On Friday, July 27thmore than 50 friends and supporters of the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) gathered at the Stockbridge Train Station to highlight the collaborative efforts of HVA and our local land trust partners.
Representatives from Laurel Hill Association, Great Barrington Land Conservancy, Sheffield Land Trust, Monterey Preservation Land Trust, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Stockbridge Land Trust, Egremont Land Trust and New Marlborough Land Trust joined the celebration.
Hosted by longtime HVA supporter, Richard “Stebbie” Stebbins of New Marlborough, the event offered guests cocktails, hors d’oeuvre, and a gallery tour of featured artwork from the River Art Project. Glendale artist Jim Schantz was in attendance, and he and his fellow artists have generously offered to donate a portion of the proceeds from their art sales to support HVA and Riverkeeper as they continue on their mission to protect the Housatonic River.
In keeping with the theme of the night, Celebrating the Beauty and Preservation of the Housatonic River Valley, HVA Berkshire Director Dennis Regan shared a few words about the partnerships that are making our work so successful. A total of 7 Berkshires region land trusts have partnered with HVA and together we have made strides towards the goal of protecting 60% of the woodland area surrounding the river through our “Follow the Forest” initiative.
“We need partnerships on the ground with local organizations, and with the people who live along the river, if we’re going to protect the Housatonic,” said Regan. “Working together, we can accomplish large scale change starting right in our own communities.”
What can you do to help? Plant a tree or a rain garden, learn about your watershed, join your local land trust, and support HVA! Every little bit makes a difference and adds up to an enormous positive impact!
