Courtesy Saratoga PLAN
A Saratoga PLAN fundraiser event last month raised over $100,000, organization officials said.
The first PLAN For the Future event took place Oct. 20 at Juniper Springs Event Barn in Corinth, with over 150 guests attending.
The money raised supports Saratoga PLAN’s ongoing land conservation and stewardship efforts across Saratoga County.
Guests were treated to an expansive selection of food and drinks including honeycrisp vodka from regional distillery 1911 Spirits; local craft beer and wine from Artisanal Beer Works, Common Roots Brewery, Adirondack Winery and Old Tavern Farm; and offerings from chef David Britton’s roving food truck, Pies on Wheels.
Those offerings included such as wood-fired pizza and farm-to-fork dishes like zucchini parmesan with ingredients from Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, and chicken with tikka masala rub from Full Circle Farm in the Hudson Valley. Jazz music was provided by lGrand Boubousse. The evening concluded with sweet treats donated by local baker Leah Stein of Leah’s Cakery in Round Lake.
PLAN’s new executive director, Rob Davies, welcomed guests. He spoke about his transition earlier this year from the DEC state forester for 22 years, to working in nonprofit land conservation in the Saratoga region.
“The future of conservation today is protecting family farms and wood lots in our communities across the state,” he said. “It is protecting those special open spaces in our backyards where we live, work, and play every day that form the character and quality of life of our communities that are under so much pressure today.”
Individuals who have helped in the effort to protect areas in Saratoga County by donating land to Saratoga PLAN in 2022 are named Conservation Heroes. Five heroes were celebrated at the PLAN for the Future event, including father and son, Paul and Brett Bolesh who conserved their 50-acre farm in Northumberland with Saratoga PLAN earlier this year.
“Saratoga PLAN’s mission impacts not only the world that we all know and love, but the world that our children and future generations will steward. I believe that supporting land conservation means investing in the future, and I am proud to see our community come together to champion and elevate this critical work,” said Saratoga PLAN board member Jessica Schwartzman
The event also honored two Conservation Champions, individuals recognized for their dedication and contributions to conservation during their lifetime: Tim Barnett, former executive director of the Adirondack Chapter for the Nature Conservancy and former Saratoga PLAN emeritus board member, and Phyllis Aldrich, former PLAN board member and mother of Will Aldrich, landowner of Tupelo Community Forest.
Saratoga PLAN [Preserving Land and Nature] is a nonprofit land trust that preserves the rural character, natural habitats and scenic beauty of Saratoga County. It has helped conserve over 7,000 acres of land in Saratoga County.
PLAN helps landowners conserve farmland, woodlands and natural habitats, and connects people to nature through an extensive trail network, including 12 public nature preserves open for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and nature study. It facilitates community-based conservation by partnering with municipalities to help them accomplish their community’s conservation goals.
For more information call 518-587-554 or visit saratogaplan.org.