Ready for a fun challenge?

By Beth Sullivan

It is really only the middle portion of summer if you go by the calendar, which has Sept 20^th more or less as the first day of Autumn.  But if you go by the meteorological calendar, with June, July and August considered summer, or if you are a child or parent, thinking about school, the summer is definitely winding down. It surely has been an unusual summer for so many reasons, and as the heat and drought continue, it doesn’t feel like we are ready to change gears. While many of us need to think about a school plan, which is causing understandable angst, there is still plenty of time to get out, to relax a bit, and explore the outdoors. Maybe we will need it now even more.  Hopefully it will cool down just enough to do some quality hiking.   This is where we come in. 

You never know where a trail will take you, until you travel it

 

A New Preserve

While everyone has been out looking for new places to hike, Avalonia has added several new preserves, and stewards have been busy caring for existing trails and creating others on the new properties.  The one that has caused so much excitement is the TriTown Forest Preserve. It has been open to the public for a while now, and many people have hiked it and reported back that it is AMAZING. Check the Preserve page on the website to see some of the photos for yourself.  Better yet, go for a visit. There are many loops, varied habitats, lots of wildlife, and some challenges for those who look for that kind of hiking. 

 In 2018, the TriTown Forest Preserve, which is a gorgeous 527 acre property in North Stonington, Griswold, and Preston, was acquired by the Avalonia Land Conservancy through a generous loan of $877,000 from the Conservation Fund.  The TriTown Forest Preserve was our largest acquisition ever and is considered a regional treasure.  We currently owe approximately $100,000 on the Conservation Fund Loan, which is due on March 20, 2021. Raising big amounts of money has always been a challenge. Our business is nature. Most of us hate fundraising.  But we now have a wonderful resource in Terri Eickel, who is our Director of Development and Programs, and she knows how to put the FUN in fund raising. 

 

On several preserves, you may discover some interesting history

At the TriTown Preserve, you get more of a vertical challenge. Photograph by Carl Tjerandsen.

At the Preston Nature Preserve you can stop and meditate.

Great Avalonia Trail Trek

 Join us for the Great Avalonia Trail Trek, a week-long fundraiser to support Avalonia's efforts to conserve land, protect watersheds, and address the climate crisis. From Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 25, 2020, you will have the opportunity to hike or run all of Avalonia's trails, or bike to your favorite Avalonia preserve, all to benefit the Avalonia Land Conservancy and the TriTown Forest Preserve. To participate, just visit the Great Avalonia Trail Trek and register for the activity that you would like to do. You can form a team, join a team, or go solo.  Registration is $30 for adults and $10 for kids – registration fees are tax-deductible and support Avalonia.  Once you are registered, you will automatically receive a personal fundraising page that you can personalize and e-mail to friends and family members so that they can support you with tax-deductible donations. 

More info can be found on our TriTown fundraising website or by e-mailing Terri Eickel at terri@avalonialc.org. 

While the proceeds of this event will go first to pay off the mortgage on this beautiful property,  the ultimate goal of this soon-to-be-annual event will be to support future acquisitions and stewardship. Because we cannot have large, in-person events, the usual fund raising plans need to be re-imagined. But how hard is it to imagine being able to hike your favorite places. Or find some new ones. Or run, or bike, or possibly paddle as many as you would like, and still be raising money for a great mission. All on your own time frame.

So summer may technically be coming to an end, but there are still so many summer  things to see and do. We will all still need the respite we can find outdoors. As the days shorten and temperatures  begin to cool, plan to get out and get into shape, so you can rise to the Avalonia Trail Trek challenge this fall and help us burn the mortgage papers for the beautiful TriTown Preserve.  

 

Sometimes you can get a glimpse of wildlife from a trail.

 

Sometimes you just have to make a decision.

There are hidden places to be found at Hoffman, TriTown, Teffweald, and others.

 

 

There may be distractions along the easy walk at Dodge Paddock.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan unless otherwise indicated.

Avalonia Land Conservancy Annual Meeting May 29 features custom quilt raffle

Tickets can also be purchased at Tom's News in Stonington Borough.  There are only 80 tickets, so get yours today.

Dine out for Avalonia April 29

Don't miss tomorrow's Dine out event for  Avalonia Land Conservancy at Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, 12 Water St in Mystic.  From 4pm to closing time, Margaritas will donate 15% of pre-taxed food and beverage sales to Avalonia.
Have a great meal, and support Avalonia at the same time.

