Winnakee Land Trust Fall-Winter Newsletter 2016 | Page 3

Annual Tour of Historic
Barns & Working Farms

Winnakee Welcomes New Development Staff
Ellen Henneberry joins Winnakee Land Trust as Director

Winnakee Land Trust held it's Annual

of Development. Ellen is a fundraising and marketing

Tour of Historic Barns and Working

professional living and working in the Hudson Valley

Farms on Saturday, September 24th,

since 1998. As Development and Marketing manager for

2016. Winnakee members and historic

Walkway Over the Hudson, Ellen played an important role

barn lovers attended the successful annual

in the success of the annual benefit event, Starry Starry

event enjoying a gorgeous early fall day

Night, the Walkway Marathon, and July 4th Celebration,

visiting eight barns and historic properties

among other programs and initiatives. Before joining

throughout Red Hook and Rhinebeck.

Walkway, Ellen worked at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck
Winnakee's new Director and began her work in fundraising as a consultant for
of Development,
the Office of Advancement at the
Ellen Henneberry
Culinary Institute of America.
Nadine Slowik

joins

Winnakee

as

Development

Assistant. Ms. Slowik is a newcomer to the Hudson Valley,
having moved to the area from Brooklyn in 2014. Nadine
brings expertise in membership and individual giving to
Winnakee from her employment at major New York City
The Bristol Barn, Red Hook, NY

cultural institutions.

Development Assistant,
Nadine Slowik

Easement Spotlight on: Ellen and Sam Phelan, Protecting 81 Pristine Acres
Landowners Ellen and Sam Phelan, long-time advocates for land conservation, have chosen to protect their land from development
by establishing a conservation easement of 81 beautiful acres of wetland and forest in the Towns of Red Hook and Milan.
“We are delighted to have Winnakee accept an easement to our woodland and wetland property in northeast Red Hook,” said
Ellen and Sam Phelan. “It is part of one of the last extensive woodland areas in Red Hook. For over 25 years we have enjoyed
viewing the wildlife and natural scenery of the property. It was a playground for our children and has provided us with warmth
(fire wood) each year. With Winnakee’s assistance we now can be assured that the natural beauty and resources of our property
will be protected in perpetuity. Many thanks to Winnakee’s professional staff for helping to make this possible.”
“Sam and Ellen have a great appreciation of the rural, scenic landscape of northern Dutchess County and are dedicated to
protecting it for future generations. This gift
of a conservation easement not only protects
an important natural asset for the entire
community, but also offers inspiration to
other landowners to develop easements on
their property,” said Gregg Swanzey, Executive
Director of Winnakee.
Such

conservation

easements

permanently

protect water resources, habitat, migration
corridors, valuable diverse forests, and the
scenic quality of local communities. Aside from
the satisfaction of forever protecting a beautiful
parcel of land, a donated conservation easement
brings tax benefits to the donating landowner.

Pictured l-r: Sam Phelan, Sally Mazzarella, Ellen Phelan, and Gregg Swanzey