A Carol Hanson landscape painting is recognizable by its colors—blues, greens and siennas—and the undulating bodies of water that lure a viewer in. Suggested by actual landscapes, they are ultimately landscapes of the mind. Hanson has spent so much time in nature, studying, for example, how the tree line intersects the valley, that she is able to re-create the scenes in her studio.

“I developed my passion for the land as a child in Nantucket,” says Carol. “My first memory of painting is of watercolor sunsets. I’m always looking at the land, marveling at the beauty of nature.”

Along with her husband, Dick, Carol is a longtime D&R Greenway supporter.

It was while living at the ca.1737 Trevenna Farm in Montgomery Township from 1985 to 2010 that Carol and Dick made their first foray into land preservation. Their neighbor, Orchard Hill Elementary School, needed land for recreation fields. The Hansons’ generously provided a few acres to the school at a bargain sale price and then donated half of their remaining 12 acres to Montgomery Township for preservation.

“Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, I’ve always been an outdoorsman,” says Dick. “We lived in Wyckoff, New Jersey, before coming to Montgomery.  We saw what was happening and felt we were running out of open land.”

Dick joined Montgomery Friends of Open Space in the early 1990s, and soon met D&R Greenway President & CEO Linda Mead. “We were struggling to get land with state funds, and Linda was able to help the Friends acquire land for open space,” he recounts. “I introduced her to the Old Guard of Princeton”—a group of 200 men and women over 65 who meet weekly for a lecture—“as the ‘space lady’ so that more people could learn that preserving land as community open space is possible.”

The permanent exhibit of decoys at the Johnson Education Center landed at D&R Greenway thanks to Dick whose grandfather, a Minnesota hunter, carved more than 250 working decoys. While traveling in Brazil with Jay Vawter, Dick learned that his longtime friend was seeking a home for his prized decoy collection. Unlike the working decoys, Jay’s were fine art. Dick made the introduction.  Impressed with what he learned about D&R Greenway’s efforts to protect waterfowl habitat in places like the Abbott Marshlands near Trenton, Jay donated his collection to create a permanent educational display.

“Having art exhibits has been a successful way of educating the public about D&R Greenway’s mission,” says Dick. “The more people come to see art, the more supporters understand the importance of preserving land.”

This connection with art and nature led to a recent D&R Greenway event organized by Carol, past President of the Princeton Artists Alliance and trustee of the Princeton University Art Museum and Morven Museum and Garden.  Peter Lawson-Johnston, author of the book ‘Growing Up Guggenheim’ and patriarch of the Guggenheim enterprises, shared his story about family and philanthropy with a packed audience.  Peter and his wife, Dede, helped D&R Greenway preserve land between Cold Soil and Poe roads in Lawrence Township over a dozen years ago.  Asked about his interest in land preservation, Peter’s family quickly raised their hands and nodded yes, when he said, “Oh, yes, just ask my daughters.”

Dick and Carol understand this family thread that connects generations to the land because it runs in their family, too. Their son Alex, a former D&R Greenway trustee, and his wife Laura, placed their 70-acre Pennington farm into preservation with D&R Greenway in 2003.

Looking forward, the Hansons’ have made a commitment to ensure that D&R Greenway’s work will continue.  Their love of the land has created a legacy of action and commitment – now and for the future.

Ted Thomas first became interested in land preservation because of a lifelong passion for hiking. A native of Elizabeth, New Jersey, he studied engineering at Princeton University.  He and his wife Penny chose to remain in the area after graduation and four years in the Navy.  “I prefer open space to tall buildings and pavement,” says Ted. “Princeton has always been an attractive place to live for both of us.”

He wanted to help keep it that way.  Over the years, Ted became involved with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, Montgomery Friends of Open Space, and Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS).  As Chair of FOPOS Trails Committee, he is responsible for building and maintaining trails in several areas of Princeton.  He is a stalwart member of the NJ Trails Association trail crew that works under the leadership of D&R Greenway Board Chair Alan Hershey, moving boulders and creating trails in the broader region. “I’ve spent years working with the NJ Trails Association on maps for hikers in central New Jersey, and I volunteer with Alan Hershey, working throughout Mercer County.”

When Ted was asked to join the D&R Greenway Board of Trustees, the decision was a no-brainer. “I believe strongly in land preservation and stewardship,” he said.

In 2010, Ted and Penny set up a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) with D&R Greenway. A CGA provides an income stream for life to the donor/donor’s spouse or other named beneficiary. The annuity rate, set by the American Council on Gift Annuities, is often higher than investors can get on their own, and the remainder is a charitable gift to the organization.

“It’s a good way to donate money because you get something in return,” says Ted. “You are rewarded both financially and by supporting something you believe in.”

It’s a little pocket of sanity in New Jersey.  We can ride our horses all day and not see another person.  It’s very important that there are so many trails available to walk on.

The Ebelings’ 19-acre property in Hopewell is surrounded by lands preserved by D&R Greenway.  Our Cedar Ridge Preserve adjoins their land.  They value having so much open space around them.  Tom explains: “It’s what’s kept us here.  When I taught in Hamilton Township, the school used to have cornfields and soybean fields on all sides.  Now, all you see is houses.  We went looking to buy as much land as we could afford, so we could grow our own food, raise our own animals and ride our horses.  Had houses filled the land around us, we would have had to leave.”

Tom pointed out: “Here, in New Jersey, we have more accessible open space.  What’s nice about D&R Greenway is that they not only preserve land but build and maintain all those trails.  They see to it that the open land is truly open to the public.”

As a volunteer site steward for D&R Greenway’s Cedar Ridge Preserve, Tom monitors the property and helps control invasive species.  As neighbors, the Ebelings have a very personal connection with the Preserve and the plants and wildlife that make their home there.  “On Cedar Ridge, last fall right about now, Lynn and I were out with the dogs on their leads.   And they were agitated, more than they are when deer are about.  Then, we came to the ridge.  Well, I guess that’s where the name comes from.  All those cedars.  And there was this coyote, standing on the ridge, studying us.  We see foxes all the time, and a small creature recently – a mink or a fisher – sleek and dark red.”

Lynn continued, “We see Red-tails (hawks) all the time. We go every year to Cape May for the Bird Migration Weekend, and to Hawk Mountain.  But, we see more hawks right here.”

Tom added, “Last year, we saw a pair of Red-tail parents teaching their young to fly.  They were calling to their little ones to coast out over the field.  If this land were all houses, this wouldn’t be happening.”

A couple of years ago, the Ebelings hosted a Preservation Party for their neighbors.   D&R Greenway spoke to the group about preserving their land – properties that are adjacent to one another and to Cedar Ridge.  According to Tom, “As a result of hearing about how important it would be for the environment and for wildlife, two of our neighbors decided to preserve their land.”  The Ebelings intend to leave their land as a legacy to D&R Greenway, through a bequest in their will.