Incorporated in 1997 by a group of citizens concerned with preserving the town of Lancaster‘s scenic vistas and open space for outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, and rural character, the Lancaster Land Trust stewards the Turner Pond and Ballard Hill Conservation Areas.

Through purchases and conservation restrictions, they work with the town and with individual landowners to protect strategic parcels of land identified in the current Lancaster Open Space and Recreation Plan. The Trust also cooperates with The Trustees, the Friends of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge, and the Nashua River Watershed Association, and other regional land trusts and environmental groups to protect larger parcels of land and to sponsor outdoor education programs.