Their Memory Lives in the Land

For the first 21 years of my life, a street sign, pummeled into the ground, welcomed me each time I ventured into my parents’ backyard in Sherrill, New York, a small city in between Syracuse and Utica. It read “Panther Mountain,” a place in Richfield Springs I saw every summer when my dad and grandpa pointed out a ridgeline rising above the east side of Canadarago Lake as we drove down Route 28 on the way to visit relatives.

Panther Mountain held a special place in my grandpa’s heart. Grandpa Don, grew up in Wileytown (another street sign in the backyard…), met my grandma in Cooperstown, and traversed the trails of Panther Mountain.

Today, I’ve been able to do the same because Otsego Land Trust worked with the Fetterley family to forever protect Fetterley Forest, opening up a small portion of the ridgeline for the community to explore in trails and an inspiring vista of the lake. Both my dad and grandpa are gone, but when I visit Fetterley, I remember them eagerly pointing out of the car window: “That’s Panther Mountain!” I stand on this ground and think, “They loved this place. And now I’m here.”

OLT has recently purchased a parcel on Roses Hill Road from Otsego County, adjacent to Fetterley Forest. The additional acreage will nearly double the amount of protected continuous forest block on Panther Mountain.

This Land is My Land, This Land is Their Land

Increased protection from becoming overdeveloped will support wildlife habitat and natural resources, and swaths of healthy forestland play a key role in providing clean drinking water and reducing the effects of climate change, challenges we face ahead. OLT’s intention is to retain at least a majority of the property for public access, where the community would benefit from longer trails to hike with more scenic vistas of Canadarago Lake and Deowongo Island. In the future, a section of the property may be protected forever with a conservation easement.

In the years to come, when I visit Otsego County with my grandchildren, I will point out a swath of trees above an island in a lake. I will say, “That’s Panther Mountain!” and tell them of their great- and great-great-grandpas.

Because of Otsego Land Trust, I will take them to Fetterley Forest and the new parcel on Roses Hill Road, and we will explore trails, spot wildlife, and have our breaths taken away at awe-inspiring views.
We are connected to the land in the form of stories. When we protect the land for the next generation, we ensure the stories continue as well.

By Becky Talbot, past Communications and Outreach Manager