Brooklyn Botanic Garden on May 18 signed the transfer of property ownership of 245 acres in Ossining to Teatown Lake Reservation, a nonprofit nature reserve in northern Westchester County. Brooklyn Botanic Garden President Scot Medbury and Teatown Executive Director Kevin Carter signed the title transfer, which also ensures that the property will be protected from development in perpetuity by a conservation easement.
This is a major milestone in the preservation of open space in Westchester and in the evolution of Teatown Lake as the county’s largest community-supported nature preserve, and one of the largest and most active environmental education and science centers in the region.
“From the very beginning, Teatown and BBG have been closely linked,” said Carter. “In fact, without BBG, there would be no Teatown. They provided the structure, the guidance and the under-pinning that allowed Teatown to impact hundreds of thousands of people over the years through innovative environmental education programs. Today’s transfer of title in many ways is the capstone in this unique nearly six-decade relationship. We could not be more appreciative of all Brooklyn has done and we will continue to be the closest of friends.”
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden is thrilled to convey title to the core Teatown property to Teatown Lake Reservation, with every confidence that Teatown will continue to be an exemplary steward of this land and will continue to use it to educate new generations of environmental stewards,” added Medbury. “BBG hopes its role in nurturing Teatown’s beginnings will serve as inspiration for other established non-profit organizations to assist in the development of nature conservation and environmental education projects in their communities.”
The core of BBG’s Teatown property was donated to Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1962 by the family of Gerard Swope Sr., former chairman of General Electric, with the goal of preserving and sharing the educational value of the environment. To this end, the 52-year-old garden guided the creation of a new environmental education center and publicly accessible open space.
Teatown Lake Reservation was formed in 1963, and until 1980, BBG and Teatown staff collaborated to develop robust educational facilities and programs. The garden’s horticultural and educational staff, led by Elizabeth Scholtz, then BBG’s director, lent their expertise and efforts in forming what is now considered the “heart of Teatown.”
In 1980, Teatown leased the property from BBG and began to operate independently of the garden, eventually acquiring several adjacent properties to expand the reservation’s size to 1,000 acres. The 245 acres given by BBG include the environmental education center, administrative offices, museum, and other public facilities. Also part of the property are the Wildflower Island sanctuary, as well as 15 miles of hiking trails and wetlands, open fields, woodlands, and the 40-acre Teatown Lake.
Visit www.teatown.org for more information on how you can enjoy the great open green spaces at Teatown this summer.
