Saratoga PLAN’s Inaugural PLAN for the Future Event Raises $100K

CORINTH — More than 150 guests attended Saratoga PLAN’s first PLAN for the Future event at the Juniper Springs Event Barn in Corinth Oct. 20, raising more than $100,000 to support Saratoga PLAN’s ongoing land conservation and stewardship efforts across Saratoga County. 

“The future of conservation today is protecting family farms and wood lots in our communities across the state, said PLAN’s new executive director Rob Davies, in a statement. “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 made a large effort in protecting those very same areas in Saratoga County by donating land to Saratoga PLAN in 2022 are aptly 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.  

The event also honored two Conservation Champions, individuals recognized for their dedication and extraordinary 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 beloved Phyllis Aldrich, former PLAN board member and mother of Will Aldrich, landowner of Tupelo Community Forest.  

Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) 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. For more information call 518-587-554 or visit saratogaplan.org