When the Adirondack Land Trust’s Next Gen Council partnered with Ausable Brewing Company to host an event to celebrate the Adirondacks on October 14, we asked Next Gen Council member Carlie Leary to talk about why she supports land conservation in the Adirondacks. Here’s what she had to say.
My name is Carlie Leary, and I’m a member of the Next Gen Council of the Adirondack Land Trust. But I don’t actually live in the Adirondack Park. I live in Plattsburgh, which means on my way to Ausable Brewing Company today I was in the car for a few minutes before I went by the brown and yellow sign on Route 9N welcoming me to the Adirondack Park.
But here’s the thing. When I go to the sink to get a glass of water in Plattsburgh, I’m tapping into the Saranac River. The Saranac River starts in the Adirondacks. That water comes from lakes surrounded by forests, which means I get to live in a city where I don’t inhale smog. I also use those lakes to paddle, swim, and enjoy a few beers with my friends. So I know two things: The Adirondacks are bigger than the Park. And if the Adirondacks stay healthy, I stay healthy.
That’s why I joined the Next Gen Council of the Adirondack Land Trust. The Adirondack Land Trust is a nonprofit committed to land conservation that keeps people and nature healthy. The Next Gen Council is a group of volunteers in our 20s and 30s who support that work.
We invited you here today to celebrate giving back to the Adirondacks. We want to tell you about how the Adirondack Land Trust is adding to the Forest Preserve on Upper Saranac Lake. How we’ve partnered with Ben Wever Farm in Willsboro to take care of their business and take care of water quality in the Boquet River. And tell you more about what we’re planning for accessible trails in Harrietstown and Lake Placid.
Thank you again to the Ausable Brewing Company, who is supporting those projects by donating a dollar from every pint sold tonight to the Adirondack Land Trust. Cheers!