Greenwich Land Trust Celebrates 50th Anniversary

GREENWICH, CT — About 100 community members, volunteers, supporters and local leaders gathered at the Greenwich Land Trust's Mueller Preserve last week to mark the organization's 50th anniversary.

The event highlighted the land trust's five decades of conservation work and its plans for protecting Greenwich's open space over the next 50 years.

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Greenwich Land Trust Executive Director Will Kies opened the event by reflecting on the organization's founders and the generations of people who have continued their work.

"Fifty years ago, our founders understood that conserving land was essential to preserving the character of Greenwich," Kies said, according to a news release. "Tonight, we celebrate their foresight and the lasting legacy they created, while looking ahead to what we hope to leave for the community 50 years from now."

First Selectman Fred Camillo presented a proclamation declaring Sept. 9, 2026, as a day to be celebrated by the town. The proclamation recognized five decades of conservation and the organization's contributions to the community.

Longtime volunteer and former board President Louisa Stone, who served from 1990 to 1992, discussed the organization's founders and milestones from its first five decades. She also highlighted the volunteers, donors, board members and staff who helped the land trust grow into an organization that protects and stewards 1,014 acres across 82 preserves.

Urling Searle, president of the Greenwich Land Trust Board of Directors, outlined priorities for the organization's next chapter. Plans include expanding the trail system within the Byram River Greenway to create new opportunities for the public to explore the conservation corridor and connect with nature.

The land trust is also working to reduce its environmental footprint and move toward more sustainable operations, including greater use of renewable energy and electric vehicles. The organization will also seek investment to strengthen its ability to acquire open space and care for the more than 1,000 acres already under its stewardship.

"Our 50th anniversary is both a moment to celebrate where we have been and an opportunity to think boldly about where we are going," said Searle. "The land entrusted to Greenwich Land Trust represents a remarkable legacy and also a responsibility. We are committed to building on the work of those who came before us so that 50 years from now, our town will enjoy the same quality of life we all enjoy today."

The event concluded with the burial of a time capsule that is scheduled to be opened Sept. 9, 2076, during the land trust's 100th anniversary.

The capsule was buried beside a newly planted white oak tree donated by board member Sam Bridge. The white oak is Connecticut's state tree.

The capsule contains items representing the Greenwich Land Trust and the Greenwich community in 2026, including a letter from Kies and Searle, the organization's 2025 annual report, a copy of the Greenwich Time newspaper and native seeds collected from four land trust preserves.

It also contains photographs of the 2026 Greenwich Land Trust Youth Corps and several preserves, a land trust property marker, a list of wildlife observed on its properties, an annual inspection report for the Lapham Preserve and a Greenwich town map featuring the USA 250th anniversary logo and a photograph of Camillo.

Over the past five decades, the Greenwich Land Trust has protected forests, meadows, wetlands and marshlands; restored habitats; partnered with schools and community organizations; provided environmental education; and created opportunities for residents to experience and care for the natural environment.

"Our founders could not have known exactly what Greenwich would look like 50 years later," Kies said. "But they knew these places mattered. Our responsibility now is to make sure that when the time capsule is opened in 2076, the people of Greenwich can look around and see that we kept protecting the places that make this community special."