Along the high bluffs of Lake Ontario, in the town of Williamson, Cornwall Preserve feels like it’s always been here — grassy trails, meadow and woods, birds and butterflies floating through, and kids’ voices carrying on the wind.
Like many properties along the Lake, this land could have been developed. For a time, that was a real possibility. Many other places like this have disappeared — one field, one woodland, one view at a time. Without action, it was only a matter of years before this land was lost, too.
Long before it was protected, Carol May, a neighbor, was one of the few people who had permission to walk along the bluff. She remembers following the old farm lanes, seeing the migrating monarch butterflies, knowing it was something special.
She thought, “How special would it be to protect this land — to provide the habitat these butterflies need, forever? And what if instead of only a few being able to walk these trails, it could be shared with everyone?”
She wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Local community members also recognized what was at stake and began asking what it would take to protect this land.
That shared concern inspired a pivotal decision. Ten years ago, the Cornwall family chose to sell 74 acres, and later an additional 3 acres, so it could remain open.
Since then, with ongoing community support, trails have been established and are mowed and cared for. Wildlife habitat has been enhanced, providing places needed by bluebirds, hawks, and so many others. And most importantly — you, your family and friends, can rely on it being there, forever.
More Places at Risk
Today there are areas in our region where people can’t experience nature close to home, and where wildlife don’t have permanently protected land to return to year after year. Yet, it’s not from a lack of possibility. In Monroe and Wayne counties, many spaces could easily be overlooked: fields, woodlots, and stretches that may not seem remarkable at first glance — but hold the potential to become the “next Cornwall Preserve” kind of place where both people and wildlife thrive.
That’s why this year we’re already working with two families to conserve their land as neighborhood conservation areas.
Working alongside local communities, Genesee Land Trust is preserving these lands and waterways as a gift to the future — and to today.