The Journey at Malloryville Bog: Commitment, Teamwork and Tenacity in Defense of Land and Nature

Here is an illuminating and intimate chronicle of environmental challenge and success. The author and his wife buy a long-desired home within an extraordinary piece of wild nature only to confront plans for a gravel mine and concrete plant next door, adjacent to their pristine wetlands. Faithfully relating a fifteen-year story in first person—a case study of sorts, fully documented with letters and memos of the many participants—this is the author's personal narrative of his home and the collective effort to protect his cherished land. Here is his account of glacier-formed eskers, kames and kettles, of diverse woodlands, swamps, fens and bog, of mining applications and recurring environmental reviews, of uncertainty and long struggle, and of diligence, awesome teamwork and phenomenal land deals. Ultimately, this is a story of conservation success, culminating in the establishment and dedication of The Nature Conservancy's magical and treasured O.D. von Engeln Preserve at Malloryville, located in the picturesque Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York.