THE LAND STEWARDVol. 17, No. 4 working to protect the natural integrity of the Finger Lakes Region Autumn 2005

Newsletter of the Finger Lakes Land Trust

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Land Trust Acquires Public Access to Carpenter’s Falls; CampaignLaunched to Save Additional Landnear Skaneateles Lake

The Finger Lakes landscape is famous, of course, for its secluded gorges andstunning waterfalls. Residents and visitors alike know Watkins Glen,

Taughannock Falls and Buttermilk Falls, to name some of the most popular.Many beautiful falls go unseen, however, tucked away in folds of open farm-land and rendered inaccessible because they lie on private property.

In July the Land Trust announced its acquisition of a 30-acre parcel ofland, including the primary public access to one of the region’s most scenicwaterfalls. Carpenter’s Falls on Bear Swamp Creek near the village of NewHope, Cayuga County, drops 90 feet, making it the highest falls in theSkaneateles Lake watershed.

A classic example of a “hanging falls,” Carpenter’s Falls sits atop a deep,wooded gorge cut first by receding glacial meltwaters and then further erodedover time by runoff from seasonal precipitation. Now, the creek cascades off asturdy, erosion-resistant shelf of Tully limestone. The softer shales beneath thelimestone have been carved away to produce an impressive overhang, so thatthe water free-falls to the floor below. After a good rain, or during the springsnow melt, Bear Swamp Creek positively roars.

Carpenter’s Falls lies roughly half a mile upstream from the Land Trust’sexisting Bahar Nature Preserve at the lower end of Bear Swamp Creek where

The clear, cold waters of Bear Swamp Creek cascadingover Carpenter’s Falls and plummeting 90 feet to theforested canyon below

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Easement Gift Protects LandAdjoining Finger LakesNational Forest

The Land Trust is delighted to announce a new conservationeasement in Hector, Schuyler County. Vic and Elaine

Mansfield have donated the easement on their entire 70-acreproperty abutting the Finger Lakes National Forest. This acquisi-tion furthers the Land Trust’s goal of protecting lands adjacent tothe National Forest, effectively expanding the boundaries ofundeveloped forest in the area.

“If you look at a map of the Finger Lakes National Forest, itlooks like a necklace of beads; it’s discontinuous,” Vic Mansfieldsaid. “Our little piece is a contribution towards making a realwildlife corridor, to be part of a movement to create these ecolog-ical havens.”

Vic bought the land and its broken-down 200-year-old farm-

Conservation Easement GiftProtects Fifth-GenerationFamily Farm

For keeping a farm alive 115 years in the Finger Lakes, a familydeserves a road named after them. And beautiful Green Road

in Bristol, Ontario County, is a just tribute to the Green familyand their many years of stewardship.

In August, the Land Trust announced a conservation ease-ment donated by Don Green that will permanently protect his200-acre farm, worked by four generations of his family. Don’spregnant daughter, Bess, will soon move with her husband intothe house that once belonged to her grandparents, adding thefifth and sixth generations to the farm.

Green Road bisects a beautiful little highland valley about 20miles south of Rochester in an area where Don feels theencroaching pressures of new housing development. Within his

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There are countless rea-sons to justify the

cause of land conservation.On a daily basis, I speakwith advocates who are

passionate about conserving land for itsvalue as wildlife habitat, for its scenicbeauty, its productivity for agriculture,or its importance to water quality.

One of the most important reasonsfor conserving land is perhaps somewhatharder to articulate but is clearly demon-strated by the projects highlighted in thisissue of The Land Steward. Each of themshows how land conservation canstrengthen family and community ties–– ties to the land as well as to oneanother.

The commitment of the Green andMansfield families to their land, on onehand, has also served to strengthen theirown families. By donating a conservation

easement, Don Green has helped ensurethat a fifth generation of Greens will liveon the farm. For Vic and ElaineMansfield, their decision to donate aneasement grew from their nurturing oftheir fields and forests over a 35-yearperiod. While they nurtured the land, itin turn strengthened the bonds of theirfamily and friends.

At Carpenter’s Falls, generations offamilies have come together to spend hotsummer days exploring its cascades andpools near the south end of SkaneatelesLake. I have many times seen the look ofwonder in children’s faces as theyglimpse the thundering falls for the firsttime.

By acquiring the primary access tothis natural area, as well as a similar siteat Grimes Glen in Ontario County, theLand Trust is ensuring that families willstill have the opportunity to strengthen

their relationships to each other whileconnecting with our landscape.

Whether through the use of a con-servation easement or by direct acquisi-tion, the Land Trust is maintaining ourcommunity’s ability to link with theland. From the Green Farm toCarpenter’s Falls and the Mansfield’sSchuyler County tract, we are ensuring aricher future for our children.

While we’re protecting wildlife habi-tat, prime farmland, and pristine water-courses, we’re also ensuring that familieswill always have the opportunity to cometogether over shared traditions, naturalwonder, and a common bond to theland.

— Andrew E. Zepp,Executive Director

the creek meets the lake shore. The newproperty extends from the falls, just offApple Tree Point Road, downstream alongthe south side of the gorge. The steep terrainfeatures a mature forest dominated by hem-lock, red oak, sugar maple and ash.

