COLLEGE LODGE
A challenge met: the College Lodge Forest and the Western New York Land Conservancy By Dr. Jonathan Titus, Department of Biology
The Western New York Land Conservancy had an agreement in place to purchase 168 acres of the College Lodge Forest from the Faculty Student Association (FSA), provided it could raise $790,000 by Dec. 31, 2020. The land conservancy reported in January that it, “with help from the Friends of the College Lodge Forest, raised $790,000 to purchase the land and sustain it through the group’s Stewardship Fund. A $200,000 challenge gift was met by a Dec. 31 deadline.” The purchase price
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to the Faculty Student Association was $314,000 with the remaining $476,000 being held by the WNYLC for costs related to stewardship. The College Lodge Forest is a community gathering place and one of the most beautiful natural areas remaining in Western New York. The property was purchased in 1939 by SUNY Fredonia students, with their own funds, for the main objective of promoting healthy outdoor activities and nature study. Generations of Fredonia alumni
have hiked its trails and participated in nature studies on the property. Since then, the land has been a prized learning laboratory for thousands of teachers, researchers, and students from around the globe. At least 144 species of birds, 15 species of reptiles and amphibians, 15 species of mammals, and more than 500 species of plants — including eight orchid species and four plant species considered very rare in New York State — exist on the property. It boasts a network of hiking trails, a pristine wetland and
