In 1956 renowned stage, television, and movie actress Carmen Mathews purchased a 102-acre property on Marchant Road in Redding, CT. She was looking for a weekend retreat from her life in New York City, and while her realtor tried to steer her closer to the coast, he happened to show her Redding during one of their drives. Mathews fell in love with the green hills and rural beauty of what is now New Pond Farm Education Center and sent money first thing the next morning, despite her agent’s plea to pick a location more “suitable” for a single woman.
“When Carmen first saw the property, now known as New Pond Farm, she was struck by the untouched fields,” said Mary Anne Guitar, a dear friend of Mathews and founder of the Redding Land Trust. “Determined to buy the place of her dreams, against advice from agents and others, Carmen took title in 1956. Down through the years she kept that view open and unscarred just as we, too, have come to know and love it.”
For many years Mathews’ property was a bucolic retreat for her and her many visiting friends. In the 1970s, however, she became inspired to connect with city youth and share the wonders of farm life, and began hashing out ideas with trusted friends in town. Guitar was one of those who advised Mathews on her plans, and later said, “She wanted others to see what she saw and to that end she opened her private world to the children of New York City and beyond.” Mathews’ first tasks were creating a bunkhouse out of her turkey coop, hiring local teachers as camp counselors, and inviting city kids to stay at the farm.
For nearly a decade, Mathews hosted city and local youth for several days each year, but she soon wanted to grow into a year-round environmental education center. John Ripley Forbes, a conservationist and educator, guided her in the expansion, and the new organization was first established under the umbrella of Forbes’ Natural Science for Youth Foundation before becoming a nonprofit organization in its own right. In those early years, Mathews continued to offer hands-on experiences for children, including nature walks, swimming, and tennis, and worked to increase educational offerings.
In 1987, amidst the expansion, Mathews hired Ann Taylor as the center’s Executive Director. After more than a decade as Connecticut Audubon Society’s Senior Naturalist and Director of Education, Taylor quickly became another central driving force who has shaped New Pond Farm’s legacy ever since. She saw the significance of the organization and its place in the community — and how special and dynamic Mathews was. “Carmen was so kind and creative,” says Taylor. “She was hands-on and helped to shape every aspect of the farm. She had such a positive impact on the children she welcomed here.” The two worked closely together to create a long-term vision and carved out additional spaces and programs to ensure visitors would continue learning in all corners of the property for decades to come.
In 1995, just months before her death, Mathews gifted a conservation easement on 100 acres of her property to the Redding Land Trust, which ensured the land would be protected in perpetuity. “New Pond Farm Education Center owns the property, and will continue its programs, and the open space, which gives New Pond its rural character, will remain intact thanks to the easement,” said land trust founder Mary Anne Guitar at the time of the gift. “When young people come to the farm, they will be exposed to more than the wonders of nature. They will learn about Carmen who wanted to do something for Redding and did it in a big way.”
One more strong woman significantly shaped New Pond Farm: Sally Trippe, Mathews’ partner and a fellow Reddingite. Trippe was instrumental in the center’s founding, fundraising, and growth and later served as board president. As Ann Taylor shared in her speech when Trippe stepped down from her board role, “Many of us know — and many more should know — how much Sally’s vision and persistent encouragement enabled Carmen to make the gifts we are all so grateful for today.” Taylor shared that Trippe had a “great respect for Native Americans and their lifeways, which inspired her to create a significant Native American fund. This allowed the Education Center to acquire a vast array of ‘living artifacts’ and to create an encampment with a wigwam and longhouse to give thousands of students a hands-on appreciation for how Native Americans lived off the land.” Trippe also played an important role in the creation of the farm’s spacious learning center before passing away in 2006.
Today, Ann Taylor continues to lead and oversee New Pond Farm, protecting the land, the farm, and the organization’s environmental mission. Through the years, the organization has grown in many valuable ways. The talented staff members continue to focus on five main program areas: environmental education, agriculture, science, local history, and the arts. Each year, they host field trips with over 5,000 students from across Fairfield County, and they offer year-round outdoor programming for students of all ages. In the summertime there are a wide variety of popular programs for area youngsters in addition to a four-week program for children from the Danbury schools. New Pond raises scholarship funds throughout the year to make the Danbury programs possible in keeping with Carmen’s vision. Each year the farm holds fundraising events like the Harvest Dinner, play readings, and a biennial Art Show, and this June they will be co-hosting their “For Love of Gardening” garden tour with the Redding Garden Club.
Members can also participate in farm chores, pancake breakfasts, and an annual Easter egg hunt. Farmer Mike manages the barn full of sheep and lambs, numerous chickens, and cows which produce the farm’s famous milk and yogurt. The property is also a biodiverse haven for wildlife and pollinators, with rotationally grazed pastures, well-maintained woodlands, a wildflower meadow, and a scrub and shrub area.
“Small and beautiful” was Carmen Mathews’ oft-repeated maxim for New Pond Farm Education Center, and the farm’s mission is “On every acre, in all we do, we plant seeds for a lifetime of active engagement with the natural world.” To that end, support from the community allows this vibrant nonprofit organization to continue Mathews’ vision for the invaluable work of educating youth and adults alike. •
