Johnsons Announce Gift of 71-Acre Conservation Easement At
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
G RANBY EWSLETTER Land Trust N Preserving Granby’s Natural Heritage www.granbylandtrust.org C PO Box 23 C Granby, Connecticut 06035 C Volume 5 Johnsons Announce Gift of 71-Acre Conservation Easement at Annual Meeting he unusually warm and sunny late October Tday suggested that this would be a special Land Trust Annual Meeting. It was in many ways. With fall’s full colors on parade, almost 100 land trust members gathered on October 21st and were treated to a walk through one of Granby’s most beautiful properties – Paula and Whitey Johnson’s 90-acre parcel on Simsbury Road in West Granby – followed by an old-fashioned outdoor picnic at the Johnson’s house. It was a family affair all day. On the walk The Land Trust led by Whitey Johnson, kids ran Whitey Johnson talks about his property and its history thanks Paula ahead of the adults during the Annual Meeting Hike in October. and Whitey through the rolling fields, by the solid old stonewalls and into the Johnson for their Johnson’s woods which are bounded by the Land Trust Receives Three commitment and McLean Game Refuge. After the walk, every- Conservation Easements in 2007 one gathered together and the annual meeting • The Johnson Family - 71 acres dedication to was called to order. During the meeting, the • The Werner Family - 40 acres (see pg. 14) Granby and the Johnsons announced that they intended to • The Brown Family - 10+ acres (see pg. 7) give the Land Trust a conservation easement legacy they have over 71-acres of this spectacular land, forever built for future preserving it as open space. Fittingly, to finish the business portion of generations to the meeting, the Land Trust presented its enjoy. highest honor –The Mary Edwards Friend of the Land Trust Award – to Paula and Whitey Johnson for their dedication to Granby and preserving its open space (this 71-acre conservation easement is their second Ray Betts Award winner by Kristen Cormier gift to the Land Trust). As Whitey Johnson said in accepting the award, quot- ing from his favorite play – Our Town: “To have life is to love life, and to love Art Show Awards Announced life is to have it – and, for us, that’s Granby!” (see pg. 4) 5 If you would like to explore making a land gift to the Granby Land Trust, please contact a GLT Board Member. 5 Board Members Granby Land Trust Officers Rick Orluk, President (H) 653-7095 Mark Wetzel, Vice President (H) 653-9125 Dave Russell, Treasurer (H) 653-7441 While spending some time in Maine over the Thanksgiving holiday, Trish and I took our boys for a walk around beautiful Camden harbor and then visited the Leslie Judge, Secretary children’s room at the Camden Public Library. While my wife patiently (H) 653-4733 read one story after another to the little ones, I stole away for some adult time, sneaking a peek at the day’s newspaper and checking out the latest Board book selections. Painted on the wall of the library, I found a quote from Fran Armentano Ralph Waldo Emerson that made me think of the Granby Land Trust and (H) 653-0631 how grateful I am for the hard work and commitment of the Land Trust’s board and its members, our donors and the town’s fathers and mothers, Rod Dimock who have been committed to protecting our town’s natural heritage over the years. (H) 651-0376 “Every great and commanding event in the annals of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm…nothing great was ever achieved without it.” Put Brown The board of directors and the members of the Granby Land Trust are enthusiastic about (H) 653-7557 preserving the natural heritage of our town; and we are, indeed, on our way to achieving Dave Emery something “great.” Since its founding, the Land Trust – through the generosity of its many (H) 653-3746 donors – has preserved more than 2,100 acres of open space in Granby, many of which include ecologically sensitive areas and important wildlife corridors. This accomplishment Allison Forsyth did not just happen; it was the product of great enthusiasm – an enthusiasm fueled by the (H) 653-7699 opportunity to forever preserve the natural beauty of our town. Just take a walk on the Mary James Gamble Edwards Mountain Property, the Godard Preserve or the Dimock Preserve and you’ll come away thanking each of the donors and the Land Trust board members who have worked to (H) 653-9495 - create a vibrant organization that could steward these spectacular places. Paula Johnson Our enthusiasm continues to grow and is fueled by the fact that a short window of oppor (H) 653-3132 tunity stands before us. Some of our