In the 1800s, an old logging road up thegorge became known as the “jug path.”When upland farm roads were impassable inthe spring mud season, this path guidedparched folks from the lake shore up to ginmills on the creek above Carpenter’s Falls.People from all around tied their boats atNew Hope Landing (the lower end of theBahar preserve) and hiked up the steep,mile-long trail to fill their empty liquor jugs.How they made the trip back down to theirboats is anyone’s guess.

Land Trust board member Scott Winkelman, a Skaneatelesnative, has strong feelings for both the human and natural histo-ries of Carpenter’s Falls and Bear Swamp Creek. “Personally, it’sbeen a lifelong dream for me,“ he said about the new purchase.“Always in the back of my mind was preserving sacred places likethis. The bottom line with the falls is to preserve their naturalintegrity.”

The gorge lies within an Important Bird Area, as recentlydesignated by Audubon New York. Threatened cerulean warblerand wood thrush breeding habitat, in particular, will beprotected by this new purchase. The Land Trust also holds acontract to buy adjacent land that would link Bahar withCarpenter’s Falls, with the aim of creating an uninterrupted

mile-long corridor of conserved forestedlands along one of Skaneateles Lake’s mostimportant tributaries.

The Land Trust has a working partner-ship with the New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation (DEC).Carpenter’s Falls and the Bear Swamp Creekcorridor have long been identified as priori-ties within the DEC’s Open Space Plan forland protection. The Land Trust intends ultimately to transfer the Carpenter's Fallsparcel to the DEC for future management,while incorporating any adjacent acreage itmay purchase into its Bahar Nature Preserve.

The Land Trust has recently launched a$400,000 fundraising campaign both tocover the cost of this new acquisition and topursue other conservation projects along the

creek and in the Skaneateles Lake watershed as a whole.“We must act now if we are to conserve those lands that

make Skaneateles Lake such a special place,” said Land TrustExecutive Director Andrew Zepp. “By acquiring key parcels andworking cooperatively with landowners through the use of con-servation easements, we can ensure that these areas aren’t overrunby increasing development pressures.”

Continued cooperation with the DEC and other conserva-tion organizations, as well as creative partnerships with preserva-tion-minded landowners is essential to the Land Trust’s drive toprotect as much land as possible within the Skaneateles water-shed, as it is in all Finger Lakes watersheds.

— Eben McLane

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Land Trust Acquires Access to Carpenter’s Fallscontinued from cover

When I told people I planned to visitthe Sweedler Preserve, no one knew

the name. But after explaining how to getthere – south out of Ithaca, then windingup a road past Buttermilk Falls – old-timeIthaca locals had invariably been there.They recollected with a hint of dreaminesshow lovely it was.

The day I arrived and parked by thebridge that crosses Lick Brook, a summerdrought had reduced the brook to puddlesand trickles. The path appeared suddenlyoff the road, clearly marked by neat woodchips and blue paint blazes on trees. Thesun-dappled path led through a forest oftall pine, maple and white oak. Cicadasrang. To the left of the path ran a smallgorge, perhaps twenty feet deep and achild’s stone throw across. In spite of thedrought, I heard the bell-like sounds offlowing water.

After an easy ramble over a few fallentrunks and through pleasant woods, thepath forked – a blue route straight aheadand a white trail to the right. I noticed thefoliage ahead thinned, and a sudden hazeof open air lay ahead. A few steps furtheralong the blue path, in a moment thattook my breath, the little gorge flared intoa vast amphitheater that dropped straightdown in craggy shale and limestone walls.When rains feed the Earth and water

flows, Lick Brook free-falls 140 feet fromthe newer upper carving into the ancientone below.

As the story goes, when the LandTrust approached Moss and KristinSweedler about 128 acres along LickBrook, the Sweedlers said they were inter-ested in land within 10 minutes fromIthaca with a pond for them and their twodogs to swim. When the Land Trust founda property that fit, the Sweedlers boughtthe parcel, and sold the Lick Brook gorgein 1993 for the same price, well belowmarket value. Also, on the other side ofthe gorge, a wooded buffer lines the creek,thanks to a private conservation easementprovided by owners Ree and Bill Thayerand a donation of land by John Babcockto Cornell Plantations.

The vast gorge itself gave me clearviews across Route 13 to hills in the west.A word of warning: wear good shoes,because from where the big gorge opens tothe sheer expanse of sky through the trees,the blue path becomes steep, and full ofrubble.

The gorge narrowed as I descended.At the bottom lay another smalleramphitheater, a sweet shale bowl withsteep walls on three sides. Without waterflowing, I climbed up into the bottom ofthe bowl, pitted with eroded indents, andlooked up at my private stretch of sky.During richer times, water cascaded overthe far wall, but now the rocks weresimply moist. I sat by a small pool andwatched a trapped school of about a hun-dred brown minnows. A frog splashed anddarted beneath a rock.

