Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy is a nonprofit, regional conservation organization working with the communities of Litchfield and northern Fairfield Counties to safeguard natural and working lands, public recreation areas, and drinking water resources forever. Founded in 1965, NCLC is the largest land trust in Connecticut, protecting 13,300 acres (and growing) of vast, connected natural areas. NCLC’s conserved lands include 22 public hiking preserves, 49 working farms, 45 miles of rivers and streams, and over 3,000 acres of habitat for rare and endangered species.

NCLC believes in connecting people to nature through public access to wildlands and free educational programming for all ages. NCLC is also a dedicated conservation partner and service provider, assisting the work of local land trusts and regional partners through funding and technical assistance for acquisitions and stewardship, as well as providing shared staff. To strengthen the region’s capacity to conserve high-quality conservation lands and ensure the permanence of those conserved lands for the future, NCLC merged with Brookfield Open Space Legacy in 2019 and Naromi Land Trust in 2020.

NCLC is a nationally accredited land trust. It was accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission in 2015 and re-accredited in 2020. In recognition of its exceptional work, it has received the state’s highest land trust award for land preservation from the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, an EPA Environmental Merit Award for its outstanding commitment to protecting the natural environment, and a Working Lands Alliance Pathfinder Award for its significant contributions to educating the public about the importance of farmland preservation.