Release Date: August 2, 2021

Bedford Hills, NY—Westchester Land Trust has been awarded a $23,000 grant from the Westchester Community Foundation, a division of The New York Community Foundation, to support the stewardship and restoration of a recently acquired property in New Rochelle, NY. The property includes the last remaining undeveloped land parcels around Glenwood Lake Park and was protected earlier this year by WLT in collaboration with the City of New Rochelle and Friends of Glenwood Lake Park (FGLP). The three groups worked together to secure private funding to purchase the property at fair market value from the previous owner.

“This grant from the Westchester Community Foundation will help protect Glenwood Lake and the surrounding ecosystems from the impacts of development,” said Michael Yellin, who is a member of WLT’s Advisory Board and Glenwood Lake Association. “We are incredibly grateful that these funds will allow us to restore the property and increase public access for the local community to enjoy this special place.”

Glenwood Lake Park is a 13-acre oasis in the City of New Rochelle. The park is owned by the City and the preservation of this adjacent undeveloped 0.4-acre property was key to protecting the water quality and wildlife habitat from the impacts of development of more houses, which could have been built if the land was not protected. As the only lake in the southern part of the New Rochelle, Glenwood Lake Park attracts hundreds of local residents seeking nature’s respite from the surrounding urban density of the community.

The grant will allow groups to restore the property’s natural habitat, create a spur trail that will link to the Glenwood Lake Park trail system, and provide public access to the new property. WLT will work with the Glenwood Lake community and local volunteers on this project.

“We are grateful to Westchester Community Foundation for recognizing the importance of investing in local conservation efforts like this project,” said Lori Ensinger, WLT President. “This grant gives the project a real boost and we’re excited to continue our work with the Friends of Glenwood Lake Park to ensure that these newly protected parcels are restored and enjoyed by the community for years to come.”

Westchester Community Foundation’s mission is to connect generous people to the causes they care about and invest in transformative ideas and organizations to improve lives and strengthen our community. WCF is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the country, with assets of approximately $2.6 billion.