About Gather New Haven
Across New Haven, something powerful is growing.
In a nearby garden or along a wooded trail, neighbors meet, work, and reconnect—with the land and with each other.
A child steps into the water for the first time—learning to sail, to read the wind, to trust their own hands.
A family gathers around a meal they’ve grown and cooked themselves—fresh, healthy, and shared.
At Gather New Haven, these moments happen every day. From Schooner Camp on the waters of Long Island Sound to community gardens across the city, from urban farms to our nature preserves, we bring people together through food, nature, and learning. We partner with local farmers, support families in building healthier lives, and create spaces where connection and belonging can take root.
Neighbors and Nature Thriving Together / Vecinos y Naturaleza Prosperando Juntos.
- Community Agriculture—Farms and Gardens
- Community Nature Preserves
- Farm-Based Wellness Program
- Schooner Camp—Coastal Exploration and Sailing
Our Mission
We promote health, equity, and justice for people and the environment by cultivating connections with each other and our local lands and waters, and by inspiring us to care for ourselves, our community, and the natural world.
Our Vision
- Our natural, green, and cultivated spaces are protected and revered by all.
- Our communities are healthy, engaged, informed, and cohesive.
- All people have equitable access to enjoy, steward, and cultivate the land within their communities.
- All people can improve their health and well-being through access to healthy fresh food and outdoor recreation.
Our Values
Inclusion and Belonging: We co-create welcoming and inclusive spaces with practices that are grounded in shared decision making and that reflect, respect, and honor the rich array of experiences, cultures, and contributions of our diverse community.
Power of Place: We affirm the power of land and water as sources of our health and well-being. We hold them in trust – now and for future generations – through interdependent governance with the New Haven community.
Equity: Equitable access to land, water, and food is a source of strength for all communities. We recognize the injustices that exist in our world and pledge ourselves, our knowledge, and our resources to bring about lasting and transformational change in ourselves, our organization, and our community.
Curiosity and Learning: We believe a deep understanding of our natural world and of each other emerges through intentional exchange, humble inquiry, open dialogue, and hands-on experience. We cultivate emerging, authentic, and restorative approaches to learning that align with community aspirations and help build a shared body of knowledge that is grounded in rigorous examination, evidence, and feedback.
Accountability and Integrity: We uphold the highest standards of honesty, transparency, integrity, and open communication in our work and relationships to ensure we stay accountable to our community, our mission, and our values.
Our Partners
Bishop’s Orchards
CARE: Community Alliance for Research and Engagement
Chabaso Bakery
City of New Haven
CitySeed
Cold Spring School
Common Ground
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Connecticut Mental Health Center
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center
Fair Haven Community Health Care
Hill Regional Career High School
New Haven Food Policy Council
New Haven’s Livable City Initiative
New Haven Land Trust
Newman’s Own Foundation
Peels & Wheels Composting
Southern Connecticut State University
Sound School
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Yale Primary Care
Yale School of Public Health
Our History
Gather New Haven took shape between 2017 and 2020 through the coming together of New Haven Land Trust, Schooner, Inc., and New Haven Farms. Founded in 1982 as Connecticut’s first urban land trust, New Haven Land Trust preserves open space and connects residents to nature. Schooner, established in the early 1980s, provides marine and coastal environmental education, while New Haven Farms—founded in 2012 through the Fair Haven Community Health Center’s Diabetes Prevention Program—focuses on community health through urban agriculture and nutrition education. Our tagline, “Neighbors and Nature Thriving Together,” reflects a vision of people and nature flourishing together.