Inaugural Gala Reminder: September 30, 2015 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm
The Land Conservancy’s Inaugural Gala is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at The Saturn Club on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. We will have live music by The Hot Club of Buffalo, an open bar with cocktails, hors d’oeurves, a full dinner, and dessert. The night will also feature awards and an exciting live auction. As of today, September 1, the Gala is sold out. Any reservations received from now until September 23 will be placed on a waiting list.

You can place bids on auction items in advance, even if you don’t plan to attend the gala, by calling the Land Conservancy at (716) 687-1225. All advance bids must be received by 5:00 p.m. on September 23. You may also pledge to donate to help match the $10,000 challenge gift until September 29. For more information about the event or auction items, visit our Gala webpage.

Stella Niagara Preserve Vision Plan Presentation: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Now that the Land Conservancy has purchased the Stella Niagara Preserve, we will begin planning to restore and enhance wildlife habitat, improve public access with benches, signage, and other amenities, and better protect the historic art and structures. We have held several stakeholder meetings in the last few weeks to begin gathering information to develop a Vision Plan for the preserve. The Vision Plan will help guide our efforts at the preserve.

We will be hosting a presentation of some our initial ideas for the […]

Inaugural Gala: September 30, 2015 from 6 to 9pm

The Land Conservancy will host its Inaugural Gala the evening of Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at the historic Saturn Club on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.

Reservations to the gala include an open bar with cocktails, hors d’oeurves, dinner, and dessert. The night will also feature gypsy jazz music by The Hot Club of Buffalo and an exciting live auction by Buffalo’s own Cash Cunningham!

For more information or to pay for reservations, visit our Gala page.

The Land Conservancy is accredited!
In August, the Land Conservancy was accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.

We are honored to be counted among the 317 Accredited Land Trusts in the nation. This achievement embodies our organization’s dedication to excellence in land conservation, stewardship, and management. Being accredited will help us continue to grow and expand our impact throughout the region.

Accredited land trusts are authorized to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.

Click here for more information on our recent accreditation.

Break the Cycle Bike-A-Thon and Tribute Garden Ribbon Cutting: Saturday, September 26, 2015, 8:30 Registration, 10:00 bike/walk, 10:45 ribbon cutting
The Erie County Commission on the Status of Women and local domestic violence advocates have been working for years to create the Tribute Garden […]

Blue Moon Owl Prowl at Bryant Hill Preserve – Friday, July 31 at 8pm
On the night of the blue moon, Friday, July 31st, the Land Conservancy will be hosting an Owl Prowl at the Bryant Hill Preserve in Cattaraugus County. The owl prowl will be led by Paul Fehringer, Executive Director and Senior Naturalist from Wild Spirit Education. Paul will also be doing a demonstration with live owls before the prowl begins. This event is free and open to the public. Attendees should bring their own flashlights.

To register for this event, please contact Rachel Chrostowski at rachelc@wnylc.org or (716) 687-1225.

Geology Hike at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve – Sunday, August 9th from 10 am to 12pm
Come splash through Hunters Creek with hike leader Stan Radon and discover the geology of the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve in Wales. This popular hike includes spectacular views of the gorge. It’s a great family outing on a hot August day!

Stan is an engineering geologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He also teaches geology, energy, and environmental classes at SUNY Buffalo and Daemen College.

To register for this event, please contact Rachel Chrostowski at rachelc@wnylc.org or (716) 687-1225.

Compost Bin & Rain Barrel Sale
Erie County Department of Environment and Planning is selling rain barrels and compost bins! A rain barrel helps prevent stormwater from reaching waterways, reduces the potential for pollution and helps to save water that residents use for their plants and grass. A backyard compost bin is the most practical and convenient way to handle your yard wastes. […]

Garlic Mustard Pull at Stella Niagara Preserve – Friday, June 12 at 1pm

By now you may have heard the great news – the Western New York Land Conservancy has purchased the Stella Niagara Preserve in Lewiston! We are planning some exciting things for Stella, including meadow restoration with native plantings, and plan to open the preserve to the public later this summer.

Unfortunately, right now Stella has a lot of invasive garlic mustard. We are hoping to pull much of it out before the plants go to seed. We plan to do this on Friday, June 12 at 1pm and would love to have your help! Feel free to bring a friend. A single garlic mustard plant produces hundreds of seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for five years or more! So, each plant pulled out will make a big difference at Stella for years to come.

The Stella Niagara Preserve is located on Lower River Road by the intersection of Pletcher Road in Lewiston. The Lewiston Senior Center has offered to allow visitors to park in their lot off of Pletcher Road by the baseball diamond. If you want to get specific directions from google, click this link: http://bit.ly/1K9SSsC

To sign up, please contact Community Engagement Director, Rachel Chrostowski at rachelc@wnylc.org or (716) 687-1225.

Geology Hike at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve – Sunday, August 9th from 10 am to 12pm

This hike will be led by Stan Radon, and will feature a walk right through Hunters Creek, views of the gorge walls, and a small waterfall at the Kenneglenn Nature […]

Upcoming Volunteer Days
The Land Conservancy is looking for volunteers to help with invasive species eradication at our preserves this summer. In honor of Invasive Species Awareness Week, we will be working with the WNY PRISM at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve in Wales on Friday, July 17. We will also be working at the Niagara Escarpment Preserve in Lockport on Thursday, August 6 and Friday, August 7. Volunteers will need boots and gloves. If you would like to lend a hand on any of these days, please let us know! info@wnylc.org or (716) 687-1225

Lawn Mowing at Kenneglenn
Finally, beautiful spring weather is upon us! The grass is beginning to wake up from the long winter and now needs to be mowed regularly.

