Mother Nature is a gift. This gift often goes unnoticed until we’re reminded of its subtle yet alluring presence—from a golden sunset that blankets a nearby pasture—to a resident Great Blue Heron that dips into the Shepaug River—to the bounty of colorful and delicious farm produce that graces our Thanksgiving table. These simple splendors are easy to forget in our fast-paced lives, but they exist in Roxbury all because our friends and neighbors, for the last 50+ years, shared a common vision—to preserve our forest, farmland and waterways (nearly 4,000 acres) in perpetuity for the purpose of promoting passive recreation, education and sustaining our cultural heritage and biodiversity.
This year at the Roxbury Land Trust, we held our second annual RiverFest event; offered, hiking, gardening, birding and other educational events (such as our popular owl banding demonstrations); and secured a notable Two for the Road grant to help us build another parking lot, which will connect several of our popular hiking trails along River Road.
Still, our work is far from over. While we continue to explore ways that we can protect more of Roxbury’s pristine forest and wetlands, we also need to focus on the sustainability and maintenance of our current preserved lands. This year, in particular, our town saw more erosion from severe rainstorms than it’s seen in the last 100 years, requiring our Trust to spend thousands of dollars to fix parking areas, hiking trails and drainage due to this unprecedented rainfall. Our treasured Orzech and Mine Hill Preserve trails were some of the worst to be hit, and yet, because of supporters like you, we were able to make the improvements necessary to keep our trails safe and secure.
During this Thanksgiving season, we want to extend our gratitude to the hundreds of friends and neighbors, just like you, who have made the preservation of land in Roxbury possible. By donating to the Roxbury Land Trust and becoming a member, you are committing to a legacy of land and wildlife conservation that can be enjoyed by all generations, and you ensure we do our part to support a ‘forever wild’ corridor in the Northeast as well as educational programming for learners of all ages.
Mother Nature, truly, is our most precious gift. In a world where so many often discard her, we are grateful that you choose to make her and her sustainability a priority. Thank you in advance for your support. Please consider making a donation today.
