A. Lauren Carpenter for their contributions to “the precedent-setting conclusion.” The Appeals Court Case is “Wellesley Conservation Council, Inc. v. Robert W. Pereira and Cheryl L. Pereira et al,” Mass. App. Ct. No. 2019-P-0753. The WCLT is a 501(c)3 non-profit staffed by volunteers to maintain and promote land conservation to benefit the public and protect the environment. It is responsible for enforcing Conservation Restrictions entrusted in its care since 1958. The granting of the Haffenreffer Conservation Restriction was approved by the Wellesley Board of Selectmen and the Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. More information at www.WellesleyConservationLandTrust.org. ### For Press Inquiries: Frederick V. Fortmiller, President, Wellesley Conservation Land Trust fortmiller@comcast.net Andrew C. Phelan, Phelan Law LLC Phelan.law5@gmail.com Tel: 617-306-1673 Wellesley Conservation Council, Inc. Contact Information: Judith Barr, j.barr@neu.edu, 781-234-8224 Press Release: May 1, 2020 Wellesley Conservation Council to become Wellesley Conservation Land Trust FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE At the Annual Meeting of the Wellesley Conservation Council held on April 28, 2020, the membership voted unanimously to ratify the Board of Director’s motion to change the name of the non-profit organization to the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust. The new name more clearly reflects the nature of the organization: that of a Land Trust. In the past there has been confusion concerning the private or public nature and purpose of the “Council”.
Established in 1958 by a group of 14 environmentally-minded citizens of Wellesley to protect, preserve, and conserve open spaces in Wellesley, it was incorporated as a private, non-profit organization and originally entitled the Wellesley Conservation Council, Inc. At the time, there were few land trusts. Rather than including land trust in their names, several early local ones used names such as Trustees of the Reservation and Sudbury Valley Trustees. The board of the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust thanks the residents of Wellesley for their continued support of its 62+ year mission to:
The land trust movement has rapidly grown since the 1980s and now includes over 1,600 in the United States. In Massachusetts, there are 152 local land trusts of which “Trust” is included in 67% of their organizational titles and of these, over 50% include “Land Trust”. In Wellesley the local, private, 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust is now the Wellesley Conservation Land Trust, Inc. It owns or has conservation easement restrictions on 12 properties totaling over 50 acres and actively partners with Wellesley’s Natural Resources Commission which remains the town’s public arm to provide stewardship, education and advocacy of the Town of Wellesley public parks and public open spaces. For more information see: WellesleyConservationLandTrust.org. Get the family outside and participate in the Wellesley Weekly Bio Blitz Nature Challenge! Last week, Wellesley families registered 186 nature observations, of 115 unique species, by 25 observers, with 72 identifiers! The Zelenko family registered the most observations (40) and most species (26). Congrats Last week there were 6 observations of Seductive Entodon Moss, 5 Mallard ducks, 4 Eastern Skunk Cabbage, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Blue Jays, and a Northern Cardinal in an oak tree!
Grab your smartphone and download the free iNaturalist app, become a citizen scientist, and get out on our trails and in our sanctuaries to help catalog all the bio-diversity in Wellesley. We'll have weekly challenges and call outs for the most observations, most unique species, etc. You can explore your own backyard and nearby nature anywhere in Wellesley! Remember to practice physical distancing and obey all town ordinances while out on the trails. Suggestions: Centennial Reservation, the North 40, Longfellow Pond and the Town Forest, Boulder Brook Reservation, Guernsey Sanctuary, Fuller Brook Path, and other areas (https://wellesleyma.gov/800/Maps-Guides-Descriptions). Just snap away and upload. Join the iNaturalist project "Wellesley Will Enjoy Time Outdoors" to see weekly stats. #WellesleyWillBeWell Sponsored by Wellesley Natural Resources Commission and Wellesley Conservation Council Land Trust. The Wellesley Conservation Council is our local 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust that protects 14 sanctuaries across more than 45 acres of natural land in Wellesley and bordering lands in Needham and Weston. More information about our mission, the sanctuaries and membership can be found at www.wellesleyconservationcouncil.org. Donate or Join/Renew Your Membership for 2020 You can help preserve, protect, and maintain Wellesley’s open spaces by joining or renewing your membership for $35 now for 2020. As the Wellesley Conservation Council is a 501(c)(3) organization, your membership and donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
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Donate or Join/Renew Your Membership for 2020
You can help preserve, protect, and maintain Wellesley’s open spaces by joining or renewing your membership for $35 now for 2020. As the Wellesley Conservation Council is a 501(c)(3) organization, your membership and donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
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