Dear Friends of the Shaker Swamp,

2024 has been an important year for the Shaker Swamp Conservancy. We are excited to tell you about our recent developments, and our plans for 2025.

Building on the strength of the Shaker Swamp Trail Feasibility Study, which was
prepared by the architecture/engineering firm Nelson Pope Voorhis LLC, and completed
in 2023, we secured an agreement with the Darrow School to develop a trail network on their property. After many years of negotiations, our proposal has been enthusiastically supported by the Darrow School Board of directors. A trail on the Darrow property , which encompasses about seventy percent of the swamp, will allow us to provide access to “the Island” which is a high ground within the Swamp that offers many views into the wetlands. With the expert support provided by Nelson Pope Voorhis LLC,, the Conservancy will begin the work required to create a detailed plan for the proposed trail network, as well as initiate the process of securing the required permits from New York State. The importance of the agreement with Darrow cannot be emphasized enough. Building a  trail network on this property will enable the Conservancy to fulfill its mission to preserve the Swamp while promoting public understanding of the Swamp’s ecological Importance, as well as its unique history as a source of herbs and natural remedies for the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans, the Shakers, and for New Lebanon’s The Tilden Company – Tilden was the first producer of patent medicine in America.

Our goals for 2025 are to complete the plan for a trails system that can be constructed in stages, and to apply for and to obtain the necessary permits to begin the initial phase of construction of the trails. We also plan to begin fundraising in earnest to create the infrastructure and educational materials needed to provide public access to the Shaker Swamp while preserving and protecting it as a unique natural resource.

We are raising $10,000 to kick off our initial effort. We are counting on our supporters, like you, to make a generous donation to the Shaker Swamp Conservancy before the end of this year. The easiest way to donate is through our website, https://shakerswamp.org.

Thank you for your continued support of the Conservancy. With your help, we are looking forward to a busy and productive 2025.