Helping Out
VOLUNTEER YOUR SERVICES
Please read on to see how you can get involved. You can help maintain our properties, research potential gifts, publicize our efforts, and so much more. All kinds of talents are needed. We would love to hear from you with any questions, suggestions, and interests you may have that are not listed below. Fill out the form to the right to sign up!
Trail Maintenance volunteers from CT Northeast Mountain Bike Association and ALT
Blueberry Pruners
These volunteers prune the old and dead wood from our 800 bushes annually. This encourages new growth and keeps the bushes healthy. We usually have four pruning sessions in the early spring March or April depending on the weather. Pruners get first dibs on picking the ripe blueberries in the summer!
Wagenbach Family Trail Stewards
Volunteer Sign-Up Form
Trail Stewards
Help us monitor our properties by volunteering as a Trail Steward. Trail Stewards walk our trailed nature preserves and monitor for fallen trees and other issues. You can help us in any way you can, from removing downed trees from the trails to simply walking a property twice a month and letting us know if you see any trail obstructions. Family trail stewards welcome. It's a great family activity if you have children.
Invasives Task Force
The increasing prevalence of invasive species in our open spaces is a massive problem. If not controlled, our children and grandchildren will experience forests dominated by burning bush and barberry instead of oaks and maples. This isn’t an exaggeration – as invasives take over a forest understory, the next generation of native trees won’t have a chance of establishing.
The ALT Invasives Task Force is comprised of volunteers who are sickened by this notion and are willing to fight. Armed with saws of all types, cutters, and herbicide daubers, the Task Force meets at least once a month and restores areas of ALT properties that have been overtaken, with the goal of controlling invasives in all ALT preserves.
In the “off” season (i.e. when the ground is covered with snow), the Task Force attends seminars, learns mapping software, and recharges. Beyond physical clearing sessions, they are committed to educating homeowners and landscapers about the invasive problem and what to do about it.
(sung to the tune of Ghostbusters)
When a native tree’s being strangled by bittersweet, who you gonna call?
Invasives Task Force!
Trail volunteers improving a trail in Trout Brook Valley.
Trail Maintenance
Volunteers repair trails within preserves in an organized manner, led by trained trail experts from our Trails Committee. Projects include re-routing damaged trails, boardwalk building, and erosion control.
After volunteering for a particular interest, you will be contacted by email whenever a project is taking place. If you are able to join the team on the day of the project, please respond accordingly, directions will be sent to confirm your participation.
Boy Scouts building a new boardwalk at the Newman Poses Preserve in Westport
Scout Projects
Aspetuck Land Trust welcomes Boy and Girl Scouts who want to complete projects on land trust properties. We have been working with Scouts for years to build bridges, fish weirs, drainage culverts, re-route trails, build kiosks, and other important projects. Let us know what you have in mind and we can work with you to design a project that meets your needs and the land trust’s.
Volunteer Groups
We have lots of fun ways to get involved! Sign up for any or all of the following —
Invasive Team: A group of volunteers who meet regularly in Trout Brook Valley to carry out invasive control in the preserve and to support additional efforts on other ALT properties.
Chainsaw Team: A group of professionally trained volunteers who are available to handle some trail clearing skills following tree falls on the trails, especially after storm events.
Blueberry Pruners: Volunteers who gather at the blueberry patch early each spring to prune the nearly 800 blueberry bushes.
Plant Sale: Volunteers help with the Spring and Fall Native Plant Sales. The team will unload & stage the plants on the field, fill & check the orders, and help with order pickups.
Preserve Inspection Team: A new team we are forming to assist the Land Management staff with the annual inspection of each of our nearly 150 preserve properties, including digital reporting of their results.
Trail Maintenance Team: A group of volunteers with various levels of experience who are interested in assisting with the design, installation and maintenance of our nearly 60 miles of trails. Team members are strongly encouraged to attend our Trail Maintenance training classes when offered. More experienced team members will be encouraged to accept leadership roles on the various project crews and will be offered the opportunity for more advanced training.
Trail Stewards: Largest group of preserve volunteers. Trail stewards are tasked with walking their assigned trail or, in cases of our smaller preserves, all existing trails where they will pick up litter, assess trail blazes, inspect signs, map frames, the kiosk (if present) and report any items which require attention from the land management staff. Additionally, they may be tasked with removing small trees or branches which fall on the trails, prune back trail overgrowth, and monitor the preserve boundaries for encroachment. Ambitious stewards may desire to become more involved with the active management of their preserve or trail section and help build and maintain boardwalks, build brush piles, remove invasive plants, assist with habitat restoration projects, and be good ambassadors for ALT. Stewards should strive to visit their assigned trail or preserve at least twice per month and report their findings to the staff.
Committees
The Land Trust has several committees and we are always looking for expertise. Committees include: Land Acquisition, Land Management, and Finance.