Volunteers from the Rensselaer Land Trust, Stephentown Historical Society, Restoration of Eastern European Jewish Cemeteries, Inc., Down in Denver Books of Stephentown, neighbors, friends and community members came together on Saturday July 17^th for cemetery restoration work at the historic Stephentown Old Baptist Church Cemetery on Calvin Cole Road. The Old Baptist Cemetery is an early Stephentown cemetery with graves predating the mid 19^th century. The property is owned by Alice LeBlanc who is undertaking responsibility to restore the cemetery to a dignified state and who has granted the Rensselaer Land Trust a conservation easement on the property.

Under the guidance and instruction of cemetery restoration specialist Joseph Ferrannini of Grave Stone Matters, tombstones were excavated, reset and cleaned by the volunteers. Earlier this year, and in 2009, local Eagle Scouts have volunteered at the cemetery and cleared much of the brush, trees, and debris. Their work allowed Saturday's volunteers to focus on tombstone restoration. A follow-up restoration workday is scheduled for Saturday, September 11^th, 2010. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Paul Schroeder, Volunteer Coordinator, Rensselaer Land Trust at pschroeder1@nycap.rr.com or 518-674-2480.

 Volunteers Bob Crowley and Dan Lober excavate a headstone

The Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) has permanently protected a 30-acre property in Stephentown, and will open it to the public as the Robert Ingalls Preserve. Black Brook, a native brook trout spawning stream, flows through a scenic ravine on the forested preserve. The Robert Ingalls Preserve will be open for catch and release fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, birding, and environmental education. RLT plans to improve a parking area, lay out formal trails, and install a kiosk and interpretive trail signs. RLT will offer a guided snowshoe hike/ski at the Preserve in March. The property, located at the intersection of Horse Heaven and Garfield Roads, was brought to the attention of RLT by a neighbor. RLT then negotiated a donation of the property, and costs associated with closing and clean-up are being donated by members of RLT and the local community. The Robert Ingalls Preserve is named in memory of RLT's Vice President and long time Board of Directors member, who passed away in November.

The Preserve is located on the Rensselaer Plateau, one of RLT's priority areas in for land conservation in Rensselaer County. The Rensselaer Plateau's large forests blocks provide wildlife habitat, protect water quality, offer outdoor recreation, and support local economic activity. "The successful protection of the Robert Ingalls Preserve is the result of the former landowner, community residents, and RLT working together. Establishment of the Robert Ingalls Preserve offers the public additional access to open space and additional opportunities for outdoor activities," said Nick Conrad, RLT President.

RLT will have several work days in 2011 for the clean-up, to create the trails, improve the parking area and install the kiosk and signage. We welcome your help on these work days. Please check our website again for specific dates and times for the work days.

Gerald E. and Shirley W. Dunn have donated an agricultural easement on their farmland, the Shadbush Hill, in Schodack to the Rensselaer Land Trust. The 30 acre property on Sagendorf Road in the Town of Schodack, Rensselaer County has historically been a farm with fields, an apple orchard, woodlands, a pond and a wetland area. The agricultural easement protects the property from development by keeping it agriculturally viable and productive, fosters landscape-scale conservation by reducing land fragmentation and it preserves its natural ecosystems, wildlife habitats and the water quality and quantity of the Balekill Stream, which is part of the Muitzeskill Creek watershed, that flows into the Hudson River.

When signing the easement, the Dunns observed that: "Successful protection of farmland is critical to the future of Rensselaer County. We appreciate the opportunity to preserve this land whose scenic beauty and passive recreational use we have enjoyed for more than 45 years. Now is the time to protect these important resources. Farms are being converted to other uses to accommodate the county's rise in population at the expense of food production, wildlife habitats and open space. We have chosen to make Rensselaer County our home for 53 years."