Membership
The NFA is a membership organization. This community-based approach has fostered an ethic of conservation in the Newtown community for generations past, and generations future.
Any donation of $40 or more (excluding donations made directly to Land Preservation campaigns) grants you a 1-year household membership to the Newtown Forest Association! Becoming a member means your family has access to members-only monthly programs and preferential registration or discounted rates for public programs. Additionally, members get early access to our seasonal newsletter, the right to vote at our annual meeting, and discounted NFA merch. As they say, membership has its perks!
Your tax-deductible donation will be used to acquire, maintain and manage our preserves throughout Newtown. Without the support of our members, none of this would be possible.
Volunteer
Volunteer Your Services
The NFA Board established formal subcommittees related to Finances, Land Acquisition, Stewardship, Outreach, and Fundraising. Each committee is lead by a Board member but welcomes community volunteers with interest or skills in these areas. If you have expertise related to accounting, property appraisal, forestry, gardening, legal matters, public relations, marketing, or any other specialty, we could use your help! Contact us now to get involved.
Scout Projects
The NFA values our relationship with local Boy and Girl Scouts who want to complete projects on land trust property. We have worked with Scouts for years to build bridges, drainage culverts, re-route or construct trails, build kiosks and many other projects. Let us know what you have in mind and we can work with you to design a project to fulfill everyone’s needs.
Invasive Species Management & Trail Stewardship
We host monthly volunteer outings to control invasive plant species and maintain trail conditions across our properties. Sign up for our volunteer listserv now!
Ways to Give
Give back by land donations, conservation easements, or planned giving, learn more below.
Land Donations
Donating land for conservation purposes is truly one of the finest legacies a person can leave to future generations. Most of the land protected by the NFA has been obtained through the generous donations of local landowners. Donating property to the NFA preserves the land in perpetuity and provides the donor with a charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the donated land, reducing income tax obligations. The staff and volunteers of Newtown Forest Association would be delighted to talk with you about the various types of conservation land donations as well as the process of making a donation of land or an interest in land.
Conservation Easements
The NFA also accepts conservation easements which is permanent restriction against development – in that case the donor would still own the land itself (preserving the original acreage of the property), but NFA would have the right to enforce the conservation covenant.; the fair value of which can also be deducted as charitable contributions.
Planned Giving
It's important to remember that land conservation is not just about us now, but also about preserving the natural world for future generations. It's wonderful that there are people like you and those who came before us who care so deeply about protecting our environment.
Gift of Future Ownership: One method of donation is to make a gift of future ownership – the donor would retain use and possession of the land during his or her lifetime, while NFA would become the owner upon the donor’s death or other named event.
By Will: Some donors have made gifts of land to NFA by instruction in their will.
Neighborhood Purchase and Donation: In other cases, groups of neighbors have joined together to conserve a special area near their homes.