Bringing back an old friend

By Beth Sullivan

Many of us have a long connection with Avalonia Land Conservancy, some going back to when it was Mashantucket Land Trust, and there are still a few around who were there at its founding in 1968.

No one quite remembers when the first Winter Pot Luck Supper event was held, but by the 80s and 90s, it was a well attended and much enjoyed event during the January depths of winter. No one remembers when it ceased to exist or why.

A pot luck spread than couldn't be beat.

But during this past winter, a hard winter by all standards, a group of volunteers, many of them part of the original Pot Luck Crew, started thinking of ways to warm up winter and reconnect friends.

A revived tradition

After months of planning, the event was reborn March 14^th.

True to spirit, it was held in a community space-no frills-this time in the St. James Episcopal Church in Preston. Guests arrived with arms full of platters and bowls and crock pots. Your last name dictated your dinner contribution. Also brought back to life was the “Scotch Auction,” “Basket Auction,” or “Teacup Auction”-known by many names but always the same: inexpensive raffle tickets rolled out in long streams. Guests donated everything from coolers and artwork to birdhouses and knick knacks.

While guests arrived and mingled, a super bluegrass group played and got the spirit warmed up. They called themselves the Avalonia Quicksteppers, at least for the evening…but they claim the name might stick!

The Avalonia quicksteppers entertained everyone.

Guests could enter drawings for door prizes, read about Avalonia, take a debut peek at a beautiful quilt to be raffled over the next months (stay tuned, more to come, and it is worth waiting for) and catch up with friends. The Board Members and town Chairs were tasked to wear St Patrick’s style hats, and any one with questions about the organization were told to “ask someone with a hat!”

Great food for all

As with every Pot Luck, the food was tremendous with great variety and bounty, the colors and flavors were just beautiful. The “Kitchen Gang” deserved a big standing ovation for the planning and organizing, setting up, and sorting out. To me, what was wonderful was seeing some “old faces,” friends of Avalonia who may not have worked together in a long time, all really enjoying the occasion.

Some of the kitchen crewthat did a superb job.

After dinner, we settled back to a truly enjoyable journey through the natural year with terrific photos and narrative by naturalist, educator and photographer Bruce Fellman. We were reminded that spring always comes, and the seasons always follow a cycle, bumpy though it may be at times. Those of us who follow these cycles and take note of the little things always know to have faith in Mother Nature.

Red Shouldered Hawk, captured by Bruce Fellman, a part of the cycle of seasons.

 

The raffle was really fun; a lot of people went home with special items, and a few went home with several! In a surprise live auction: The Avalonia Quicksteppers allowed themselves to be auctioned to do a benefit concert for the winning bidder, but the proceeds went back to Avalonia. Thank you Quicksteppers!

Ann Nalwalk and Michele Fitzpatrick conducted the raffle.

Special guests included Board Members and past Presidents, including Lois Tefft Van Deusen, one of the founders of Avalonia and long-time director.

Lois Tefft van Deusen, founder and long-time director was the guest of honor.

The evening ended too soon. Already there is talk of another gathering in the summer. The word will spread, and the event will grow. It's a great way to rekindle both friendships and the spirit of love of land that binds us all.

Photographs by Bruce Fellman.

The Art of Conservation Event: Generosity at its finest

By Beth Sullivan

Planning a fund raiser

On October 18^th Avalonia launched a first ever art event as a fundraising effort to support the Conservancy’s Bedrock Fund. As with any first ever event, the effort-learning, organizing, changing and rearranging that goes into pulling it off-can be daunting, but this event came together in a wonderful way due to patience, stamina, volunteerism and generosity.

As many might remember, it was planned as a contest, a great idea to get people out onto the preserves, to paint, draw and photograph the beauty they found. These works were expected to be entered into a popular contest with prizes for numerous categories. It was an odd twist to realize people really didn’t seem inspired by competition. What was most wonderful was that artists in all media chose instead, to simply donate their work to support the cause! The event morphed from a contest to a well-stocked auction and sale event instead, and everyone agreed it was ever so much better!

Art, from photographs to prints and quilts could be found in the silent auction.

Teams of volunteers arrived at the Mystic Arts Center at 3 in the afternoon to set up tables and linens, sort out items for each event and plan for the caterers and the bar. There were lovely arrangements of grasses and flowers donated by our greenthumb members.

At the ticket table, volunteers welcomed guests.

