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Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT)

Conserving the Place We Love.

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TILT by the Numbers
465+
trees planted at Zenda Farms Preserve
21.5
miles of trails
8,286
acres preserved by
TILT ownership
5,674
acres protected under conservation easements
550+
people at the
2024 community picnic
1,000+
TILTrekkers
10
Signature Preserves
 open to the public
40
years of conserving
 the place we love
121
stewardship
volunteers trained
$55.9+
million increase in nearby property values
$650k+
increase in property tax revenues per year 

The Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT) protects over 14,000 acres in the Thousand Islands region, which spans the U.S.-Canada border and includes more than 1,800 islands.

Conservation easements and land acquisitions have made it possible to create Signature Preserves that offer public access to trails and serve as outdoors classrooms for a wide range of environmental education programs.

Thousand Islands Land Trust
Timeline

1985 1985
The Organization Forms
TILT officially founded on Grindstone Island
Grindstone Island Preserves established through the first easement that protects Flynn Bay
1986 1986
Patten Corp. donates Fort Haldimand and easements protecting Carleton Island’s shorelines, interior forests, and burial ground
1987 1987
First Annual Summer Gathering held on Bluff Island
First Summer Land Steward (SLS) hired
1988 1988
189-acre Marks Farm also known as Mid River Farm on Grindstone Island Acquired
1989 1989
Oak Island protected by a conservation easement
1990 1990
Rocks & Shoals protected through Elisha Camp quitclaim
1991 1991
Louise, “Sissy,” Danforth becomes TILT’s first Executive Director
Eagle Wings Shoals purchased
1992 1992
TILT Board meetings— it all starts with a conversation and ends with conserved land
Fulton and French easements protect the north shore of Murray Isle
1993 1993
TILT begins acquiring the old railroad bed between Clayton and Lafargeville, aiming to turn it into a future recreational trail for everyone to enjoy
1994 1994
Goose Bay Marsh placed under conservation protection
1995 1995
A Decade and Beyond Campaign launched
Grindstone Island’s Potter’s Beach purchased
Heineman Songbird Forest on Grindstone Island donated by Heineman family
Rusho Farm Preserve established
Cape Vincent Village Green created with TILT’s help
1996 1996
Rivergate Trail established, covering 4.5 miles
Howard-Smith Preserve on Grindstone Island established
1997 1997
Zenda Farms Preserve established through a donation from John and Lois Jean MacFarlane which included the iconic steel Jamesway barns
Crooked Creek Preserve acquisition made possible through the combined support of grant funding from the National Fish & Wildlife Service and the generosity of local residents who share a commitment to conservation
1998 1998
Crooked Creek Preserve established the largest Class 1 wetlands complex in the Thousand Islands
1999 1999
Rivergate Trail expanded through Redwood, NY
2000 2000
Trail access continues to grow across the region with the opening of the Macsherry Trail at Crooked Creek Preserve
Grindstone Island Nature Trail completed connecting the New York State Parks’ at Canoe and Picnic Points
2001 2001
Officially launched in 2000, the annual gathering was given its lasting name—the Zenda Community Picnic—in 2001
2002 2002
Macsherry Trail opens on Crooked Creek Preserve
Three conservation easements are added along the Route 12 corridor
2003 2003
Local Farms Expand Conservation Efforts
First Common Tern Grid installation takes place on Eagle Wings Shoal
Crooked Creek Preserve expanded with Farrington Farm
TILT acquires the Mid-River Farm fields and barn on Grindstone Island
2004 2004
TILTreks and Talks Environmental Education Program is launched
2005 2005
TILT celebrates 20 years
First Grindstone Island Bus Tour is held, later coined the infamous Grindstone Island Mule Tour led by founder Ken Deedy
Tidd Island donated to the Land Trust, protecting habitat for waterfowl and the Common Tern
2006 2006
Delaney Bay Marsh Wildlife Preserve Fish Ladder is installed in partnership with US Fish & Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited
2007 2007
Largest donation in TILT history generously received from Louise and Guthrie Birkhead
TILTalks is born with the annual Birkhead Lecture Series
TILT acquires 24′ Stanley work boat
First Interpretive Center Committee is formed
2008 2008
TILT receives first grant funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program administered by the Land Trust Alliance and overseen by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Wetlands restoration completed on the Rusho Preserve
2009 2009
Zenda Farms Preserve grows with the donation of a forest parcel
