Paul Zofnass and Renee Ring plant a blueberry bush at the entrance to the arboretum to commemorate the opening of this special parcel.

Release Date: November 2, 2020

Bedford Hills, NY—Westchester Land Trust (WLT) announced the opening of a three-acre arboretum adjacent to its 125-acre Westchester Wilderness Walk / Zofnass Family Preserve in Pound Ridge. The arboretum was donated to WLT by the Preserve’s founding family: Paul Zofnass and Renee Ring. Established by Paul Zofnass over the past ten years, the arboretum includes more than 250 different plant species, all identified with name tags and educational signage along 1/3 mile of meandering foot paths.

“Looking beyond its clear educational value, the arboretum’s highly diverse species array will inform the management of the other 31 preserves that Westchester Land Trust protects,” said Brendan Murphy who serves as  Director of Stewardship. “The arboretum will also further our understanding of local climate change impacts. It just gives back to our group and to the community in so many ways.”

Paul Zofnass and his wife Renee Ring, who are Pound Ridge residents (and former and current members of WLT’s Board of Directors, respectively), first conceived the idea of creating a nature preserve decades ago and worked for more than 20 years to establish the Westchester Wilderness Walk / Zofnass Family Preserve. Paul, Renee, and their family donated land, encouraged their neighbors to give land, and created the impressive trail system that exists today. The preserve is WLT’s most visited property and has been the site of numerous community programs and research initiatives, including a preserve-wide inventory led by the New York Botanical Garden.

“Renee and I are so happy to share this arboretum, our labor of love, with the community,” Paul Zofnass said during a small, outdoor event celebrating the opening. “We believe that people naturally care about what they know and protect what they care about. We hope this land provides all in our community an opportunity to get to know new species of plants and trees and inspires more people to not only appreciate the land but commit to protecting land today and in the future.”

Paul credits the late Frederick P. Rose for his love of nature and, specifically, trees. He says it was sparked during a golf outing with Fred more than three decades ago when they both sliced their drives into the woods. As the two made their way into the trees to search for their lost golf balls Fred joked, “If we’re going to be spending so much time out here in the woods, we may as well learn more about them.” Those light-hearted words inspired Paul to become a lifelong student and visionary conservationist of the natural world (the conservation legacy of Mr. Rose was, in turn, memorialized by several land donations to WLT totaling over 85 acres, that are now known as the Frederick P. Rose Preserve, located in Lewisboro).

Arboretum visitors will find detailed signage and carefully laid out areas that allow for easy viewing of grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs. Maples, oaks, lilacs, and more have been carefully planted around each curve of the path. As the arboretum paths climbs to a pinnacle, children of all ages will delight in “discovering” a whimsical stone fort.

“We’ve been amazed by the increase in use of this preserve in recent months and find it to be tremendously satisfying to know that these many acres of land are being enjoyed by families from near and far,” said Renee Ring.

How to get there: Visitors are encouraged to follow the Southern Loop Trail, accessible from the main parking area off Upper Shad Road. The walk from the parking area to the arboretum is 0.8 miles and takes approximately 30 minutes. Please park only in designated areas and adhere to all social distancing protocols.