Dorene Warner

As you venture out on the trails this summer to find a special place to relax and spend time with family and friends, Tug Hill’s waterfalls could be just the ticket.

We are fortunate that the lands surrounding Tug Hill’s spectacular waterfalls are remarkably intact, many with beautiful trails and overlooks and sparkling clean water.

“Water is one of the things that Tug Hill does best,” notes Katie Malinowski, Tug Hill Commission’s Executive Director. “But we can’t take it for granted.”

As noted by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Northeastern U.S. has experienced
a 38% increase in the amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events from 1901 to 2016 accompanied by longer periods of summer drought. That trend continues.

The change in weather patterns makes it even more important to conserve the lands surrounding streams, wetlands, rivers, and waterfalls.

Heavy downpours cause intensive runoff which, in turn, carries sediment and nutrients, increasing the likelihood of water contamination and rendering habitat unsuitable for fish and other wildlife.

Conserving Tug Hill’s waterways is an ongoing priority for us. Our partnerships with municipalities, conservation organizations, and local landowners are growing.

This summer and fall, with support from people like you, we hope to conserve farms, woodlands, and wildlife habitat that will contribute to maintaining the clean waters of Tug Hill. In the meantime, check out what’s already been conserved.

Find out more about the waterfalls of Tug Hill, and other beautiful places to explore >>

It’s a great way to participate in the Tug Hill 10 Challenge, too.

Cross Island Farms was founded as a sustainable farm in 2005 and since that time farmers Dani Baker and David Belding have never looked back.

In fact, they keep looking forward—finding innovative ways to support local conservation initiatives that connect people to the land, local food, and one another.

The 102-acre farm, located on Wellesley Island, NY, produces certified organic fruits, vegetables, beef, pork and goat meat. Their one-of-a-kind Enchanted Edible Forest consists of over 300 incredible fruits, nuts, berries, and edible flowers. Check them out at crossislandfarms.com.

As the lead donor of the Sanctuary’s all-access trail, they walk the walk of connecting food, community, and healthy land. Local businesses like this make all the difference!

Visit the Joseph A. Blake Wildlife Sanctuary >>

When Andrea, Lydia, and Cynthia grew up in the hamlet of Barneveld, not far from the West Canada Creek, in the town of Trenton, they used to love listening to the birds with their dad, Theodore Kibiuk. “We’d spend hours out there. The birds were amazing—even though we really didn’t appreciate them as kids,” reflected Lydia. “I remember the Monarch butterflies, too. It was really magical.”

“Our parents loved this land, as did our grandparents,” explained Andrea, a veterinarian now living in Watertown, NY. “When our dad passed away, we wanted to honor our family’s connection to this land. We knew our parents and grandparents wanted this land to remain undeveloped for future generations.”

Now the sisters have conserved the 21-acre family land. They continue to own the property and can sell, or gift, the property subject to the conservation agreement.

Parcels like the Kibiuk’s, tucked into communities and along waterways, have often been overlooked as an important part of a regional conservation and ecological strategy.

But that’s changing. Research has documented that “small-parcel” conservation of local patches of habitat could be playing a much bigger role in conserving biodiversity than we might think.

A global study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science assessed the conservation values of vegetation patches in 27 countries on four continents including their size and distance to other habitats.

“Compared to large and well-connected habitat areas, small and isolated patches of habitat have generally been treated as not very important to conservation,” said Professor Wintle, lead researcher, in the article. “What we have found, however, is that small and isolated habitat areas are very important to the survival of many rare and endangered species.”

“This is how you conserve the lands that matter most,” explained Peggy O’Shea, a neighbor who has also protected her land. “Over time, amazing things happen.”

In this case, it’s a neighborhood conservation effort that includes the nearby Trenton Greenbelt and other protected lands along the West Canada Creek. The Kibuik family has protected another piece of the puzzle, and the wildlife and community are all the better for it.

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