To the left of the amphitheater, thewhite trail, one of the most used sectionsof the 800-mile Finger Lakes Trail, ledback up the slope away from the gorge.The trail followed a low wet section paral-lel to the Conrail tracks. Here, the woodscontain big sycamores, oaks and maplesand an occasional smooth-barked, denseAmerican Hornbeam (Carpinus carolini-ana). As the trail wound up the hill alonga rising rim, I glanced back. The traintracks cut through a green meadow and awetland that surprisingly still held duck-weed and water.

I looped back to the blue path alongthe top of a narrow pine-needled ridgethat fell steep on both sides. To the left, the

gorge dropped with layered, shale wallscarved by another stream, Spring Brook,also lean from drought. By the time Ireturned to where the big gorge opens up,I understood why people got that dreamy,reflective look on their faces when I men-tioned the preserve along Lick Brook.

— Krishna Ramanujan

Lick Brook spilling over the lower falls atthe Sweedler Preserve

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The lower amphitheater of Lick BrookGorge at the Sweedler Preserve

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The “Lost Gorge” of Sweedler Preserve

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Directions to Sweedler Preserve:From Ithaca, go south on Route 13. Takefirst left after Buttermilk State Park, onSand Bank Rd. Bear right at the Y inter-section, and park on the right. Finger LakesTrail starts just before the bridge.

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Conservation Easement Gift Protects Family Farmcontinued from cover

little valley, rolling fields of hay extend in all directions, partitioned here and there by hedgerowsof honeysuckle and wild grape vine. Roughly 160 acres of the 200-acre farm are field, the restforming dense woodlot edges that give the farm a sense of protection and privacy. Indeed, GreenFarm fills the entire view from the middle of Green Road.

Don’s maternal great-grandfather, Robert Abbey, was the first family member on the land.Since then, the farm has been run by Greens. Farm life was never easy, Don recalled, but hardwork, frugality and persistent management of the land paid off over time and kept the familytogether. “Farming is more than just a way to make a living,” Don reflected. “It provides a socialnetwork of family living near each other and looking after each other. Sometimes it’s the younglooking out for the old, sometimes the old have to care for the young. It’s been that way for usalways.”

Today the farm produces only hay – and lots of it – all of which Don himself cuts, rakes,bales and sells to nearby horse farms. In addition, Don actively manages the woodlots thatsupply him and his wife, Nancy, with winter firewood and saw logs for any new constructionprojects around the farm. Over the generations, the land has seen dairy cows, sheep, chickensand turkeys, with fields of corn and oats, hops and alfalfa.

Don feels a sense of relief about the conservation easement worked out with the Land Trust.He has finally been able to protect his land the way he has envisioned for many years. “I’d like itto stay in the family, of course, but I can’t control that. It’s up to the offspring,” he said. “Still, itmeans a lot to me that the land stays open. My ancestors worked so hard – I want to keep itopen for them especially.”

A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement that specifies how owners can use theirland, while protecting its important natural resources. Property subject to a conservation ease-ment remains in private ownership and on the tax rolls. Terms of the easement are binding onfuture owners, ensuring permanent protection of the land. The Land Trust is primarily responsi-ble for negotiating such easements and then monitoring them on an annual basis.

“I can’t stress enough how important financial management is in being able to afford to dosomething like this, for me anyway. At one point I had to decide to be my own financial consult-ant to get things right the way I needed them to be. And then I had support from my family todo this,” Don said. “A lot of people would have to sell and give up their land for their family andretirement. I wanted something different, both for my family’s future and for the land.”

“The Green family has given a tremendous gift to the community, and we hope that theywill inspire others to act,” said Land Trust Executive Director Andy Zepp. “Not everyone candonate a conservation easement, but Don and his family have made a long-term commitment topreserving both his family’s way of life and his love for the land that nurtured him.”

Don Green’s sense of land stewardship may be ancestral in origin, but that sense has ledhim to a particularly personal accomplishment in working out his conservation easement.

“Sometime I’d like to do more for conservation,” he said without irony. “Right now I’mbusy with the hay and playing my cello, so I don’t have lots of time, but someday I’d like to getmore involved.” — Eben McLane

Land TrustEstablishes RevolvingLand AcquisitionFund – BorgWarnerMorse TEC ProvidesSeed Grant

By allocating existing funds, aswell as a lead grant from

BorgWarner Morse TEC, the LandTrust recently established a revolv-ing land acquisition fund to acquirepriority lands that are at risk fordevelopment. The fund will allowthe Land Trust to move quicklywhen lands within identified prior-ity areas are listed for sale.

These funds were used in therecent acquisition of the Digneyproperty at Carpenter’s Falls.Fundraising efforts are now under-way to replenish the funds used forthis acquisition.

Though modest now, it isexpected that the fund will growsubstantially in the future. A firststep in this direction wasBorgWarner Morse TEC’s recentcontribution of $5,000 and pledgeof an additional $5,000 for thefund. “We’re delighted thatBorgWarner has taken the lead insupporting this creative approach tofinancing conservation,” says LandTrust Executive Director AndyZepp.

“With development pressuresincreasing, we must act now if weare to conserve those lands thatmake the Finger Lakes region such aspecial place,” adds Zepp. “As itgrows, the revolving land acquisi-tion fund will enable us to moreeffectively compete in the market-place.”

