Page 26 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 47 Spring 2024

WA L LIN G F O R D by Rajan Doering
LAND TRUST

In 1976, a group of local citizens formed the Wallingford Land Trust in order to
preserve the rural and natural feeling of the town. Within a few years of its found-
ing, the Land Trust had four properties of approximately one hundred acres, and Spruce Glen Waterfall
it now has over two hundred acres of meadow, woodland, and wetlands, including
Orchard & Spruce Glen (Barnes Industrial Road North), with the only natural wa- Fresh Meadows (Jeremy Woods
terfall in Wallingford. Drive and Rosick Road). One of these
projects was performed by the son of
a board member who has served for
decades. Upon completion of their
projects, the Eagle Scout receives a
lifelong membership into the WLT.
The Girl Scouts of America have also
utilized the Wallingford Land Trust
properties to earn their outdoor ad-
vancement badges, including a re-
cent Badge Day, where there were
various stations in the woods for the
Scouts to receive badges.

Many high school students get com-
Oct 2023 WLT booth at Celebrate Wallingford Beseck Ridge Trail munity service hours from working
on the trails, and Choate often brings
in an entire bus of students to help.
ne of its first donations came In current times, the Land Trust torical interest because it has a mill The Land Trust seeks volunteers of
Ofrom Mr. Guy Beach, the last hosts a wide variety of events for by an old bridge on the property. all ages for both physical tasks and
descendant of the Beach family, a the community, including kite day The Land Trust’s properties are all administrative tasks. Anyone inter-
founding family in Wallingford and for kids, pinecone bird feeder-mak- dog-friendly, so long as the dog is ested in volunteering should email
a descendant of Moses Y. Beach. ing workshops, opportunities for on a leash. thewallingfordlandtrust@gmail.
He donated the Beach Reserve skiing and snow-shoeing, moonlit com.
Property off of Cheshire Road to hikes with bonfires and contests/
the Land Trust, which was celebrat- prizes for kids, and community Contrary to popular misconception,
ed at the Wallingford Jubilee 350 hikes. the Wallingford Land Trust is not af-
History Day. The Land Trust gets filiated with the town government
much of its public exposure from The WLT’s Three Meadows prop- and receives no taxpayer money
community events such as Jubilee erty off of Bridle Lane has recently from it. However, many of their prop-
350, YMCA Family Day, and Cele- been registered with the nation- erties are adjacent to town proper-
brate Wallingford. al Pollinator Pathways program, ties, and they develop masterplans
which identifies the natural flower- of how to maintain these properties
ing plants that attract bees, butter- Choate students volunteered on Earth Day to in conjunction with each other. Ad-
flies, and hummingbirds, and that help the WLT remove burning bush from our ditionally, many of the Wallingford
the property does not use pes- Beseck Ridge property Land Trust members are also active
ticides or herbicides. Therefore, with other initiatives to preserve the
these properties become natural Many Eagle Scout candidate proj- outdoors, including those run by the
sanctuaries for pollinators, which ects have been performed on town and State of Connecticut.
are becoming scarce. Wallingford Land Trust properties,
including walkways and kiosks
The Land Trust recently acquired on several of the properties such
Beseck Ridge. Another property of as Beach Preserve (Cheshire and
Choate Students at work party note is Spruce Glen, which is of his- Wayne Roads), Orchard Glen, and

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