Photo by Erik Danielson The Western New York Land Conservancy is hoping to raise $925,000 by Dec. 31

The Western New York Land Conservancy has announced it will raise funds this year to purchase an extraordinary 223-acre property adjacent to the College Lodge Forest near Fredonia. The Land Conservancy will assemble a Friends of the Floating Fen committee to help steer fundraising activities, and they encourage any individual interested in land conservation to reach out if they would like to join the committee.

The community needs to raise $925,000 by Dec. 31.

This incredibly diverse forest is home to a unique wetland that includes a bog-like area the Land Conservancy calls “the floating fen.” Every summer, the floating fen comes alive with a carpet of blue flag iris, carnivorous sundews, and a trove of rare plants. The surrounding forest also teems with porcupines, beavers, fishers, great flocks of migratory songbirds, and other spectacular wildlife.

Once the land is protected, the Floating Fen will join the College Lodge Forest as a nature preserve, combining to form nearly 400 acres of protected land. The Land Conservancy will then maintain the forest and wetland, and it will open a walking trail so visitors can enjoy the site’s nature.

The combined block of forest will also become another important part of the Land Conservancy’s Western New York Wildway, the ambitious plan to protect, connect, and restore our region’s largest forests — from Northern Pennsylvania to the Adirondack Mountains and beyond. To learn more about the Floating Fen and the Western New York Wildway, visit WNYLC.ORG.

If you would like to donate to save the Floating Fen, you can donate online at wnylc.org/donate (select “Floating Fen” in the dropdown menu) or send a check made payable to “Western New York Land Conservancy” to P.O. Box 471, East Aurora, NY 14052. Please call or email if you have questions: (716) 687-1225 or info@wnylc.org.

The Western New York Land Conservancy is a regional, non-profit land trust that has protected more than 7,000 acres of land with significant conservation value in Western New York for the benefit of future generations.

We envision a future in which forests, farms, meadows, and waterways are connected, cherished, and protected in Western New York. Our clean air, clean water, and fertile soils will equitably support the health and wellbeing of future generations of every living thing. The Land Conservancy is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, or the mission of the Western New York Land Conservancy, please call (716) 687-1225 or visit wnylc.org.