Archive for December 2008
Saranac New Land Trust Seeks Members
Out of the woods we came, and to the woods we must return, at frequent intervals, if we are to redeem ourselves from the vanities of civilization.
- Paul Jamison, Preface, The Adirondack Reader, 2nd Edition, 1994.
In the remote heart of the forests of the Town of Saranac, in the hills rising from the Saranac River valley to Lyon Mountain, just inside the northern edge of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, the Saranac New Land Trust (NLT) consists of something far more than a land conservation project.
NLT is a 501c not-for-profit corporation run by local naturalists working hard to make NLT’s 280-acre forest available and highly accessible to the public for educational, recreational, and soulful enrichment. This membership-based organization is enjoying a revival of interest and participation as it undergoes shifts from its 1978 founders’ efforts to those of “new blood,” including those “young” friends who introduced me to it, Stuart and Jennifer Douglas (Hyland Design). “Young,” I say, only because they are about half my age, but wise beyond their years in endearing ways.
These ambassadors of NLT raised my awareness not merely through modern forms of pamphleteering, not just through email or phone calls or referrals to their web site, not just through gab and hype. They put their boots to the ground and helped arrange, publicize and host a free and open-to-the-public event similar to a favorite Balsamean activity: a Full Moon Bonfire Gathering, on December 13, 2008.
NLT is people, not just land. Yep, seriously: of the people, by the people, for the people; that is, for the underlying purpose of enriching the relationships between “the people” and “the land,” which should be inseparably integral to each other’s lives.
NLT seeks new members to help sustain the organization and move it into a more active role in the community. Recent developments include a new board of directors, extensive improvements to the network of trails, including mapping and signage, a web site overhaul, newsletters, property access and building improvements. They expect to offer programs and projects for community groups and individuals interested in shared participation in the cultivation of this expansive community forest resource. As with any member-based outfit, your participation is needed to help advance community interests in eco-centric, sustainable co-existence with Nature, with the great advantage of existing and evolving NLT resources. Or, just enjoy the use of a forest free of molestation by “the vanities of civilization.”
Watch the NLT web site for new information, activity and event announcements, newsletters, and membership opportunities: www.newlandtrust.org.
The Saranac New Land Trust is certified Balsamea-compatible! So says:
- The Balsamean
