Mark Lavinski, owner of the Salisbury Mills-based landscape company You Rest I Mow Inc., has volunteered to mow and maintain a new nature trail leading to the Wallkill River at the Orange County Land Trust’s Hamptonburgh Preserve in Campbell Hall, the Land Trust announced on June 1.
The scenic, winding trail is the first of its kind at the preserve, which has already drawn a number of new visitors. “It’s a nice, quiet spot that most people don’t even know exists,” said Lavinski in a press release. “I’m pretty familiar with the area and I simply had no idea that there was a nature preserve here.”
Lavinski, an avid outdoorsman, has volunteered his landscape services for similar ventures in the past, such as creating public snowmobile trails. At Hamptonburgh Preserve, his goal was to help the Land Trust at encouraging members of the community to visit the property and explore nature.
According to Lavinski, the idea of adding a trail came about after speaking to an Orange County Land Trust board member about the preserve.
“I’m happy to give back to the great outdoors,” Lavinski said.
“This trail gives visitors a chance to see and enjoy the benefits of land conservation, which brought about the permanent protection of this property,” said Orange County Land Trust Executive Director Jim Delaune.
Hamptonburgh Preserve is located at the intersection of routes 207 and 416 in Campbell Hall. The nature preserve is open to the public for walking, photography, and birding. For GPS or online directions, use 3 State Highway 416, Campbell Hall, NY 10916.
In the more than 20 years the Orange County Land Trust has been in existence, it has helped preserve over 5,000 acres of land.
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