Saratoga PLAN Raises $120K at Ritzy Event, Honors Conservation Heroes

ROCK CITY FALLS — Saratoga PLAN, a conservation nonprofit, raised $120,000 at its “PLAN for the Future” dinner at the Mansion of Saratoga last Thursday.

The funds will go directly towards the organization’s ongoing land protection and stewardship efforts, according to Executive Director Robert K. Davies.

Donations were acquired via an in-person paddle raise, as well as a silent auction that included items from the Saratoga National Golf Course, Caffe Lena, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

“We pride ourselves on being a trusted conservation organization in the community, but we couldn’t do it without all of you,” said Peter Olmsted, chair of the Saratoga PLAN board of directors, during the dinner. “We’re really eager to continue our work together and to act now, because once these resources are gone, they’re gone forever.”

The organization also honored its 2024 Conservation Heroes at the event: the Winter family, Ropitzky family, and Ralph Keating.

The Winter family, along with Saratoga County, was celebrated for the establishment of the Graphite Range Community Forest in Wilton. The 200-acre property was slowly assembled by the Winter family over a decade. The forest is now open to the public and includes more than five miles of multi-use trails. The land also supplies the aquifer for the Town of Wilton, making it an especially important resource for protecting water quality. Saratoga PLAN is currently working to expand the forest by an additional 20 acres.

The Ropitzky family helped conserve their historic 221-acre farm in Stillwater, which was facing “intense development pressure,” according to Saratoga PLAN. The farm was first purchased by Peter Ropitzky, a Ukrainian immigrant, in 1926. Today, third-generation farmer Steven Ropitzky grows hay, sweet corn, and pumpkins on the land. 

Ralph Keating was honored for his role as trail steward of the Woodcock Preserve, a 72-acre woodland in Clifton Park. Keating has helped to clear trails, cut back vegetation, implement trail reroutes, and manage structures on the preserve.

In August, Saratoga PLAN held an open house event to share three potential site options for Snake Hill, a 32-acre forested dome on the eastern shore of Saratoga Lake that PLAN acquired from Stewart’s Shops for $1 million. Currently, the organization is reviewing feedback from the event before deciding future uses of the hill.