Property owned by the MLT:
1. The Adams-Purves Parcel. This 51.48-acre property is located on Clark Road in Litchfield CT. It was donated by one of the founders of the MLT, Joan Bertaccini, and her family. It is entirely wooded, except for some rocky outcroppings, and it contains a serpentine stone wall, a stream and wetlands. It also is proud home to the fifth largest Chestnut Oak in Connecticut: 98’ tall, with a crown diameter of 75” and circumference of 137”.
2. The Vingo Parcel. This 39.065-acre property was donated by Marceline Vingo and Constance Vingo. Located on West Morris Road in Morris CT, it is set in a landscape of glacially streamlined hills between Bantam Lake to the east and the Bantam River valley to the west. The land lies on gentle to moderate slopes between 820 and 940 feet above sea level, and contains four different types of woodlands as well as wetlands.
3. The Bertaccini Parcel. This 2.8-acre parcel was donated by Blair Bertaccini. This wooded property is located in West Morris and boasts 175 feet of shoreline on beautiful Mt. Tom Pond.
4. The Humphrey Farm Reserve. This 37.01-acre parcel was purchased by MLT in 2024. Located on Alain White Road, a half-mile from the center of Morris, it contains hayfields, 12 acres of core forest, 12 acres of forested wetlands and the headwaters of Whittlesey Brook, which flows into Bantam Lake. Prime and important agricultural soils constitute 72% of its area, which was farmed by the Humphrey family since 1894. Because of its proximity to other open space, including land owned by the White Memorial Foundation, it will expand and protect existing wildlife corridors.
Property with conservation easements owned by the MLT:
1. The Heimler Easement. This 1.95-acre property is located on Benton Road in Morris, CT. It lies between Anderson Farm and South Farms, providing a crucial connecting wildlife corridor between these two open areas, and it contains a magnificent viewscape to the northeast. The easement was donated by Audrey Heimler, the first President of the MLT, and her husband Arnold. The property has historically been used for haying.
2. The Perley-Levin Easement. This 8.91-acre property straddles Looking Glass Hill Road in Morris and Litchfield, CT. It contains a mix of woodlands, a stream, wetlands and open fields. The easement, donated by William Perley and Carrie Levin, also features a rare, doublewide stone wall.
3. The Farnham Farm Easement. The conservation easement on Farnham Farm, located on Farnham Road in East Morris, CT covers 137.22-acres on a property that has been owned by the same family since 1735. This picturesque property includes farm fields, stonewalls, meandering streams, wetlands, diverse forest habitat, and a portion of the Mattatuck Trail, which is open to the public. There is a small public parking area on Farnham Road where the trial crosses the road. Preservation of Farnham Farm ensured that one of Morris’s original farms remains undeveloped. This easement is held jointly with Connecticut Farmland Trust.
The Morris Land Trust is supported by its many loyal members in Morris and the surrounding area. It is a proud member of The Land Trust Alliance, The Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative, and The Connecticut Land Conservation Council.