Napa Valley residents might know that Land Trust of Napa County acquires valuable open space to permanently protect it from development.

What they may not know is that the Land Trust, through acquisitions like Wildlake and Duff properties in the eastern hills and conservation easements around the valley, has quietly become a major force in protecting large swaths of Napa County from development.

“In 30 years we have protected more than 10 percent of Napa County,” Joel Tranmer, chief executive officer of Land Trust, said. “For years we have told the public what we do and how we do it. Now we want to tell them why it is

important.”

The nonprofit group wants to improve its communication with members and the wider public. Ultimately, a growing membership should translate into more donations, Tranmer said.

The mission of Land Trust will remain the same — preserve and protect the land from development forever.

For example, the 4,165-acre Wildlake-Duff property contains the Bell Canyon watershed, which provides 80 percent of the drinking water for St. Helena. The Wildlake Duff property will forever provide oak woodland habitat for wildlife, allowing native plant species to thrive in a pristine area void of mega-mansion developments.

Land Trust’s updated image will be unveiled at its annual major fundraiser, Feast of Eden, on Oct. 31, at Rubicon Estate Winery in Rutherford. Proceeds will support the trust’s mission to protect the natural diversity, scenic open space and agricultural vitality of Napa County.

“The world is a different place in the way we communicate with each other. Our goal is to reach out more and be more transparent,” said Kathryn Nudelman, marketing and membership manager for the trust.

A Web site upgrade is underway and will continue into early next year. With the changes, it will be easier for members and nonmembers to find out about Land Trust hikes and events, and at the same time the nonprofit can get its message out more quickly and easily.

Clay Newton, of Soscol Studios in Napa, is upgrading the Web site pro bono.

An e-mail newsletter is another new item being rolled out by the Trust. The print version will continue to be mailed to members. The Land Trust even has a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

“We want to have more of a connection with people that we have not been able to make before,” Nudelman said.

“We are trying to launch a movement in Napa (County) that hopefully in 100 years the valley will look the same as it does today. If we can do that, we have done our job,” Tranmer said.