Lois Jean and John MacFarlane Trail opens at Zenda Farms Preserve
Black Ash Swamp and Otter Creek Island donated
Zenda Community Garden established
TILT awarded its first accreditation
2010 2010
TILT publishes 25th Anniversary Land “Trusted” Recipes Cookbook
Murray Isle’s interior forest conserved
Brooks Property acquired on Grindstone Island
2011 2011
S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve created to include the historic trestle
Sissy Danforth Rivergate Trail dedicated to the former executive director
Burt Family Internship Fund established by the Burt Family & the Fresh Sound Foundation
Aaron Vogel Professional Development Fund established to elevate professional development opportunities for the Land Trust Staff and Board
2012 2012
Otter Creek Sweet Property acquired and conserved, supported by multiple grants
Rare damselfly species, the Lyre-Tipped Spreadwing (Lestes unguiculatus), discovered at Zenda Farms Preserve by Vici and Steve Diehl
2013 2013
Foster-Blake Woods Preserve established
Carleton Island Swallow-wort Program launches to control invasive species spread
TILTKids Program established
Zenda Farms Preserve Conservation Fund is established to support the conservation and maintenance of Zenda Farms in perpetuity
2014 2014
Chippewa Bay Preserve created
Wellesley Island Preserve created
New Strategic Plan put in place: TILT Vision for 2014-2018
Stewardship Efforts Expanded at Macsherry Nature Trail
TILT awarded Accreditation Renewal
2015 2015
TILT Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Otter Creek Preserve established
Golden-winged Warbler Conservation Partnership created to establish habitat areas and offer best management practices to support this species
2016 2016
Otter Creek Preserve & Nature Trail officially opens
Blind Bay Preserve in Clayton established with North American Wetlands Conservation Act funds
2017 2017
Zenda Farms Strategic Plan implemented
Zenda Farms Preserve becomes a community conservation center
“Conserving the Places You Love” campaign launches
2018 2018
A2A (Algonquin to Adirondacks) conservation focus commitment
Kenneth Deedy Environmental Internship Fund created for future conservation leaders
Richard Macsherry Family Stewardship Fund established to ensure long-term stewardship of conserved lands
Picton Island conserved through a conservation easement
Goose Bay Marsh undergoes successful wetland restoration in partnership with US Fish & Wildlife
2019 2019
TILT partners with Trust for Public Land to develop Economics Benefits Study to assess land conservation’s economic impact
2020 2020
TILT renovates office located in downtown Clayton on the Riverwalk
TILT awarded 2nd Accreditation renewal
2021 2021
Rivergate Community Connection Project complete and 7 miles of trail opens to public
Garlock Property conserved
Number 9 Island conserved
2022 2022
Forest Carbon Initiative launches to sequester carbon and combat climate change on parts of Crooked Creek, South Hammond Preserve, Payne Lake, and Many Oaks Preserve
Save Blind Bay initiative launches in collaboration with STR, the Coalition, and hundreds of engaged community members to oppose the threat of eminent domain for a 50,000 sq ft Customs and Border Patrol station
2023 2023
New Strategic Plan to acknowledge unique ecological hub- Flyway Wildway and Waterway
Delano Property conserved
Schmeer Property conserved
Regional grasslands conservation initiative launched
TILT awarded largest NYS grant in organization’s history
TILT and Ducks Unlimited launch wetlands mitigation program
2024 2024
Panunzio Property conserved
Regional drinking water protection program launches
Total Acres Conserved: 0

Preserves & Trails

TILT’s Signature Preserves reflect the extraordinary diversity of habitat, wildlife and beauty that make the Region so special.

Crooked Creek Preserve

The largest Class 1 wetlands complex in the Thousand Islands. A perfect place to paddle and see wildlife.

Fort Haldimand Preserve

Grindstone Island Preserves

Otter Creek Preserve

S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve

Explore all of our Preserves & Trails

TILT Discovery Center:

Your Gateway to the Outdoors

Coming October 2025

The Thousand Islands Land Trust is dedicated to providing a transformative experience for our community with the creation of the TILT Discovery Center: The Gateway to the Outdoors

CAD drawing for future discover center.
Explore the TILT Discovery Center

TILT News

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  • Thank You For Your Service

    Thank You For Your Service

    Janice McPhail For her entire life, Janice McPhail has carried the spirit of Grindstone Island in her heart—honoring her family’s legacy as a fifth-generation islander while shaping…

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