Welcome Note

By Rob Terry, Executive Director

Summer is almost here. Our busy spring field-trip season has wound down, the first cutting of hay is in the barn, and the viewshed is awash in leafy green as far as the eye can see. As regional schools begin shutting their doors for the summer, more and more folks are wandering up the access road for mid-week hikes and visits to the farm. It is a beautiful time of year to be out on the land. Summer thunder showers lend drama to the skies over the southern Adirondacks while tall grasses sway in the breeze around the farm. With mud season behind us, trails are largely dry, firm and ready to shepherd visitors deep into the splendor that is the Taconic Mountains. Throughout this issue, you will find vignettes from the farm and forest, pictures from the land, and reflections from those of us who are lucky to spend our time living and working in this amazing place. Of course, as lovely as the Ridgeline is, there is no substitute for time spent on the land. With that in mind, I would strongly encourage all who are able to head on up for a visit! Everything we do, we do so this space, and all that happens here, can inspire, so when you arrive, stop in and say hi at the Visitor Center, ask us questions when you find us out working on the farm or in the woods, share your pictures with us, and most importantly have a rejuvenating experience connecting with the land.