Polly Young’s photos of the Adirondacks could fill a gallery wall: A sun-dappled trail winding through a hemlock forest. The tumbling waterfalls and rapids of surging rivers. Glassy lakes that reflect the cliffs of a towering peak and wild shorelines of brilliant gold and scarlet autumn foliage. Polly stepped into these scenes with her Nikon N6006 camera between 1990 and 2004, bringing home memories on 35mm film that she then preserved in glossy, richly hued prints. Decades later, these images strengthen a viewer’s connection to place and stir curiosity about a wild landscape.
Before her death at age 88 in 2023, Polly lived in Rome, New York. She was a music teacher who made many trips to the Adirondacks enjoying short hikes, broad vistas, and long and winding drives. While we know little else about her life, we are deeply honored to be entrusted with her legacy. Polly made a generous gift to the Adirondack Land Trust through her will, directing a portion of her estate to what she believed to be its best use: preserving the Adirondacks.
Polly is an Adirondack Visionary, our designation that gratefully recognizes donors who help ensure the conservation of Adirondack forests, waters, farms, and wild places through planned gifts. Polly’s images indicate that she enjoyed protected lands and waters via trails with wide, level surfaces of packed soil or crushed stone that gave her access to nature even as she advanced in age. After thoughtful consideration, our board designated a portion of Polly’s bequest to support accessible wildland trails at Glenview Preserve in Harrietstown and High Meadow Preserve in Lake Placid, which helped to leverage a $3 million grant toward this work. When these trails are completed and open to the public, visitors will encounter panoramic vistas, diverse habitats, and vibrant forests that will no doubt find their way into many more camera rolls.
What we see through Polly’s camera shows her eye for the striking features, botanical patterns, and seasonal changes that make a treasured place feel new on every visit. She was intentional about preserving the Adirondacks on film, just as we are committed to ensuring that the landscape where she found inspiration and awe remains unchanged for future generations.