Donor Spotlight | Aurélie Lang Joins the Trust Community

At the end of the Summer of 2019, I decided to look for a house on the North Fork. What attracted me to the area was how it resembles the landscapes I love in France, where I’m from. Also, it reconnected me to my agricultural roots on my mother’s side, the beauty and seasonal change of worked fields. The last thing that convinced me to buy here was a drive down to New Suffolk Avenue towards New Suffolk Hamlet.

I now live very close to the newly protected Deep Hole Creek property located at 4180 New Suffolk Avenue and drive by it several times a day. I never get tired of its beauty (especially in the late fall when the sunset transforms it into a breathtaking show). One day, my then 17-year-old son, seeing the “For Sale” sign said to me, “If I had the money, I would love to buy this land.” After telling him the asking price, I could still see the dream in his eyes. Shortly after, I found a flyer in my mailbox explaining the intention, the challenge, and urgency about the project of conserving this last large parcel on Deep Hole Creek. I called Alison Delaney, Development Officer at the Peconic Land Trust, who answered all my questions. Right away I made a pledge and then another one as the Trust was getting close to securing the deal. I could not buy the land for my son, but was happy to be among others who were able to help conserve it.

This year I also started volunteering with the Trust. I love the feeling of helping an organization and being in an environment with like-minded people. The energy of working with someone with similar values is electric. My youngest son, Gregory, joins the fun too.

To me conservation is about preserving open spaces and natural ecosystems, where people can lose themselves in nature, and access areas that would have been developed or left unkept, and inaccessible due to invasive species. I’m very grateful to the Trust for conserving so many acres of land.

We are thankful to Aurélie Lang for sharing her story with us. Interested in supporting the Trust? Contact Alison Delaney, Development Officer, for more information about the Deep Hole Creek project and other projects the Trust is working on. Visit our website to learn about our other featured projects. Or you can also volunteer at the Trust! Please contact Kathy Kennedy, Senior Manager of Outreach or fill out our volunteer application form.