Bozenkill Preserve

Bozenkill Preserve. . , This 225-acre Bond Road property was added to T Mohawk Hudson Land Conservaney's Bozen Kill Preserve in 2024. MHLC is grateful to neighboring landowners Bryan Swift and Lauren Lyons-Swift, along with Marti and Kevin McLoughlin, who initiated the process of preserving this land , This addition to the Bozen Kill Preserve has expanded the Bozen Kill Conservation Corridor to nearly 700 acres. The corridor currently includes protected land between MHLC's Bozen Kill Preserve and Wolf Creek Falls Preserve and is one of the Conservancy's priority protection areas. , Protecting the Bozenkill Kill , The Bozen Kill flows from the Helderberg Mountains over the traditional lands of the Mohawk and Mohican peoples. The dense forests along the steep-sided ravine formed by the Bozen Kill help protect water quality. Forest roots hold stream banks, reducing erosion in this rugged terrain and keeping waters cool and clean as they flow to the Waterviet Reservoir. Protecting water quality is critical as this source serves more than 30,000 residents in the Town of Guilderland and City of Watervliet. , Early European settlers clear cut much of the forest surrounding the Bozen Kill for pasture, lumber, and fuel. A historical reference from the American Revolution describes cutting and burning that went on for months by the Van Auken brothers, who once owned and farmed the land along the Bozen Kill on both sides of what is now Westfall Road. In the 1970s, three of four routes proposed for the construction of Interstate 88 would have significantly impacted the Bozen Kill and the surrounding area. A committee to save the Bozen Kill formed and successfully opposed the proposal. , Protecting Wildlife , The Nature Conservancy identifies the Bozen Kill Conservation Corridor as an area of high value for biological diversity and climate resiliency. Resilient and connected areas are critical to ensuring clean water and habitat for wildlife and people as the climate changes. The New York State Open Space Plan also identifies the corridor as a conservation priority. Black bears, bobcats, and fishers call this landscape home, all animals that require large tracts of land and limited human disturbance to carry out their life cycles. , Trails are limited to only a section of the property, with most of the corridor preserved for wildlife to roam and unique plants and geology to remain for generations., The acquisition of this property was made possible thanks to funding from The Nature Conservancy, Scenic Hudson Inc., the Land Trust Alliance, The William Gundry Broughton Private Charitable Foundation, The Weill Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, and generous support from community members and the Town of Guilderland This project was also supported by Albany County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury., This kiosk was supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York's Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation., [Right Inset] , The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy's mission is to conserve and steward lands and waters of the Mohawk and Hudson River Valleys for the benefit of people and the environment. , MHLC's commitment to preserving these natural resources honors the legacy of the Mohican and Mohawk peoples as the stewards who nurtured this land since time immemorial. We honor and respect their care of the natural world and commit our efforts to making these lands a more inclusive and equitable environment for all. , This preserve is one of many properties the Conservancy owns and opens to the public for hiking and outdoor recreation.