Our Work

Farms have been a key feature of Charlotte since its earliest years and continue as a predominant part of our landscape. Farming in Charlotte has been changing, as it has nationwide, and the once numerous dairy farms have been dwindling. Farming in Charlotte seems to be adapting and changing in innovative ways to meet current conditions. In 2020, the Charlotte Land Trust will be conducting a study of farming in Charlotte to better understand those changes, the role that conservation plays and the ways that we can help promote and strengthen farming in town. The study will conclude in 2021 with a public presentation on our findings.

Every year we are contacted by several landowners about conserving their land. We welcome the opportunity to learn more about these properties and to work with landowners on questions about conservation. Conservation can be a complex undertaking and won’t work for everyone who talks with us, but we’ve found that these conversations are valuable for both us and the landowners as a way to learn more about how to best care for the land.

As a small all-volunteer organization, the Charlotte Land Trust partners frequently with other land trusts such as the Vermont Land Trust, Nature Conservancy and Lake Champlain Land Trust. These partnerships prove very effective and expand the capacity of our organization and our ability to tackle more complex projects. We also use the expertise of the Land Trust Alliance, a national resource for land trusts on best practices for conservation and organizational management.

Outreach and education about how conservation works and its benefits are important parts of our work. Throughout the year we host events to inform and to celebrate conservation and its impact on our environment. Although we’ve had to cancel planned events for 2020 because of the Coronavirus, our work continues and interest in conservation remains strong.