In some cases, it is expectedthat the fund will be tapped to facil-itate the acquisition of lands thatwill be retained as dedicated openspace. In other cases, the fundmight enable the acquisition oflands that might be subsequentlyresold, subject to a conservationeasement. The Land Trust will raisefunds as needed to replenish therevolving fund, as it is used.

For additional informationabout this new fund, please contactAndy Zepp at the Ithaca office.

Volunteer Sara Kersting with easement donorDon Green and his wife Nancy

The rolling verdant fields of the Green Farm arenow protected for generations to come

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house in 1972, while agraduate student inastrophysics at CornellUniversity. Vic’s andElaine’s mothers bothcried when they firstsaw the run-down con-dition of their children’shome. Today, 33 yearslater, Vic and Elainegreeted me and my hus-band in their lovelyrestored house.

Elaine was initiallymore cautious than Vicabout a conservation

easement, but shortly after they began talking about the possibil-ity, a neighbor died. The neighbor’s widow brought in a lumbercompany which nearly flattened a beautiful stand of old oaks thatElaine had loved to walk in. “I decided that I didn’t want this toever happen here,” Elaine told me. “We want to give [the land] ourbest, and that convinced me.”

Vic and Elaine are active managers of their meadows andwoods. With the guidance and help of forester Mike DeMunn,they have developed a ten-year plan to develop a woods thatincludes trees of diverse species and ages. “If you have nothing butancient trees, you’ve got a vulnerable forest,” Vic explained. “Onegood season of disease or insect attack can wipe out the old forest;with no newer growth, it would take decades to restore.” So,despite the sorrow Vic feels whenever an old tree must go, they areculling the sick older trees to allow for newer growth.

On our walk, Vic and Elaine gathered acorns to plant later.Both expressed surprise that their oaks had produced so many

nuts in this drought season. They plant them in large brush pilesto protect the seedlings from browsing deer. Surrounding youngtrees in a narrow enclosed area, using seven-foot mesh fencing,serves the same purpose. Although deer can jump over the fence,they are not likely to enter small enclosures.

Wherever there is bare ground, particularly after brush isburned, Elaine plants wildflowers. Despite the drought, there werelovely spots in the meadows with cosmos, bachelor button, purpleconeflower, black-eyed Susan and others.

Elaine is a fitness trainer for elder women at the new fitnesscenter in Ithaca; Vic teaches at Colgate University. They are bothremarkably healthy and strong. Nevertheless, they feel relieved toknow that regardless of what happens to them as they age, theirland remains protected. “The conservation easement makes itsacred,” Elaine said. “This land has given me so many gifts; it’sbeen a place of solace and nurture. We know we’re not going tobetray it.” — Margot Brinn

Elaine and Vic Mansfield on the porchof their restored 200-year-old farm-house in Hector

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Scenic vista from the Mansfield property

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Easement Gift Protects Land Adjoining Finger Lakes National Forestcontinued from cover

IN ALBANYAs noted in our last issue, the New YorkState Legislature did pass a proposedincrease to the Environmental ProtectionFund. The bill provides for $150 milliondollars, an increase of $25 million dollarsover last year. Disappointingly, that wasthe end of State Senate support forenvironmental measures.

A Clean Water Protection/FloodPrevention Act was introduced later inthe summer. This bill would haveprotected wetlands 12.4 acres or smaller,which no longer enjoy Federal oversight.The bill had bipartisan support andpassed easily in the Assembly 115-28.Governor Pataki also favored increasedprotection, having introduced his own“even stricter wetlands law” in order toclose the loophole that leaves a

significant number of the state's smallerwetlands unregulated. However, theleadership of the State Senate refused tobring this measure to the floor for a vote,saying that New York’s currentprotection is “adequate.” And so themeasure died, at least for this legislativesession.

The Community Preservation Actalso fell victim to Senate leadershippolitics. This bill would allow towns tolevy a 2% real-estate transfer tax (subjectto voter referendum) to fund local open-space preservation. The Assembly passedthis bill by a wide margin. Again, theGovernor, in support, introduced hisown version of the bill, but the Senateleadership failed to bring either measureup for a vote.

IN WASHINGTON, D.C.Congress is on its August recess, withlawmakers visiting their constituentsback home. Before they recessed, themajor pieces of legislation they enactedwere the energy bill and the transporta-tion bill. They also held hearings aroundthe “Charities Bill” in which the LandTrust Alliance is very interested. Thisinvolves giving tax deductions to donorsof land or conservation easements, whichis very important to our land preserva-tion work. It was hoped that some reso-lution would be reached when Congressreturns, but now Hurricane Katrina haswreaked such destruction in the souththat surely all attention will be focusedon that terrible situation. Land conserva-tion advocates will thus have to wait.

— Merry Jo Bauer

from OurRegion...

The waters of Grimes Creek cascading through the streamside forests of Grimes Glen

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Early morning autumn light at GrimesGlen

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Young hikers enjoying the “Sunset Symphony” walk at Lindsay-Parsons BiodiversityPreserve, part of the Summer 2005 Talks and Treks series

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“Never take things for granted…whenever you feelthat there isn’t anounce of good in the world, just takea walk down thispath.”

