About Naromi

Naromi Land Trust was created in 1968 with a mission to protect open spaces, farmlands, ridges and scenic vistas that define the rural character of Sherman. It is a nonprofit volunteer organization with broad community support that continues to grow. During its 42 years Naromi has protected close to 2000 acres of land in the small town of Sherman utilizing fee ownership, conservation easements and agricultural easements and has been one of the pioneers of conservation development in Connecticut. Naromi’s properties feature a network of trails, totaling approximately 15 miles. Naromi was awarded an Excellence in Land Conservation Award for Outstanding Successful Collaboration for the Protection of Towner Hill by the Connecticut Land Conservation Council in 2009 for the purchase of the 80 acre ridge line forest now known as the Towner Hill Preserve with a large vernal pool, using a combination of federal, state, town, and land trust funds.

Naromi has a small Board of Directors that includes a past Chairman of the Sherman Wetlands Commission, two attorneys with extensive knowledge of land use issues, several local business owners, several financial experts, a local farmer, several people who are active in the schools and community groups in Sherman, and a horticulturalist. (See list of Board of Directors below)

Naromi’s outreach programs include monthly hikes in the spring, summer, and fall, often partnering with other area groups like the New Fairfield Land Trust; several volunteer workdays to accomplish specific stewardship and management goals; and an Annual Meeting open to the public featuring a keynote speaker. Topics in recent years include hiking on the Appalachian Trail (part of the One Book, One Lake Series – a program organized by the libraries of the five towns surrounding Candlewood Lake celebrating A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson), Lyme disease education and prevention, stone walls, and biodiversity in Connecticut by herpetologist Hank Gruner.  The 2010 Annual Meeting featured James Eyring of the Pace University Environmental Center who discussed birds of prey and owls.

Naromi publishes a monthly e-Newsletter with articles on its own programs, educational information on conservation and land management issues, like identification and eradication of invasive plants, and notices of programs of other organizations that might be of interest to our constituency. In addition, Naromi is a member of the Greenprint Collaborative, a regional coalition formed to increase the pace of conservation in the northwest corner of Connecticut, and is a sponsoring member of the SALT (Small Area Land Trusts) Group, a group of mostly all-volunteer land trusts who meet to discuss a host of issues that face land trusts today, including IRS requirements, stewardship projects and practices, preservation best practices, accreditation, development, and outreach.