Twenty enthusiastic hikers and a few very happy dogs kicked-off the New Year by celebrating Granby’s natural beauty with a Granby Land Trust (GLT) hike. GLT Board member Fran Armentano led the three-mile woodlands walk that wound through the spectacular Mary Edwards Mountain Property in North Granby.
Mary Edwards left this 200-acre preserve to the Granby Land Trust when she passed away 15 years ago. She wanted the property, with its view of 40 miles of the Connecticut River Valley, its brook, its pond, its stone walls, open fields and woodland trails, to be enjoyed by all. She entrusted the GLT with not only this property, but a number of smaller properties in town, as well. She also had the foresight to create a stewardship fund for the maintenance of the Mountain Property.
Mary’s support was critical to the early success of the Granby Land Trust and for that we are forever grateful to her.
For the last 11 years, Fran has led this New Year’s Day hike, on warm days and cold. (Even last year’s record-setting, below-zero temps didn’t keep people away!) The Land Trust is grateful to Fran for his dedication—and for helping us start every New Year with a quiet and heartfelt thank you to Mary for her generosity and foresight, and for this incredible gift that continues to bring joy to so many, not just on January 1, but throughout the year.