Mary Hathaway has long celebrated the beauty of her wooded Scio Township property. Nearly every year since 1977, friends and family have convened on the land for “Trillium Parties” to admire the abundance of the spring wildflower. This year, Hathaway worked with the Legacy Land Conservancy to once more honor the land by protecting the 4.7 acres with a permanent conservation agreement.
Since Hathaway and her late husband John first laid eyes on the property, they knew they wanted to protect it. The scenic property, traversed by a stream and thickly populated with hardwoods, is carpeted with wildflowers every spring.

“If we didn’t buy it, someone could buy it and destroy it. From the beginning, it was our intention to preserve it,” said Hathaway.

Hathaway became interested in legally protecting the land after her neighbor Don Botsford protected 20 acres of woods creating the Botsford Recreational Preserve. By protecting her adjacent property, Hathaway knew she was supporting Botsford’s project by creating a buffer for the preserve.

In addition, Hathaway knew that she would be able to maintain the natural beauty of her land for generations to come. “This land is a special refuge for all of us,” she said. “I knew I had to do whatever I could to keep it that way.”

The 4.7 acres protected by Mary Hathaway is one of 5 brand new land protection projects completed in the past two weeks by Legacy Land Conservancy.

Serving Washtenaw and Jackson counties, the Legacy Land Conservancy (the new name of the Washtenaw Land Trust) protects the natural areas and working farms that make our community a great place to live. Since 1971, the Conservancy has protected 3,950 acres of land through 77 projects.

To learn more:
Map – New Lands Protected by Legacy Land Conservancy in 2009
Map – All Legacy Land Conservancy’s Protected Lands