KENT, Conn. —The Housatonic Valley Association has established a new award, the Louis and Elaine Hecht Follow the Forest Award, celebrating the legacy of the two longtime regional conservation leaders.
The inaugural award was presented to the Hechts during the HVA’s annual meeting and holiday party last Friday, Dec. 13, which was held at the American Mural Project in Winsted.
In announcing the establishment of the new award, HVA Executive Director Lynn Werner, of Kent, noted that the Hechts were instrumental in the creation and promotion of the Follow the Forest initiative, a collaboration of more than 50 organizations working to protect a connected woodland corridor across the Housatonic Valley, through eastern New York, Vermont and on to Canada.
“Lou and Elaine immediately grasped the significance of a regional climate corridor of preserved forest habitats and Elaine gave the Follow the Forest initiative its name,” said Tim Abbott, of Canaan, HVA’s conservation director.
HVA is the only conservation organization working across the entire 2,000-square-mile Housatonic watershed. It works to conserve the natural character, environmental health and the economies of the region by protecting and restoring its land and waters.
“Anyone who has experienced their highly informative and expertly designed environmental exhibitions on wildlife, birds in crisis and Follow the Forest, or who has read the outstanding Natural Resource Inventory that Elaine spearheaded for the Town of Salisbury, knows firsthand the depth of Lou and Elaine’s advocacy,” said Abbott.
It was not the first time the Hechts have been recognized for their tireless work. This past year the Salisbury Land Trust purchased a new 48-acre preserve on Route 112 in Lime Rock and named it Hecht Preserve to honor “their long and outstanding contributions to the Salisbury Association and our town.”
The Hechts addressed the audience Friday, saying that they are lucky to be members of a group of volunteers who will carry on their legacy. “What we are doing is setting a precedent so others can follow and achieve more than we have,” said Lou Hecht. “Hopefully our names will provide an incentive for others to follow. This award will be given to others who will achieve a lot more than we have.”
His wife, an educator, said, “Legacy matters a lot to me. We are the lucky ones because we have a legacy in you.”
The annual award will recognize individuals and organizations who embrace and advance a collaborative vision of a protected, connected wildlife habitat.
Werner and Abbott introduced the two additional recipients. “Here is the first of your legacy,” Abbott said to the Hechts as he introduced Jen Perga, president of the Winchester Land Trust, whose membership was instrumental this year in establishing conditions that led to the conservation of more than 1,320 acres of municipal public drinking water.
Brian Hagenbuch, executive director of the Steep Rock Association, accepted the second award. He and the association were recognized for using “the organization’s highly visible preserves and educational platforms to advance the core concepts of Follow the Forest, inform strategic land acquisitions and to elevate the importance of the vital conservation work that Steep Rock undertakes in its service area.”
In a brief treasurer’s report James Maloney said HVA had a “strong year,” taking in $2.1 million and expending all but 2 percent of that in preservation efforts. “But,” he cautioned, “we grow from the bottom up,” and more members, particularly younger recruits, are needed.
