Scenic Hudson Award

The Hudson Highlands. Photocourtesy of Scenic Hudson.

Westchester Land Trust was one of 13 local, regional and national land trusts being honored by Scenic Hudson for protecting important lands throughout the Hudson Valley.

Scenic Hudson, which is based in Poughkeepsie, gave the awards on Satruday evening, June 21, at its annual gala, at Listening Rock Farm in Wassaic.

In addition to Westchester Land Trust, the others receiving the awards were Audubon New York, Columbia Land Conservancy, Dutchess Land Conservancy, Esopus Creek Conservancy, Greene Land Trust, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy Eastern New York Chapter, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, the Orange County Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land/New York State, and the Wallkill Valley Land Trust.

Here's how Scenic Hudson described the groups' contribution:

"Scenic Hudson credits the land trusts with preserving and enhancing the assets that inspired the Hudson River School painters in the 19th century, that earned the region its designation by Congress as a National Heritage Area, and that provide hope for a sustainable future in the 21st century."