RANBY EWSLETTER and rust reserving ranby’s atural eritage www.granbylandtrust.org CI PO Box 23 C I Granby, Connecticut 06035 C I Volume 2 Mary Edwards’ Legacy NE PERSON CAN MAKE Mary, one wonders whether the a OSUCH AN ENORMOUS Land Trust’s motto, “Working to IMPACT ON OUR WORLD — Preserve Granby’s Natural Her- ESPECIALLY IN A SMALL TOWN itage,” would have the hollow ring his ewsletter LIKE GRANBY. of wishful thinking. Take, for example, Mary Edwards. is edicated to How would Granby’s landscape dif- Luckily, we did have Mary…and fer if Mary had not therefore we will nev- ary dwards supported the Gran- er know the answers by Land Trust over to those questions. the course of her life? From the time she anuary 11, 1913 completed her first • For starters, a great gift to her death on anuary 15, 2004 deal of our remaining January 15, 2004, she open spaces would was among its most most likely be dotted ardent supporters. with houses. Mary She does not deserve a donated more than all of the credit, but 250 acres of her land there is no doubt that to the Land Trust, her support was of most of which would critical importance, New Hiking Trails be considered prime especially in the early real estate for a years. She was the cat- Opened on Mary Edwards A young Mary Edwards builder. But that’s not standing on her much-loved alyst for much of Mountain Property all Mary contributed Mary’s Rock at her what later happened. to the Land Trust. Mountain Property in 1919 uilding on work done during When it was just a Within a year of the Blast fall’s “Preserve Our fledgling organiza- Land Trust’s found- Properties” Day, the Land Trust has tion, striving to establish itself in ing, Mary jumped in to contribute established and opened a new trail town, Mary supported the Land the ten-acre “Diamond Ledge” pre- system on the Mary Edwards Trust wholeheartedly. Without serve at 27 Broad Hill Road in West Mountain Property. These hiking Mary, one wonders whether the Granby. In 1975, she contributed trails connect with the Godard Land Trust could have become the six acres at 22R Oakridge Drive. In Preserve Blue Trail System at the powerful force that it is. Without subsequent years, she added 29 acres upper Donahue Road entrance. cont. on pg. 4 cont. on pg. 7 5 If you would like to explore making a land gift to the Granby Land Trust, please contact a GLT Board Member. 5 c1 oardembers Granby Land Trust Rick Orluk President (H) 653-7095 Dear Granby Land Trust Members, Mark Wetzel This newsletter is dedicated to Mary Edwards, for no one has done more to preserve Vice President Granby’s beautiful natural heritage and support the goals of the Granby Land Trust. From (H) 653-9125 her earliest gift of land in 1973… to her donation of the spectacular 188-acre Mountain David W. Russell Property in 2000…to her final bequest — a generous financial contribution, Mary’s con- Treasurer tributions to the Land Trust were selfless gifts to be enjoyed by Granby citizens for gen- (H) 653-7441 erations to come. Over the last 18 months, the Land Trust has been hard at work preserving and Leslie Judge improving Mary’s Mountain Property as she wished. During last Spring’s Secretary “Preserve Our Properties’ Day,” the Land Trust cleared a significant (H) 653-4733 amount of brush on the property; then further cleared the fence line on Board: Mountain Road earlier this year, magnifying the beauty of this spot and its view north. In addition, during the Land Trust’s Fall “Preserve Our Francis Armentano Properties’ Day,” the beginnings of a Mountain Property trail system (H) 653-0631 were established, linking the Mountain Property to the Godard Daniel P. Brown, Jr. Preserve. Just recently, Granby Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts continued (H) 653-7557 working on the trails and put up six bluebird boxes on the property. Dave Emery Located directly across from the upper Donahue Road entrance of the Godard (H) 653-3746 Preserve, the Mountain Property trail begins and leads upwards to Mary’s much-loved Robert Lindeyer lookout known as “Mary’s Rock.” Our family already has hiked it several times and my (H) 653-2157 older son Nate always says Mary’s Rock is happy to see us when we arrive. I know that it makes me happy to have this beautiful place in my backyard. I encourage you to take a Charles Katan moment from your busy life to experience a quiet moment from the lookout at Mary’s (H) 653-6290 Rock, courtesy of Mary Edwards. It will make you happy and thankful that Mary had the David A. Schupp foresight and generosity to share this special place with all of us. (H) 653-2168 I would also like to thank and