A Private Non Profit Land Trust
Brewster Conservation Trust is a private nonprofit land trust established in 1983 by Brewster residents to protect from overdevelopment the landscapes, natural resources, wildlife habitat, and rural character that make up the heart of our community.
Although our name is similar to the Town board called the Brewster Conservation Commission, we are a separate entity with 501-C (3) tax status governed by a Board of Trustees.
We are funded through memberships, donations, and grants, not through the Town budget.
We have accumulated over 40 years of conservation success, including 1700+ acres of land protected and 85 parcels of land donated.
We are committed to:
- Following a strategic approach to acquiring land with high conservation value
- Employing sound and sustainable stewardship practices
- Cultivating public interest in and engagement with the natural world.
Our Mission
Our mission is to preserve open space, natural resources, and the rural character of Brewster and to promote a conservation ethic.
Our Method
The Brewster Conservation Trust follows a strategic approach to acquiring land with high conservation value and diligently prioritizes natural resource stewardship and community outreach and education. We work collaboratively with other non-profits and frequently partner with the Town of Brewster to increase and/or protect conservation land.
Key Mission Areas:
- Land Preservation
- Land Stewardship
- Communications & Outreach
- Fundraising
- Organization & Infrastructure
Indigenous Commitment
Brewster Conservation Trust is part of a collective of non-native land trusts across the Cape, Islands, and South Shore of Massachusetts. Together we are working to relearn the stories of the lands currently in our care and are building cooperative relationships with the descendants of the land’s original caretakers.
BCT believes Indigenous people and practices have a profound and fundamental role to play in conservation work, and through immersive workshops and a commitment to ongoing learning, we are building our capacity to honor and expand Indigenous land rights and to serve as effective partners with local tribes and the Native Land Conservancy.
Land Acknowledgement
We gratefully acknowledge and respect the People of the First Light whose ancestral home includes all of Brewster. They have been guardians of this land for thousands of years and we are inspired to join them in the ongoing mission of ensuring its protection.
We honor the cultural significance of Cape Cod’s Indigenous people, and we humbly acknowledge the history of their mistreatment and oppression.
We recognize the injustices of the past and strive to take correct actions now and in the future through the best practices of land stewardship and the protection of water, wildlife, and other natural resources. In doing this we seek to be effective partners with the Wampanoag tribe in caring for our shared home.