WLT’s 2025 honorees—Laura Desmarais, Preservation Award; Amy Ferguson, Community Volunteer Award; Caleb Carpenter, Youth Conservation Award. Photo by Brien Adams

Bedford Hills, NY—On Saturday, June 7, over 300 guests gathered at the scenic Ivanna Farm in Mount Kisco for Fields of Gold: Celebrating Champions of New Horizons, Westchester Land Trust’s (WLT) biggest fundraiser of the year. The festive evening raised $540,000 to support WLT’s work to protect land, safeguard clean water, and steward natural places across Westchester and eastern Putnam counties, setting a record for the most funds ever raised at the organization’s annual benefit.

Set against a backdrop of golden fields and land permanently protected by WLT, the event featured inspiring tributes to this year’s honorees. Laura Desmarais, of New Castle, received the Preservation Award for her leadership in de-developing and protecting Round Rock Preserve. Amy Ferguson, of Mount Kisco, accepted the Community Volunteer Award for her twelve years of devoted service to WLT’s Board and her powerful advocacy for local conservation. Caleb Carpenter, a high school student from Somers, received the Youth Conservation Award recipient for his hands-on leadership at WLT’s Sugar Hill Farm food pantry garden.

Speaking about Round Rock Preserve, Laura Desmarais said “I’d like this preserve to bring peace and calm and serenity and an appreciation for the gift of nature’s beauty to anybody who walks through here.” Reflecting on the work required to create and protect the preserve, she added, “Anything important is worth doing, even if it’s hard.”

Amy Ferguson echoed the importance of conservation, saying “Supporting the land trust means you’re supporting clean air and you’re supporting clean water. It’s so much bigger than protecting a few acres here or there.”

Serving as an example of the power of the next generation of conservationists, Caleb Carpenter reflected on his time volunteering with WLT and noted, “Even though you’re volunteering for others, it’s also helping yourself. For me, personally, it’s a great way to relax, get some fresh air, have a good time, and forget the stresses that are another part of your day.”

Guests enjoyed hand-crafted cocktails, a three-course farm-to-table dinner by Marcia Selden Catering, and a night filled with live music and dancing under the stars. New this year, WLT hosted a live auction, which energized the crowd and sparked friendly bidding wars over once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The evening culminated in a lively paddle raise, where guests raised their paddles high to support the vital mission of protecting open space and clean water for future generations. WLT also highlighted recent conservation successes, like the protection of 13.4 acres on Reyburn Road in Bedford, and looked toward the future, announcing projects in progress that will permanently protect more than 400 acres in the coming months.

“We thank all who joined us for a fantastic evening with a special thank you to the Hadar Family for welcoming our guests to their historic homestead,” said Kara Whelan, president of Westchester Land Trust. “Our annual celebration reminds us that conservation work relies on connections with the land and the enthusiasm from each other. Our organization is incredibly lucky to have many generous supporters who stand for the land with us.”

The event was made possible thanks to the generosity of business sponsors, auction donors, and an incredible benefit committee led by co-chairs Jessica Watts and Jennifer Wege, along with Allyson Berry, Eleanor Hershey, Patty Kravit, Lee Manning-Vogelstein, Susan Markowitz, Donna Schwartz, Karen Simmons, Mike Surdej, and Amanda Victoria Mintz.

All proceeds support WLT’s conservation efforts, including preserving threatened landscapes, restoring habitats, growing fresh food for local families, and ensuring that more people can access and enjoy nature close to home.

We acknowledge that our region is within the traditional territories of the Lenape people and that their culture and traditions live on today.