— Comments from Visitors Log atSweedler Preserve at Lick Brook

Board members Bob Growe and Jim Kersting with Director of LandProtection Betsy Darlington in Briggs Gully at the Wesley Hill NaturePreserve

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Student volunteers from the Learning Web removing inva-sive Asian bittersweet at the Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve

Ecologist Peter Marks (center) leads a group through “Martins Mysteries” at the Martin Preserve, part of the Summer 2005 Talksand Treks series

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After almost 20 years in the not-for-profit sector, there aren’t awhole lot of giving stories that I haven’t heard before. Don’t

get me wrong; I was moved to tears when a 40-pound sack ofpennies mysteriously appeared on the Land Trust’s doorway lastyear; and I still cry when Scrooge finally discovers the true valueof benevolence. But every now and then a donor appears, oftenquietly and anonymously, and the story surrounding the gift isone that deserves to be told.

For the purposes of this article, I will refer to our donor asGabriel. A steady supporter of the organization,Gabriel has been a member of the Finger Lakes LandTrust since 1999. There is, however, one not-so-smalldetail that sets Gabriel apart from most of our mem-bership. Gabriel has never lived in the Finger Lakesregion and, in fact, lives 3,000 miles away! While, intruth, the organization has a number of long-timemembers from outside the region, almost all haveknown ties with the area. Whether it was college,employment, perhaps a summer at camp, it’s alwayssomething – that irrevocable connection, that senseof place – which seems to draw folks back to thismagnificent landscape. For us at the Land Trust,Gabriel’s connection to this area remained a mystery,until now.

In late winter, Gabriel contacted the office about the possibil-ity of making a large gift to the organization. Over the next fewmonths, he worked hard with Land Trust Executive Director AndyZepp to allocate his gift of $100,000 in a manner that would bestmaximize its impact. They decided to spend $40,000 to supportthe Land Trust’s Stewardship Fund, $30,000 for the StewardshipFund on a 1:1 matching basis, and an additional $30,000 to fundland protection projects on a 4:1 matching basis.

It turns out Gabriel was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He fondly remembers taking childhood trips with his parentsthrough the Catskills, Poconos, New England and other parts ofthe northeast. At the age of 10, a trip to the Finger Lakes Region of

New York left a big and lasting impression on him.“I remember seeing my first bluebird during that trip,” he

said. “Oh yes, and Buttermilk Falls too. And those landscapes thatwere so different from anything that I had seen before.”

In the 57 years since, he has been back only twice, the lasttime in 1963. Gabriel moved to the Northwest in 1958 where hehas driven a bus for an urban transit system for the past 28 years.An avid conservationist, Gabriel is actively involved with anumber of local organizations concerned with ecological restora-

tion and land protection. He does not own a motorvehicle and is proud of that fact. “When I need to gosomewhere, I use my bicycle, even for grocery shop-ping. It works out just fine,” he asserts buoyantly.

When asked, “But why us? With all of yourinvolvement with land protection efforts in theNorthwest, why support the Finger Lakes Land Trustat the other end of the map?” Gabriel instantlyresponded, “Well for one, there’s quite an abundanceof public lands here in the west. In the east, the avail-ability of public land is very limited. Secondly, themoney was from my mother’s estate. I know that shewould have been very pleased with my decision togive the money to the Finger Lakes Land Trust. And

thirdly, because of the organization’s wonderful newsletter, TheLand Steward. I really look forward to reading it.” Asked to elabo-rate on this, Gabriel responded, “You know, I’ve seen quite a fewnewsletters. Yours is a cut above the rest: not too big, just the rightsize, covers lots of areas from differing viewpoints, great photos,and I particularly enjoy reading the people profiles.”

Gabriel begins to wind up our telephone conversation andconfides, “You know, I may live here in the Northwest, but my real roots are in the Finger Lakes: the hardwood forests, the war-blers, the seasons, migrating birds, fireflies.” I listen and think tomyself how fortunate we are to have such enlightened guardiansamongst us.

— Abbey Chernela

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D O N O R P R O F I L E

An Angel Without Wings

Georgia FurstFrom

David and KathrynSadowsky

Marco HechtFrom

Shondor Corporation

David HamlinFrom

Hugh Hamlin

Adolph KazlauskasFrom

Molly and Barry AdamsBetsy Darlington

Sylvia OseroffFrom

Bernard and Eileen Oseroff

Betty RandolphFrom

Rita and Joe Calvo

Clayton WrightFrom

Richard and Mary Lou AppelDonald and Jody Cheney

Edythe GanszElaine and Rodger Jackson

Richard and Edith McSorleyBrian and Mary Phillips

Norma PhillipsRon and Amy Tschetter

Donald and NancyZamperetti

“I remember seeing

my first bluebird during

that trip... Oh yes, and

Buttermilk Falls too.

And those landscapes

that were so different

from anything that

I had seen before.”

We are deeply grateful for donations in memory of: Our sincere thanks...

for a gift in honor of Marvin Freedman’s

75th birthday and in loving memory ofDavid Jay Freedman

from Lisa, Carol, Lynne,and Marcy Freedman

and their families.

