The Bethany Land Trust is sad to learn of the passing of Irene Stahl of Bethany, pictured left with Land Trust Past President, Linda Francois. In late 2022, Irene generously donated Whispering Pines to the Bethany Land Trust. This 47.3-acre preserve consists of woodlands, streams, and historic features. It adjoins two other Land Trust parcels along Briar Road and the town’s Carrington Preserve. For her years of caring for the land and for her generous gift to the people of Bethany, she was presented in 2023 with the Bethany Conservationist of the Year and the Bethany Citizen of the Year awards.
Her donation ensures that the land will be free of development and that the existing wildlife corridor and natural habitat of many species will be protected in perpetuity. Irene had declined to have the land named after her. As she explained it, “People don’t own the land. I want this to be called Whispering Pines.”
We are forever grateful to Ms. Stahl for this gift and for her lifelong dedication to conservation and reverence for the land.