Southington Land Trust Receives Grant to Restore Lovley Preserve
- Southington Land Trust
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Southington Land Conservation Trust is proud to announce a $30,000 grant from the Bradley Henry Barnes & Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust at the Main Street Community Foundation. The “Healthy Trails and Habitat Project” grant will be used to restore and develop its newest acquisition, the 60-acre Lovley Preserve on the western side of town near Mt. Vernon on Welch Road. The property was donated in 2025 by local developer Mark Lovley and is named after his father.
“We are beyond words. It’s an amazing gift,” said SLCT Board Member Alissa Nelson, who wrote the grant. “We are so fortunate to receive this large land donation and to then be awarded the Main Street Community Foundation grant is just remarkable. We are so thankful.”
"This is some of the best news our land trust could ever have imagined,” Val Guarino, SLCT President said, expressing his appreciation for the grant. The grant will allow the Land Trust to initiate work immediately. “We have had foresters and botanists survey the preserve, and now we can begin to implement some of the areas they outlined and prioritized, such as invasives removal.” Invasive species are introduced plants, such as autumn olive and barberry, that are not native to an area and disrupt local ecosystems and food webs. Interpretive and educational signage, trail markers, and kiosks are also planned. The nature trails will be accessible to the public, supporting the health and well-being of Southington residents as it increases access to walkable trails and other nature activities.
“We are proud to support the Southington Land Conservation Trust with their project to increase the community’s access to Southington’s natural resources. The Trust is committed to supporting programs that improve health outcomes for the residents of Southington. The Southington Land Conservation Trust’s restoration and development of the Lovley Property will support healthy outdoor access for Southington residents for years to come,” stated Susan Sadecki, President & CEO of Main Street Community Foundation.
The Main Street Community Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for both present and future generations in the communities served by encouraging and promoting gift planning, prudent stewardship of assets, effective grant making and community leadership. A nonprofit public charity, created by private citizens, the foundation works with donors who wish to build permanent charitable endowments to support the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.
The Southington Land Conservation Trust is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded in 1973 with the mission of preserving nature and land in Southington, Connecticut. SLCT conserves approximately 140 acres.