Wanted:Volunteer to fill Land Trustbrochure boxes at various

locations in Ithaca.Time commitment of one to two hours every two or threeweeks. The boxes are locatedeverywhere from East Hill to

Triphammer Mall to Elmira Rd.,own transportation necessary.If interested, please call Emily

at the Ithaca office.

AUTUMN 2005 • 9

Raul Aguirre (Rocci) recently joined the LandTrust as its new land protection specialist. In

this role, he will advance the Land Trust’sconservation efforts within several landscapesidentified as priorities for protection. This newposition was established through lead funding fromthe New York State Conservation Partnership (ajoint venture of the Land Trust Alliance and theNYS Department of Environmental Conservation),as well as support from several individual donors.

Rocci brings considerable conservationexperience to his new role. Until joining the LandTrust, he worked on stream and river protectionefforts, serving as Catskill ConservationCoordinator for the conservation group TroutUnlimited. Prior to that, Rocci worked in a varietyof roles for both the National Park Service and the

U.S. Forest Service.Joining the Land Trust as its new volunteer

Stewardship Ecologist, Ithaca resident MarkWhitmore brings a variety of experiences to hisnew role. With a background in forestry andgraduate training in forest entomology, Mark alsoran a wine import business for a number of years.

As the Land Trust’s Stewardship Ecologist,Mark will work on a variety of preserve stewardshipissues including biological monitoring and thecontrol of invasive plant species. He will also playan important role in documenting naturalresources found on properties to be subject toconservation easement.

With the addition of these two new positions,the Land Trust’slong-time volunteerDirector of Land

Protection will be able to fulfill her goal ofbecoming the Land Trust’s Director of PreserveStewardship. While Betsy has long been involved inpreserve stewardship activities, she comments, “Iam now looking forward to being able to focus myenergies on the stewardship of our 24 naturepreserves.”

Please join us in welcoming aboard Rocci andMark and giving Betsy a round of applause for hermany years of donated service as Director of LandProtection. We all look forward to continuing towork with Betsy in her new volunteer role asDirector of Preserve Stewardship.

Land Trust Welcomes New Staff –Expanding Capacity for LandProtection and Stewardship

The Land Trust is pleased to announce two new staff additions,as well as a long-planned transition for volunteer Director ofLand Protection Betsy arlington.

New volunteer Director of Preserve Stewardship,Betsy Darlington

New volunteer StewardshipEcologist, Mark Whitmore

The Land Trust’s new LandProtection Specialist, RocciAguirre

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Land Trust Boardand AdvisoryCouncil Grow

Congratulations and welcome back toincoming Board member Jim Fralick.

An active member of the Land Trust since1999, Jim was previously an officer, serv-ing as Secretary, on the Board of Directorsin 2001. Jim holds a Ph.D. in Economicsfrom Syracuse University where he is also Adjunct Professor of Economics atthe University’s Maxwell School. Jimserved as President of the CanandaiguaLake Watershed Alliance (formerlyCanandaigua Lake Pure Waters) from2001 through 2002 and is currentlyChairman of the Board of Directors ofCanandaigua National Bank.

At the same time, we would also liketo welcome two new members to the LandTrust’s Advisory Council, Suzanne Lee andDavid Zorn. Suzanne Lee has served as thePresident of the Community Foundationof the Elmira-Corning Area for the past 11 years. A graduate of LaSalle University,Suzanne has over 20 years of experience in fund development. David Zorn isExecutive Director of the Genesee/FingerLakes Regional Planning Council. Davidreceived his Master’s Degree fromShippensburg University and his areas of expertise include land use, watershedrestoration, economic developmentplanning, as well as geographicinformation systems, remote sensing,and socio-economic and demographicanalysis.

Please join us in welcoming JimFralick, Suzanne Lee and David Zorn!

10 • THE LAND STEWARD

Thank you to everyone involved in making our 2005

Talks and Treks series a success!Special thanks to:

Angie Cannon-Crothers,Mike Cartwright, Wendi Cartwright,

Rulon Clark, Melissa Cohen,Bob Corneau, Eric Cosman,

Betsy Darlington, Karen Edelstein,Bob Guthrie, Meena Haribal,

Bill Heckman, Tony Ingraham,Lyn Jacobs, Jim Kersting, Sara Kersting,

Peter Marks, David Marsh,Debbie McNaughton, Bill McCleary,Dennis Montgomery, Kevin Olvany,

Ken Rosenberg, Kelly Somerlot,Rob Wink

Our sincere thanksfor a gift in honor of the

50th wedding anniversary of:

John and Carol CondemiFrom

Don and Robin Pulver

Our sincere thanksfor a gift in honor of

Jim KerstingFrom

Rachel Luyben “For teaching me the value of

our beautiful land”

Our sincere thanksfor a gift in honor of the

40th wedding anniversary of:

Rita and Joe CalvoFrom

Leo Tohill and Irene Komor

Our sincere thanks for gifts in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of:

