Then & Now - An Avalonia Timeline
Year of Incorporation
Incorporated as Mashantucket Land Trust on February 21, 1968 to include towns of Groton, Ledyard, North Stonington and Stonington, CT
Charitable Non-Profit
CT US Treasury Department granted charitable non-profit status – 501 (c) ( 3) – on May 29, 1968
1st Property
Acquired 1st property – July 10, 1969. Ram PT, Stonington, CT
100 acres of Land
Geographical Expansion
Certificate of Incorporation revised to include three additional towns, Griswold, Preston, & Voluntown, CT
Beyond Connecticut
Certificate of Incorporation revised to enable inclusion of property located throughout and outside of Connecticut on March 21, 1979.
500 Acres
Gift of the Holdridge Tract, now part of the Great Cedar Swamp in Ledyard, 25th land donation, crossing of the 500-acre threshold.
Name Change
Name changed to Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. May 24, 1995
Conservation Defense Liability
Commitment to participate in the Land Trust Alliance Conservation Defense Liability Insurance Program to safeguard against conservation defense costs that can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Endowment Fund
Establishment of an endowment fund ($50,000 initial deposit) with the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut to safely grow funds while providing a reliable income stream to support Avalonia’s preserves and preservation work in perpetuity.
Accreditation Achieved
The Land Trust Alliance awarded accreditation to Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. on February 16, 2017
50th Anniversary Celebration!
Avalonia turned 50 and celebrated in the Mystic Aquarium’s Grand Hall.
Largest Fee Acquisition to Date
Acquisition of the 409-acre Tri-Town Ridgeline Forest straddling the towns of Griswold, North Stonington, and Preston. Avalonia‘s largest fee acquisition in 50 years, bringing total preserved acreage to exactly 4000.
photo by Kelly Allen
Atkinson-Dirlam Acquisitions – Groton Utilities Partnership
The Groton City Council voted to approve the contribution of $159,945 from Groton Utilties to Avalonia. This contribution to Avalonia for the purchase of the Atkinson parcel marks the beginning of a long-term partnership with Avalonia for the common purpose of protecting valuable watershed land. This partnership intends to provide watershed protection, best management practices for passive recreation within a watershed and collaboration on educational opportunities.