The fun begins at 6 pm on Saturday, June 17 when the Westchester Land Trust kicks off its annual gala.

Under a tent at Sugar Hill Farm in Bedford Hills, WLT will honor Susan Carpenter, Norma Silva, and Aimée Whitman whose generosity of expertise, time, and spirit continue to have lasting impacts on the protection and active conservation of land in Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Susan Carpenter retired in 2016 as the longest tenured employee in WLT history. The inimitable combination of her unwavering ethics, wisdom, insight, ability to connect with both landowners and municipal leaders, and institutional knowledge and her commitment to conservation and the wider land-use and planning worlds has, quite literally propelled WLT to its present position in the conservation community.

Norma Silva has been a volunteer at Sugar Hill Farm and an ambassador of farming techniques learned through Westchester Land Trust for close to two decades. She has dedicated countless hours working alongside WLT’s stewardship team to make improvements to our preserves that are open to the public for all to enjoy.

Aimée Whitman’s roots in Bedford are deep, both literally and figuratively. While the iconic Bedford Oak can be traced to Whitman descendants, Aimée, herself, has been a resident for over 50 years. She has devoted hundreds of hours providing critical administrative support to WLT’s community outreach and development efforts.

What’s on the agenda for the evening? In addition to a celebration of these impressive women, there will be cocktails, farm-to-table dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions.

What does the Westchester Land Trust do?

Based in Bedford Hills, the Westchester Land Trust works with public and private partners to preserve land in perpetuity and to enhance the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties. Since its founding in 1988, WLT has preserved almost 8,000 acres of open space including more than 700-acres of preserves owned by the organization which are free and open to the public year round.

How does the WLT's work affect our lives here, in Bedford?

“By preserving the land, Westchester Land Trust is protecting the air that we breathe and the water we drink, keeping communities vibrant and healthy.  And all of this is forever...," says Lori Ensinger, President of the WLT.

How can I help? Join Houlihan Lawrence in supporting this important event. Purchase your tickets here.

Photo courtesy of Westchester Land Trus