Baltimore Woods Nature Center expands with land acquisition

MARCELLUS, N.Y. — Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus announced it has acquired 90 additional acres of land adjacent to the existing preserve, expanding to 272 acres.

The nonprofit purchased the additional land from Bishop Hill Ventures in a deal that closed March 30, Stacy Drake, marketing coordinator at Baltimore Woods Nature Center, tells CNYBJ in an email. The organization declined to disclose how much it paid for the additional land.

The added 90 acres aren’t yet open to the public, but the nature center expects to unveil the first hiking trail on the new land sometime in June, Baltimore Woods said in a release.

The deal means the extension of more than six miles of trails that are open to the community year-round and “increases the diversity of conserved ecosystems and habitats” including forests, fields, streams, ponds, and wetlands.

Baltimore Woods Nature Center three years ago launched the multi-year, $1 million “Expanding Boundaries Campaign,” which is focused on creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation, environmental education, and research for the Central New York region.

The acquisition of the additional land represents the “first milestone,” or first phase in the campaign, “serving as a foundation for continued growth of the organization as well as the opportunities for people of all ages to connect to nature in every season,” Baltimore Woods said

The second phase of the ongoing campaign includes establishment of an endowment for stewardship of this new property, an expansion of the John A. Weeks Interpretive Center at Baltimore Woods, and development of new trails and amenities on the expanded acreage.

“One of the most amazing things about this acquisition process has been getting to partner with so many organizations and individuals who believed in this project,” Whitney Lash-Marshall, executive director of Baltimore Woods, said in the release. “We have heard stories from people who have been a part of Baltimore Woods since it began and have shared the preserve with multiple generations of family members and friends. As we integrate this new land into the current preserve, we hope that long into the future it will continue to serve as a special place for everyone to experience the many benefits of time spent out in nature.”

Baltimore Woods Nature Center is located at 4007 Bishop Hill Road in Marcellus.