recognize GLT Board Members Put Brown and Fran Armentano for their efforts to see Mary’s dream come to fruition. Put’s years of service to the Land Trust put our organization in a position to responsibly take care of the Mountain Property donation and Fran’s recent stewardship of this property gave Mary confidence RANBY that the Land Trust would maintain the property she loved so much. and rust Mary, thank you for all you have done for Granby. The Granby Land Trust reserving ranby’s atural eritage www.granbylandtrust.org I PO Box 23 I Granby, CT 06035 salutes you. If you have a comment or ques- Warmly, tion about the Granby Land Trust Newsletter or would like to submit news for our next Rick Orluk issue, please contact Rick Orluk at 653.7095 or via email at [email protected] Photographs of Mary Edwards courtesy of the Salmon Brook Historical Society. c2 The Granby Land Trust thanks the Granby Community Fund for their support. 1 Granby Land Trust Adds 65 Acres ews otes on Simsbury Road • The Land Trust would like to thank the Crowe Family for their support. hen developers partner with The donated parcel includes 10 Mr. Albert Crowe, a longtime Wconservation groups to pre- acres of active farmland off of Granby resident, passed away earlier serve open space in new housing Simsbury Road and more than this year. The Crowe Family honored developments, everyone wins. 3000 feet of frontage on the West Mr.Crowe’s love of Granby by desig- Residents, neighbors and wildlife all Branch of the Salmon Brook. The nating the Land Trust as the recipi- can benefit from responsible devel- open space will serve as a wildlife ent of memorial contributions made opment. corridor, with potential for hiking in his memory. trails in the future. A recent example of this is the new • A special thanks to Don Johnson of Holcomb Hill development on This new Granby Land Trust acqui- Don Johnson Carpentry Simsbury Road. In 2002, develop- sition includes magnificent geolog- (Granville, MA) for ers P.K. Allen and Andrew Mason ical features. There is a point at the building and donating purchased 120 acres on Simsbury southern end of the property where the Godard Preserve Road, south of Holcomb Farm. In glacial till has been carved from the Trailhead Information conjunction with their develop- land for hundreds of thousands of & Map Box located off ment of Holcomb Hill, Allen and years by the waters of the Salmon of Donahue Road. Mason elected to donate 65 acres of Brook. The land drops off precipi- • The Land Trust is looking for a few open space to the Granby Land tously to the brook on three sides, good men and women to become Trust. This property could have presenting a spectacular view. Property Stewards. If you would be been broken into 30 lots, but Ma- interested in acting as the “caretaker” son and Allen chose to limit home The Granby Land Trust applauds of one of our Land Trust properties, sites to only 19, thirteen on a pub- developers P.K Allen and Andrew please contact Mark Wetzel or Fran lic road and six on a private road. Mason for this gift. 3 Armentano. q • Thanks to former GLT Board Member Chuck Stielau for his dedi- cated service to the Land Trust. Chuck has played a leadership role on a number of recent GLT initia- tives, including the ongoing efforts to take care of the Granby Oak and the Godard Preserve. • The Land Trusts of the Farmington Valley are featured in a special section Bluebird House Building in the 2004 Valley Book. We thank Mark Wetzel and his 7-year-old daughter Common throughout Connecticut in the publisher Bob Pawlowski and his entire Rosie and Edna Zimmer and Put Brown mid-1800s, the Eastern Bluebird - a mem- Distinctive Directories team for their build bluebird houses during the GLT’s ber of the thrush family and the only blue- support of the Granby Land Trust. Bluebird House Building Event. Led by bird species found in New England - grew GLT Board Members Dave Russell and scarce as suitable nesting cavities declined • Join us on Sunday, May 18th for the Dave Emery in conjunction with a special due to changing land use patterns, the in- Land Trust’s annual Spring “Preserve Connecticut Department of Environmen- troduction of other non-native bird species Our Properties” Day (see Calendar of tal Protection Bluebird Restoration Project, such as European starlings and house spar- Events for more details). volunteers gathered and built 20 bluebird rows, and increased urbanization. The • The Land Trust’s Hike and Annual houses to be installed in appropriate habi- construction of nest boxes and the estab- Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, tat around Granby.