neighboring towns, which grew faster than Granby has, have missed this window of opportunity, and now find their land over-developed. Lowell Kahn The Granby Land Trust, on the other hand, added 120 acres of protected property to its (H) 653 4911 rolls in the last year alone, through the gifts of three conservation easements from the Johnson, Charlie Katan Werner and Brown families. In addition, the town purchased a key 57-acre parcel in West Granby that will be known as the “Catherine Marshall Preserve” which aids our continuing (H) 653-6290 efforts to build a significant wildlife corridor from Rt. 20 in West Granby through the Old Lucy Lindeyer Messenger Road area connecting to the Mary Edwards Property and adjacent state lands. (H) 653-2157 Are these acquisitions “great and commanding events in the annals of the world?” Okay, maybe not. But they are pretty important to the quality of life…now and forever…in our Jennifer Mooney little corner of the world. And I, for one, think that’s very important. My boys, who hike (H) 413-9150 these properties with me with great regularity, would agree. Help us keep it going. Get involved. Join the Land Trust. Consideryour enthusiasm,us when you the plan Land your Dave Schupp charitable giving. Preserve your property. With the addition of (H) 653-2168 Trust can achieve even greater things. Sincerely, If you have a comment or ques- tion about the Granby Land Trust Newsletter or would like Rick Orluk to submit news for our next is- sue, please contact Rick Orluk at 860.653.7095 or via email at [email protected] c2 Land Trust Hikers Ford 1 Holcomb Hill Preserve News & Notes • The Land Trust would like to welcome three new board members who were elected at the October Annual Meeting – Rod Dimock, Allison Forsyth and Jennifer Mooney. • The Land Trust’s annual Spring and Fall Preserve Our Properties Days have become an important way for the Land Trust to maintain its properties. Thanks to each of you who has and will attend these events. They are a fun day outdoors and a great way to meet fellow Land Trust members. Join us this spring – see www.GranbyLandTrust.org for details. • The Land Trust would like to recognize Sandra Fischer for creating and organizing our letterboxing programs on the Mary Edwards, Godard and Western Barndoor Hill Preserves. Letterboxing is a great way to get outdoors with your family for a “treasure hunt” – see our Web site for details. • We would like to thank and recognize the Land Trust’s “official” photographer, Peter Land Trust Board Member Dave Emery leads August Stream Walk on Dinella. Each year, he provides us with beau- Holcomb Hill Preserve in West Granby. tiful shots for our newsletter (most included this year are Peter’s) and helps us highlight hen the Land Trust hosts trout was undisturbed by the hik- Granby’s beauty. a “stream hike,” that’s ex- ers’ footsteps. W • The Land Trust board would like to thank actly what you do — get right in the Emery surmised that there was Land Trust members John Weeks and stream! A group of intrepid hikers probably an even larger trout fur- Christine Chinni for leading two very well spent a perfect Sunday afternoon ther under the protection of the attended bird walks in May. on August 19th doing just that, as rocks, for the fish have a definite • As always, we would like to recognize the they navigated the West Branch of pecking order, and the more domi- work of our Property Stewards who help us the Salmon Brook in the Holcomb nant one would have chosen the take care of our Land Trust properties. If you best hiding place. would like to become one, please contact Hill Preserve. Allison Forsyth at 653-7699. Led by the indomitable Dave Passing a veritable grove of horse- • The Land Trust’s Celebrating Granby’s Farms Emery, the trekkers were treated to tails, an ancient plant more prop- & Orchards Art Show was generously sup- a discussion of the natural history erly called Equisetum, the group ported by Fiduciary Investment Advisors, and geology of the streambed and climbed up to the promontory for The Center Spirit Shop of Granby, Hayes- banks. The Salmon Brook water is a breath-taking view of the stream- Huling & Carmon Funeral Home and, of J. Vallee Brunelle Fine Art & Fram- quite clear and supports a pretty bed they had just traveled. Granby course, ing. healthy population of fauna. Cray- is indeed lucky to have so much of its beauty protected from develop- • A special thanks to Fred Jones for serving as fish, stonefly larvae and a plethora the Land Trust’s agency representative on the of water striders were observed, as ment and preserved forever by the Granby Community Fund board.