Finger Lake Land Trust plans nature walk and sketching

The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) will host a morning of nature sketching with Robert McNamara on Saturday, July 13 at the Hinchcliff Family Nature Preserve beginning at 10 a.m.

An accomplished Finger Lakes wildlife artist and naturalist, McNamara has exhibited his artwork nationally and internationally and designs illustrations for the FLLT conservation areas.

An inspiring location for artists, the 303-acre Hinchcliff Family Preserve in Spafford peers over the eastern shore of Skaneateles Lake offering impressive vistas and diverse habitats.

This event will begin with a walk through the preserve with stops for pencil and pen sketching.

This event is free and open to the public. All skill levels are welcome.

A sketching pad and drawing utensils (pen and pencil) are required to participate. Registration information and directions can be found at fllt.org/events .

This event is part of the FLLT’s Talks & Treks program, a series of guided walks on the organization’s conservation areas in the Finger Lakes.

Free of charge, the program is designed to introduce members of the community to the natural history of the region.

By working cooperatively with landowners and local communities, the Finger Lakes Land Trust has protected over 32,000 acres of the region’s undeveloped lakeshore, rugged gorges, rolling forest, and scenic farmland.

The FLLT owns and manages a network of over 45 nature preserves that are open to the public and holds perpetual conservation easements on 187 properties that remain in private ownership.

The FLLT focuses on protecting critical habitat for fish and wildlife, conserving lands that are important for water quality, connecting existing conservation lands, and keeping prime farmland in agriculture.

The organization also provides programs to educate local governments, landowners, and residents about conservation and the region’s unique natural resources.

Information on the region’s premier destinations for outdoor recreation may be found at gofingerlakes.org , a resource created by the FLLT to encourage people to get outdoors.

Additional information about the Finger Lakes Land Trust may be found at fllt.org .