Joshua RothenbergFrom

Eric Alani and Esther RacoosinChip and Wendy Aquadro

Antonie BlacklerRita and Joe Calvo

Mary CampaHannah Feldshuh

Harvey and Bryna FiresideThomas D. Fox

Myra and Michael GordonSarah How and Jim Alexander

Hendrina Krol and Ynte SchukkenJohn Lis and Martha Hamblin

Jacqueline LopezAmy McCune and David Winkler

Susanne MorganDiane Morton and Ken Kemphues

Helen NivisonBarbara Payne

Diane Rubenstein, Rachel Protter,Philip ProtterMary Salton

Judy Saul and Regi TeasleyHelen Saunders

Eliza SherpaJustin ShubertUriel Walker

Gertrud Wolfner

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers Merry JoBauer and Rosemarie Parker, the LandTrust’s native plant garden was a constantsource of visual splendor for many.

EMILY

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Our sincere thanks for a gift in celebration of the graduation of:

Kurt RogersFrom

John Rogers and Claudia Stoscheck

Many thanks to the students ofCornell’s “POST” Program, Ithaca’s

College’s “Plunge” Program, the staffof the Museum of the Earth, and the volunteers of the Lansing Residential

Center for all their hard work at theLindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve.

The forest is healthier and the trails are more enjoyable because of theirefforts. We are fortunate to have the

help of so many young people.

Thank you to Keith Thompsonfor extensive plant inventory work

at the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve.

Thank you to Jack Simrell at S&S Tree Service for delivering a hugeload of woodchips for the trail at the

Sweedler Nature Preserve.

Thank you to Bette Collier of JuddCollier Graphic Design for the beauti-

ful design and layout of the GrimesGlen and Carpenter’s Falls brochures.

And thank you to all the many othervolunteers who assist the Land Trust

in so many different ways. Your effortsmake it possible for us to continue

and grow.

Our deepest appreciation for gifts in

honor of the weddings of:Nancy Franz and Bill Gahnz

FromNancy Potter

Rachel Byard and Simon GarciaFrom

Cheryl Deane and Joshua HenryPeter and Doris Walsh

Linda Buttel and David WoodardFrom

Friends at the Cornell Theory Center

A big thank you to National Trails Day

VolunteersFor their hard work in helping us maintain the trails at the Great Hill Nature Preserve

Thank you to Nigel P. Kent and Roger Cass for donating many beautiful photographs of Grimes Glen.

• • •

George Robinson, chair of the New York Invasive PlantCouncil, says that Asian bittersweet is one of the worst weeds

in New York. “It can get 4 inches in diameter; it's creating massivethickets and makes walking in the woods very unpleasant; it’ll tripyou up and grip you by the neck. It’s the grapevine from hell.”

And that’s not the worst. This thick, fast-growing vine kills bywrapping so tightly around trees that it strangles them. And if thetrees don’t succumb to the stranglehold, Asian bittersweet hassuch plentiful foliage that it kills by depriving them and neigh-boring plants of sunlight. Conservation New England notes thatthe plant will actually uproot smaller trees with its massiveweight.

What is it? There are three plants called bittersweet. The firstis bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). This is the truebittersweet, non-invasive and unrelated to the next two. Thesecond is the native bittersweet, (Celastrus scandens), a lovely fallfoliage plant which is becoming increasingly rare, possibly due tocompetition with the third, a far more vigorous variety. This isAsian (or Oriental or Asiatic) bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus),and that’s our invasive pest.

Asian bittersweet is a woody vine, most recognizable by itsyellow fruit which splits to reveal showy, bright red seeds. It alsohas blunt thorns on its lower stems. The native bittersweet,besides lacking thorns, has more ovate leaves, and its fruit appearonly at the tips of the vines, while the Asian variety has them allalong the vine.

It’s found along forest edges, woodlands, along paths, roadsand any disturbed areas - in short, anywhere there’s an openingand some sun. Unfortunately, the plant seems to survive in deepshade as well, where it patiently takes down some trees to make ahappier habitat for itself.

In New York, the infestation is heaviest in the Hudson Valley,

and it can be foundin the Finger Lakesregion. So far thevine hasn’t yetspread to theAdirondacks, accord-ing to Dr. Robinson.

Asian bitter-sweet first migratedto the U.S. in the1860s, brought in asan ornamental. Artsand crafts people useits lovely winter fruitto make winterwreaths. Songbirdslove the fruit, too,and are the majordisperser of its seeds.The birds seem toprefer the plant’smore plentiful,brighter seeds overthose of the nativespecies.

Dr. Robinsonsays that the plant’sinvasion has beennoticeable for the last 10 years. When asked why, if the vine hasbeen around for 140 years, it is only now such a big problem, helisted several possible explanations:• Development has created more of the open, disturbed habitat

the plant enjoys.• People are planting it more. Gardening has become a huge

hobby, and nurseries sell this popular plant, often mistaking itfor the native variety.

• Bird populations have recovered after the ban on DTT andhave played a bigger role in seed dispersal.

• Climate change may be contributing as well, though just how,is not known.

