For only the second time since it was formed in 1989, Genesee Land Trust has a new leader.
Lorna Wright was recently selected during a national search to be executive director of the nonprofit that works to preserve and protects natural lands and waterways in Monroe, Wayne and parts of bordering counties.
"I've loved nature since I was a child, the calming aspects of it, in particular," Wright, 45, said. "People need nature and I firmly believe that nature needs people, as well."
She joined the Land Trust about ten years ago, serving first as director of conservation programs and then deputy executive director. She said their work not only benefits people today, but for generations to come.
"I just love being able to make sure that our local lands and waters are going to be here forever, that farmers will have places to grow food, and that animals and people have clean water and clean air and trees and meadows and all of those wonderful things to enjoy," Wright said.
Board President Mary Hadley said she was worried about how Land Trust stakeholders would react to the retirement of executive director and co-founder Gay Mills. Mills is credited with helping build the organization and its relationship with major donors.
A search committee, which included staff members as well as current and one former board member, interviewed 7 candidates, one of whom was from outside New York state. Hadley said Wright removed herself from the committee once she realized she wanted to be considered for the position.
Hadley called Wright a thoughtful, compassionate leader with tremendous experience in land conservation and a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion.
She said any hesitation committee members had regarding potentially missing an opportunity for "new, outside" ideas were put to rest during the final interview, when Wright outlined her plans for the organization.
"I'm also thrilled because we are moving through the transition from a beloved and longstanding ED to someone generally known and well respected with our donors and members," Hadley said. "Lorna has hit the ground running without missing a beat."
Over the last 30-plus years, the Land Trust has worked with community partners to preserve farm lands and public spaces from the El Camino Trail in Rochester to Corbett's Glen Nature Park in Brighton and the Cornwall Nature Preserve in Pultneyville.
As she takes stock of the region's natural resources, Wright has the perspective of a non-native who came to Rochester by way of Montana, Maryland and Michigan.
"We have Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, which provides fresh drinking water for millions of people and it's just such a treasure," she said. "We have some of the best soils in the world for growing food, which I think, frequently gets understated."
When Mills was preparing to retire, she said the organization was "on the cusp of doing really great things."
Wright agrees with her predecessor, saying one of her immediate priorities is to respond to climate change.
"Over the last month, we had air quality issues, flooding issues, extreme heat," she said. "There's a stat that natural lands conservation can be up to 30% of the solution for climate mitigation. So that's a pretty big thing."
Another one of Wright's goals is to expand the organization's diversity, equity, and inclusion work, based on the belief that clean air and water, fresh local foods, and a space to simply relax and breathe are for everyone.
She said this means the Land Trust continue to advocate for green space in urban areas from the city of Rochester to across the region. One aspect of that mission is to ensure that nature preserves are welcoming and accessible for people with physical disabilities.
This week, Wright is planning a trip to Albany to advocate for the Rochester region's share of funding from the $4.2 billion environmental bond act approved by New York voters in November.
Those dollars, she said, are needed to ensure the protection of the Lake Ontario shoreline and to protect local farmland. According to Wright, demand outpaces currently available farm preservation funding by three or four times.
When asked if the current housing crisis in Rochester, including the unmet need for affordable housing, creates a potential conflict for preservationists, Wright said there is a constant tension between affordable housing and land conservation.
"But it's a tension in thought, not in reality," she said. "We're definitely not at all opposed to increasing the housing stock where it's needed. People deserve housing as much as they deserve green spaces. It's more thinking it through and planning it so that it's not haphazard and we lose both of everything."
Genesee Land Trust has been a leader in the effort to bring a state park to Rochester's High Falls. The current proposal features 40 acres of open space on either side of the Genesee River with pedestrian bridges, roadways, paths and trails.
The organization is gathering community feedback on the plan. The survey can be found on its website, www.geneseelandtrust.org/statepark.
