The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) purchased 83 acres in West Danby, Tompkins County. The property will be added to the FLLT’s Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, representing the 15th acquisition for this diverse natural area.

Bordering Danby State Forest, the new parcel features wetlands adjacent to the Cayuga Inlet, a natural kettle pond, and steep forested hillsides. With this latest addition, the Lindsay-Parsons Preserve now spans more than 630 acres. First established in 1996 as the world’s first temperate-zone preserve for research in biodiversity and chemical ecology, today it is a popular site for birdwatching and is well known for its scenic views.

Photo: Chris Ray

The Lindsay-Parsons Preserve features nearly four miles of trails and is open year-round from dawn to dusk for quiet nature observation and low-impact recreational activities such as hiking and cross-country skiing. A wetland overlook offering plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities can be found on Sylvan Lane next to the West Danby Firehouse, opposite the main preserve entrance on Route 34/96.

This acquisition was made possible with support from private contributions and a grant from New York State’s Water Quality Improvement Project Program.

The Lindsay-Parsons Preserve is located in the Emerald Necklace, an effort to link 50,000 acres of existing public open space that extend in an arc around Ithaca—from Finger Lakes National Forest in the west to Hammond Hill and Yellow Barn state forests in the east. These lands host 78 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail, two Audubon-designated Important Bird Areas, and several dozen Tompkins County-designated Unique Natural Areas. The Emerald Necklace is also recognized as a priority project within New York State’s Open Space Plan.