The Sheffield Land Trust
Since 1989 over 5,000 acres protected, including 18 farms
P.O. Box 940, 75 Main St., Sheffield, MA 01257-0940
413 229-0234; shefland@bcn.net
Outreach & Education
The Sheffield Land Trust now proudly sponsors the Sheffield Tree Project. The mission of the Sheffield Tree Project is to work with the community to plant and care for a beautiful and diverse population of trees in the public areas of Sheffield, Massachusetts, and to educate the public on the benefits of community forestry.
Janet Dohoney with SLT President John Wightman on the 20 acres she donated to SLT (top); Bob Macy using the property as an outdoor classroom (right).
Agricultural Education and Internship & Environmental Education Programs

SLT and the Southern Berkshire Regional School District (SBRSD) are designing an internship program for high school students interested in earning school credit while working at local farms and related businesses, learning the scientific, business, historical and cultural aspects of agriculture. K-12 we are working with the school to integrate agriculture into the State educational frameworks curriculums. The program includes bringing farmers into the school and providing students with the opportunity to work on and learn about a wide variety of farms and forestry projects.

Over the years, in cooperation with SBRSD, SLT has sponsored a wide range of environmental education projects and activities designed to utilize local farmland, forestland, wetlands and other open spaces as outdoor classrooms to advance the math, science, social studies and language arts curriculum. These include two properties SLT has acquired close to the school, one a safe walking route to school Projects have included agricultural field trips (2nd grade), wetland study (4th grade), nature trail design (3rd grade), transect line project (7th grade),) and pond water quality study (high school).
The trail on the Cosgriff property SLT purchased as a safe walking route to school for students and a recreational resource for the community. Working with the school SLT's goal is to link this to the Dohoney trail.
As part of SLT's Annual 2nd Grade Farm Visits, Dominic Palumbo (above) and Ann Hanchett (below) teach students about farming, farm protection, buying local and mapping.
Jim Kelly (left and below) teaches students about forestry and orchards as part of SLT's growning Agricultural Education program.
Winter Lectures
Since1999 SLT has sponsored a highly popular February lecture and afternoon tea for the general public. Events and speakers have included a panel discussion on the Community Preservation Act, an edible wild plants slide show and walk with Russ Cohen, a panel discussion with regional experts on Smart Growth and housing , northeast forest history with Tom Wessels, water quality with Andrew Stone, tracking with Susan Morse of Keeping Track, a panel of local farmers discussing farming in Sheffield, landscape architect Walter Cudnohufsky on the role of public spaces in communities, author James Kuntsler on traditional town design and community, and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Janet Marinelli on biodiversity in gardens.

Annual Guided Tour of Private Conservation Land
Each fall we provide a tour of private conservation land led by knowledgeable naturalists and experienced monitors to provide the community with the opportunity to better understand the land’s conservation values.

Community Planning
SLT was instrumental in securing state funds for the development of town master and open space & rec-reation plans. SLT & The Nature Conservancy are jointly seeking ways to strengthen the planning process.

Annual Meeting
Each year SLT’s annual meeting, open to the general public, showcases a different aspect of the Sheffield landscape. Meetings in recent years have taken place at Balsam Hill Farm, Howden Farm, June Mountain, the Cook conservation restriction, and the Bow Wow Road APR, Farm Housing and Nature Preserve project.
At SLT's Winter Lecture each February capacity audiences of over a hundred learn about topics important to the community. (The 2006 panel, seen here, was on community housing and Smart Growth.)
Our annual guided Fall property walks (above and below) give the public an opportunity to experience private conservation land and learn more about the area's landscape and ecology.
Last year we held a Family Fun Day concurrently with the Fall Property Walk (above). The Agricultural Careers Fair at the Southern Berkshire Regional School District (above) provides an opportunity for students and the community to better understand the many aspects of local agriculture.