Unfortunately, deer don’t seem to like its leaves!What can we do to slow the spread of this vine? If you have

an Asian bittersweet in your yard, consider destroying it – nomean feat! If it’s fruiting, put the cuttings in a plastic bag and putthem in the landfill (not your compost!) Cut the vine at its baseand be prepared to continue to do so for several years. Herbicidesare available as a last resort. Finally, if you see the Asian variety atnurseries, pipe up.

Those who want attractive vines to plant in their gardens canfind alternative, non-invasive plants for garden ornamentals, suchas clematis and trumpet honeysuckle. Some native vines that pro-vide food for butterflies and songbirds are native bittersweet,trumpet creeper, passionflower vine, pipevine and native wisteria.

This wonderfully successful plant doesn’t belong here and poses an increasing threat to native plants we should beprotecting. —Margot Brinn

A C L O S E R L O O K

AUTUMN 2005 • 11

The Bitter of Asian Bittersweet

Asian bittersweet with its stranglehold on a tree.

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A fast growing woody vine with bluntthorns, Asian bittersweet is now consid-ered to be one of the worst non-nativeinvasive plants in New York State.

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AU T U M N 2 0 0 5 C A L E N D A RSaturday, October 8th, Hike to Carpenter’s Falls with the Cayuga Trails Club.Come see Carpenter’s Falls in its autumn glory. To carpool from Ithaca, meet at theIthaca Shopping Plaza near Taco Bell at 8:30 am. The group will be gathering at theCarpenter’s Falls parking area off Appletree Point Road around 9:30 am.

Saturday and Sunday, October 8th and 9th, 10:00am – 4:00 pm, Fall FamilyWeekend at Indian Chimney Farm on 404 Conlon Rd. in Lansing. Join the FingerLakes Land Trust and the folks at Indian Chimney Farm for fall farm fun. Land Truststaff member Karen Edelstein will lead a nature walk at the farm on Saturday at 2:00 pm. For other events throughout the weekend check outwww.IndianChimneyFarm.com or call (607) 533-8866.

Wednesday, October 12th, 2:00 – 6:00 pm. Chicken BBQ to Benefit The Campaign to Save Grimes Glen. The event will be hosted by the Bath National Bank of Naplesand take place in front of the bank at 184 South Main Street in Naples. The price is$7.00 for one dinner, or $8.00 with beverage included. Proceeds to benefit the LandTrust’s Campaign to Save Grimes Glen. Tickets maybe purchased in advance at thebank, the Mitchell Joseph Insurance Co. in Naples, the National Bank of Geneva inCanandaigua, or by calling the Land Trust office at 607-275-9487.

Saturday, November 12, 1:30 PM: Year End Nature Walk at the Steege Hill Preserve.Led by Bob Corneau and Betsy Darlington. From Rt. 86 (formerly Rt. 17) take exit 49.Go south on Orcott Rd. Turn right on Rt. 64, then right on Rt. 352, take next left ontoSouth Corning Rd. Cross the bridge and go left on Steege Hill Road. Parking lot onleft.

See our web site for maps and photos of the preserves.

WALKS GO RAIN, SUN OR SNOW. PLEASE BRING SNACKS AND WATER,AND WEAR STURDY SHOES. CALL THE LAND TRUST AT 607-275-9487 FOR DETAILS.

Finger Lakes Land Trust202 E. Court StreetIthaca, New York 14850

Finger Lakes Land Trust

Officers:Jim Kersting, PresidentBrad Edmondson, Vice PresidentAnn Weiland, SecretaryNancy Robbins, TreasurerTom Reimers, VP Land ConservationAlbert Joerger, VP for Development

Board Members:Katherine Borgella Don RainesJim Fralick Don RakowNick Gavrielides John RogersBob Growe Scott Winkelman

Advisory Council:James Byrnes Ted HullarThomas Eisner Suzanne LeeJohn Fitzpatrick Robert MrazekBarbara Hamlin David ZornHoward Hartnett

Staff:Andrew Zepp, Executive DirectorRaul Aguirre, Land Protection SpecialistAbbey Chernela, Office ManagerBetsy Darlington, Director of Preserve

StewardshipKaren Edelstein, CE Stewardship

Coordinator, and GIS SpecialistEmily Eisman, Outreach and Membership

CoordinatorBetsy Landre, Senior Field RepresentativeMark Whitmore, Stewardship Ecologist

Newsletter Editors:Eben McLaneKrishna Ramanujan

Newsletter Layout:West Hill Graphics, Inc.

Advisors:Legal Counsel: Susan Brock, Dan Hoffman,Randy Marcus, Peter Miller, RichardRuswick, True, Walsh & Miller,Forestry Consultant: Michael DeMunn,Founding President: A. Carl Leopold

Western Lakes Chapter:Jim Kersting, Chair 585-367-2301

Eastern Lakes Chapter:Kris Scholl, Chair 315-497-3066

Keuka Chapter:Debbie Koop, Contact 315-595-2523

Finger Lakes Land Trust202 E. Court Street

Ithaca, New York 14850Ph: 607-275-9487 • Fax: 607-275-0037

email: info@fllt.org • www.fllt.org

Western Lakes Office 120 North Main Street, Suite 40

Canandaigua, NY 14424Ph: 585-394-4189