We are in search of a volunteer (or several volunteers) to mow the lawn at the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve. We have a riding mower on site for use by volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering for this task, please contact us at info@wnylc.org or (716) 687-1225.

We would like to express our gratitude to Larry Bishop and Tim O’Donnell, who donated their time and services to this task for more than a decade! We are incredibly grateful for their wonderful support and assistance. Thank you, Larry and Tim!

2015 Garlic Mustard Challenge
The Land Conservancy welcomes individuals and groups to come to the Kenneglenn Nature Preserve to participate in the 2015 Garlic Mustard Challenge! Already this year, groups have removed over 220 pounds of garlic mustard! Help enhance the beauty of Kenneglenn by removing this invasive species!
This year’s Garlic Mustard Challenge will end on June […]

Show your support for the Stella Niagara Preserve today!
In the last few weeks, the Land Conservancy received a commitment of $10,000 from the M&T Charitable Foundation and a $25,000 commitment from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo toward the Stella Niagara Preserve. We are now only $105,000 away from meeting the $200,000 challenge gift from Pamela and Joe Priest of Lewiston. When this gift is matched, the project’s fundraising goal will have been met. We will be able to purchase the Stella Niagara Preserve and open it to the public later this year. The deadline to meet this goal is June 1 – in just three weeks!

The Land Conservancy is calling on all Western New Yorkers – businesses, foundations, and individuals – to help make the Stella Niagara Preserve a reality! To make a donation, or read more about Stella, visit the Stella webpage. If you have questions please feel free to contact Nancy Smith at the office (716) 687-1225 or nancyrs@wnylc.org.

RSVP today for the 2015 Annual Meeting!
The 2015 Annual Meeting and Reception will be held on Thursday, June 4th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at The Buffalo History Museum in Delaware Park in Buffalo. The Land Conservancy welcomes members and non-members to attend. The annual meeting is an opportunity for the Land Conservancy community to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and plan for the year ahead. The evening will include drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and Board member elections.

At this meeting our Board of Directors will also seek input on an important revision to our bylaws. Members of the Land Conservancy will have the opportunity to vote on a change […]

Land Conservancy hires a new Community Engagement Director

The Land Conservancy welcomed Rachel Chrostowski as the newest member of their staff on April 6, 2015. As Community Engagement Director, Rachel will increase the public’s engagement with the Land Conservancy’s work.

Rachel has a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from SUNY Geneseo; however, her education in earth science started at a much earlier age. She credits her geologist mother with her deep love of the natural environment, appreciation for open space, and strong conservation values. Before coming to work for the Land Conservancy in April 2015, Rachel was a planner for over eight years in Erie and Livingston Counties where she worked to recertify and consolidate agricultural districts, organized training events for local government, supported regional planning initiatives, and more.

Rachel is excited to work closely with volunteers and the community to advance the Land Conservancy’s mission to permanently preserve natural spaces and to protect our region’s farmland for future generations.

May 2: Wildflower Hike at Niagara Escarpment Preserve

Spring is finally here and the Western New York Land Conservancy is hosting a wildflower hike at the Niagara Escarpment Preserve to celebrate its arrival. The hike will take place on Saturday, May 2 from 1pm to 3pm.

The Niagara Escarpment Preserve is a 36-acre property on Leete Road in Lockport, protected by the Land Conservancy in 2011. It is rich in flora and fauna because of its location on the Niagara Escarpment, a unique rock formation that extends 750 miles across Ontario and into Wisconsin.

The wildflower hike will be led by Ed Fuchs, Joanne Schlegel, and Erin Redding. Ed and Joanne are […]

Challenge Gift for the Stella Niagara Preserve
On Thursday, February 26, the Land Conservancy and the Friends of the Stella Niagara Preserve hosted a fundraiser at the Castellani Art Museum on the Niagara University Campus. The event was meant to help us reach our goal of raising more than $3.2 million needed to create the Stella Niagara Preserve by June 1, 2015.

The event was incredibly successful. We had a great venue, a great mix of project supporters, great conversations, great food and drinks, and great presentations from donors. By the end of what was a very long day, we were still approximately $400,000 away from our fundraising goal. We were feeling good, but trying to think of what to do next. As people began to leave the museum, a couple approached us. They had an offer – to provide a $200,000 challenge gift that will match each new donation, dollar for dollar!

That couple was Pamela and Joe Priest. They told us: “We couldn’t have asked for a more personally fulfilling cause to support than the Stella Niagara Preserve project. Our family drives by its location on Lower River Road almost daily and enjoys the pastoral scenery it provides when boating on the Niagara River in the summer. The Stella Niagara Preserve is especially meaningful to us because our children both graduated from the adjacent Stella Niagara Education Park. Our daughter continues to be educated by the Sisters of St. Francis at the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. The Stella Niagara Preserve project continues the tradition of stewardship and protection of the environment that the Sisters […]