A selection of art, prints, photos, some small original works, cards and even jewelry were set up in the lower gallery to be part of the silent auction. In the main gallery larger pieces of original art and lovely photographs were arranged on easels throughout the space. Honestly, the donated art easily rivaled the art on the walls!!

Photograph of the Osprey nest on Paffard Marsh was a popular item.

Volunteers made it happen

Volunteers in teams met guests at the door, gave them programs and explained the plans. Guests had plenty of time to peruse the art in both galleries and enjoy a musical duo and plenty of appetizers. The food was fantastic. Wine, much of which was donated, served to lighten the mood and get folks ready to bid.

Lively auction

The bidding went quite well in the silent auction gallery with several spirited competitions. When the bidding closed there were many happy and satisfied owners of fine art! The live Auction followed and that was fun. Jeff Millen from Ocean Auction House was the auctioneer with assistance from Steve and Maureen. Again, sizes and prices ranged all across the board. Bidding was pretty competitive for several pieces, and prices rose, as they should-all for a great cause. There were two special items, not actually art, but services of professional photographers and naturalists offering guided tours and lessons on Avalonia Preserves, for the purpose of photographing them. Hopefully the lucky bidders on those items will return next year with more of their photographic art to share.

Professional auctioneers made it fun!

The bidding was spirited. 

For a first time event, with truly dedicated and knowledgeable planners and volunteers, it was a success. We have a great deal to be thankful for-our event sponsors, especially Russ Burgess from Charles Schwab who was the gallery sponsor. We had donations of food and wine, music and services. Most importantly we need to thank all the many artists who donated their work to support a cause they believe in.

Before the mad dash, the check team checks their paperwork.

We are already brainstorming to discuss plans for next year’s event. So, it is never too early to start to remind everyone to get outdoors and find your subject. The preserves have great color now and winter can provide opportunities for great images as well. You have a whole year. Look ahead to next fall, think of your art and for sure, plan on attending the event. A good time WAS had by all!

A good time was had by all!

Photographs by Bruce Fellman.

Don't forget The Dog Watch Cafe Fundraiser this Wednesday

Remember The Dog Watch Café in Stonington will host a fundraiser to benefit Avalonia Land Conservancy on Wednesday January 15th 2014, during the restaurant’s regular opening hours of 11.30am to 9pm.  Customers can order the lunch or dinner from the Dog Watch’s extensive regular menu (www.dogwatchcafe.com), and if they tell the waitstaff they are there in support of Avalonia, the generous proprietors will donate 15% of the check to Avalonia, no coupons needed.

Avalonia Board members will be present to during the day to meet interested customers, to answer any questions about Babcock Ridge and to discuss Avalonia's mission of conservation in southeastern CT.

Dog Watch Café Fundraiser for Avalonia Land Conservancy

The Dog Watch Café in Stonington will host a fundraiser to benefit Avalonia Land Conservancy on Wednesday January 15th 2014, during the restaurant’s regular opening hours of 11.30am to 9pm.  Customers can order the lunch or dinner from the Dog Watch’s extensive regular menu (www.dogwatchcafe.com), and if they tell the waitstaff they are there in support of Avalonia, the generous proprietors will donate 15% of the check to Avalonia, no coupons needed.

Proceeds from the event will be directed towards Avalonia’s current strategic acquisition project, conservation of Babcock Ridge in North Stonington. “We really appreciate the support that the proprietors of the Dog Watch Café are providing to Avalonia,” said Avalonia President Michele Fitzpatrick. “We hope we can return the favor by bringing in additional, and perhaps new, customers to the restaurant.”

Avalonia Board members will be present to during the day to meet interested customers, to answer any questions about Babcock Ridge and to discuss Avalonia's mission of conservation in southeastern CT.

Another Opportunity to support Babcock Ridge

We recently wrote about the importance of conserving the Babcock Ridge corridor in North Stonington. To help raise the funds needed to acquire Babcock Ridge, there will be a dine-out fund raiser at the 99 Restaurant in Groton on Tuesday, October 15 from five to eight o'clock. The restaurant will give Avalonia 15% of what you spend (tax and gratuity not included) when you present the coupon found here. (You need Adobe Reader to view this pdf file. Many computers have this program. If  you need it, you can download it here.)

You do not need to be a member of Avalonia to participate in this event, just present the coupon when you order. Please tell you friends and family about this event. Better yet, invite them to join you for dinner. It's a wonderful way to explain the importance of our conservation efforts and invite them to join us.