Members of the Westchester County Community Join Together and Proclaim a Day of Hope

Bedford Hills, NY – On Friday, September 28th, 2018, the Dominican Sisters of Hope hosted an afternoon of celebration to commemorate the preservation of 34 acres of the 61- acre property known as The Mariandale Center, in the Village of Ossining. Mariandale is owned by the Dominican Sisters of Hope and lies along a stretch of the historic Hudson River. The property will continue to be owned and managed by the Sisters as a retreat and conference center. Westchester Land Trust will hold the conservation easement, which prohibits further development and protects significant ecological resources, forever.

The celebration was emceed by Kacey Morabito Grean, morning DJ at radio station WHUD. Dozens of community members including New York State Senator David Carlucci, New York State Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Westchester County Deputy Ken Jenkins, Westchester County Legislator Catherine Borgia and Ossining Village Mayor Victoria Gearity were in attendance.  The afternoon began with an opening prayer  followed by Ossining Village Mayor Victoria Gearity declaring September 28^th as a village wide “Day of Hope.”

“As the holder of this easement, Westchester Land Trust now assumes the awesome responsibility to protect this land in perpetuity. In this way, we have joined together with the Dominican Sisters. We have become stewards alongside them and we share their faith in the future and hope for our planet,” said Kara H.  Whelan, WLT Vice President.

“Since 2011, we have been blessed to have a number of people help us focus on this core value and ultimately commit to this land conservation easement. Our hope is that, in the future, this land will be a source of healing for body, mind, and spirit, as well as a place of refuge for the wildlife,” said Sister Lorelle, O.P., Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope.

The Sisters unveiled a map delineating the conservation easement boundaries and signed a copy of the conservation easement. The afternoon closed with a prayer followed by refreshments and tours of the Mariandale Center property.

Image Caption (L to R)  back row: WLT Vice President Kara H. Whelan; WLT Advisory Board Member  Brendon DeSimone (Greenwich, CT), WLT Board Member Douglas M. Kraus (Chappaqua, NY); WLT Advisory Board Member Michael Surdej (Lewisboro, NY); WLT Board Member Gary Perusse (Yorktown) front row: WLT Board Member Norma Silva (Yonkers, NY); Sister Lorelle, O.P., Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope (Ossining, NY), WLT Land Conservation Projects Manager John Baker; WLT Board Member Nanette Bourne (White Plains, NY)

ABOUT WESTCHESTER LAND TRUST

Since its founding in 1988, Westchester Land Trust (WLT) has preserved nearly 8,300 acres of open space including more than 700 acres of preserves owned by the organization which are free and open to the public year-round. Westchester Land Trust works with public and private partners to preserve land and to enhance the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties—a densely populated region under persistent threat from the pressures of development. Through the use of conservation easements and outright acquisition, WLT’s efforts benefit the long-term health of these communities by safeguarding air quality, food supply and community character, as well as critical watershed areas. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Westchester Land Trust relies on grants and individual donations to support its preservation and community outreach programs.

For more information about WLT, please visit westchesterlandtrust.org and connect with us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WLandTrust) and Instagram (@WestchesterLandTrust).