The Groton Conservation Trust is a private, non-profit land trust in Groton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1964 to acquire, preserve and provide public access to lands with significant conservation value. The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees made up of Groton Residents with varied backgrounds, occupations and interests.

Membership

Memberships start at $15 per year. You can join easily by printing the membership form, filling it out, and sending it in.

Properties

All these properties are open to the public. We encourage hiking, horesback riding, nature study, and other low-impact activities compatible with our conservation objectives. No motorized vehicles are allowed on Trust conservation lands, except for designated parking areas. Hunting is not allowed on any Trust property.

Publications

The Trust has several publication to assist people in accessing the many conservation lands that do so much to maintain the open, rural atmosphere of Groton.

The Map of Conservation Properties in Groton is a large map that shows the locations of all the conservation land in town.

The Guide to Properties provides detailed descriptions and trail maps for each of the land parcels owned and administered by the Groton Conservation Trust.

Both publications are available at modest cost at Annie's Book Stop in Groton, or at Town Hall in the offices of the Town Clerk or the Planning Board. In addition, the Trust publishes an informative newsletter for its members three times a year.

The Groton Land Foundation, Inc.

In 1988, The Trust established a subsidiary organization, the Groton Land Foundation, to deal with land parcels that are not available for donation, but are preservable through limited development.

An oustanding example of preservation through limited development is the Duck Pond Conservation Area, acquired in 1994. The cost of the land was met by developing three house lots. Two-thirds of the acreage, including more than 2,000 feet of shoreline around the nothern tip of Duck Pond, is preserved and open to the public.

The Groton Conservation Trust and The Groton Land Foundation Inc., stand ready to assist landowners in placing all or part of their land holdings into perpetual conservation. This not only benefits the town, but can have significant tax advantages.

Trustees

Honorary Trustees

Our Founders

We pay tribute to the vision and foresight of our founders whose names appear on our original Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated 12 November 1964: