Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Avalonia is a non-profit, nonpolitical, 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization with a 50-year history of strategic conservation and conscientious stewardship of the land. Avalonia obtained Land Trust Alliance (LTA) accreditation in 2017. We believe that the conservation of natural resources for the benefit of people and wildlife is essential and will ensure healthy and livable communities for generations to come. While much land in southeastern Connecticut is currently undeveloped, comparatively little of it is protected. The mandated “open space” requirements of local planning and zoning authorities are often met by setting aside lots within developments and subdivisions without regard to their ecological, habitat, aesthetic, recreational or community value. We aim to preserve an ecosystem of habitat value, protecting established forest and wetlands, providing watershed protection and amphibian spawning areas, while providing community value through public access for passive recreation
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hike and Seek
Avalonia Hike and Seek encourages exploration of our beautiful preserves by children, families, and the general public through a scavenger hunt format. It allows participants to use technology in a simple, positive way to learn about the nature of each preserve and encourage observations and sharing of discoveries!
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We are currently engaged in a multifaceted land acquisition program, which will add approximately 2,000 acres to the 3,500 plus acres of open space lands Avalonia currently owns. To accomplish our acquisition-plan objectives, we have developed a five-year capital campaign to systematically pursue a combination of state, federal, and foundation grants coupled with donations from Avalonia members and the local community.
Avalonia Land Conservancy’s vision for now and the future is to:
1. Be the primary regional and leading best-practice land trust in southeastern Connecticut, protecting and conserving natural resources including threatened and declining habitats.
2. Work collaboratively with other land trusts, preservation groups, political entities, not for profits, etc., in the southeastern Connecticut area to conserve key habitats.
3. Grow our Town and Standing Committees to become more robust, fully staffed, and functioning committees to meet stewardship, acquisition, and other organizational requirements.
4, Steward fee properties in accordance with individual management plans and develop public recreational and educational opportunities where appropriate, including compliant universal-access trails where feasible.
5. Monitor all conservation easement properties as required by law and best practices.
maintain and/or return arable lands to productive farming where appropriate through innovative partnering.
6. Strengthen financial support of conserved lands while controlling costs and maintaining transparency.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Avalonia has created a strategic conservation plan with fully-integrated mapping to allow proactive identification of priority acquisition parcels and partnering opportunities in order to achieve the goals of our 2,000 Acre campaign. Avalonia has a Acquisitions team that regularly reviews available properties for possible acquisition.
Avalonia has an organization-wide Stewardship Committee, as well as Town Committees in six towns, who demonstrate deep commitment to successfully stewarding the land appropriately. Volunteers create, mark, and maintain trails, remove invasive vegetation and plant trees and native plants, and monitor use and activity of our properties to ensure the health and well being of our natural resources.
In 2017, Avalonia completed our Land Trust Alliance accreditation. We are currently maintaining our accreditation with a Board of Directors fully versed in LTA practices and standards.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Avalonia has one full-time staff person and one part-time staff person. Avalonia is an almost entirely volunteer organization; stewardship maintenance activities such as trail clearing, boundary posting, habitat improvement and outreach are coordinated by our Stewardship Committee and executed by a corps of volunteers. Our volunteer roster includes more than 160 individuals and numerous community organizations that support our mission.
The overall management of the organization is overseen by a Board of Directors supported by staff and meticulously overseen by our Board President. Avalonia has five standing organization committees - Development, Finance, Stewardship, Acquisition, and Communications. Each committee meets monthly and plans activities in accordance with the goals of that committee.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We are currently engaged in a multifaceted land acquisition program, which will add approximately 2,000 acres to the 3,500 plus acres of open space lands Avalonia currently owns. To accomplish our acquisition-plan objectives, we have developed a five-year capital campaign from 2018 - 2023 to systematically pursue a combination of state, federal, and foundation grants coupled with donations from Avalonia members and the local community. In 2018, we closed on and fully funded the Boyd and Dutka properties in Griswold, CT, which are now integral parcels in the Tri-Town Forest Preserve. As of June 2020, we have acquired 800 acres of our 2,000 acre goal with several properties closing in 2020.
Avalonia will continue our efforts to preserve land until we achieve our 2,000 Acre goal.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
AVALONIA LAND CONSERVANCY INC
Board of directorsas of 06/10/2020
Kim Bradley
No affiliation
Term: 2020 - 2023
Julie Dupont-Woody
Dennis Main
Sue Sutherland
James Neil Duncan
Mark Hibbard
Rick Newton
Ron Luich
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
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Gender identity
Sexual orientation
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Disability
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