The gift to Skidmore College of a 120-acre
parcel of land in Greenfield by Michael and
Margaret Roohan, owners of Granite & Marble
Works Inc. of Wilton, has substantially increased
the College’s holdings of undeveloped
property available for teaching and research.
The parcel is northeast of the Van Lennep
Riding Center and abuts the northern edge of
a 200-acre parcel donated to the College by
the Roohans in 2011. This donation brings the
College’s total forested acreage close to 1,000,
including the Skidmore North Woods that are
immediately adjacent to campus.
“Few colleges in the Northeast have holdings
of woodland properties that are as substantial
as Skidmore’s,” said Philip A. Glotzbach,
Skidmore president.
“This new site is in close
proximity to the College and will be of great
interest to our faculty and students. We very
much appreciate the generosity of Mike and
Margaret in donating this property to the College.
It will greatly enhance the learning and
recreational opportunities for our community.”
In a joint statement, Michael and Margaret
Roohan said that — in donating the land to
Skidmore — they feel they are putting it to its
“highest and best use.”
“Skidmore has long been an important contributor
to our local community and a leader in
higher education nationwide,” they said. “The
college is a model steward of its developed and
undeveloped property. Skidmore’s creative,
multidisciplinary approach to using this land for teaching, research and recreation assures
the most valuable use for the greatest number
of participants, and most importantly assures
the education of future generations in the care
of our natural surroundings.”
More than 30 courses ranging from English
to environmental studies already make use of
the college’s woods, said Karen Kellogg, associate
dean for infrastructure, sustainability and
civic engagement.
“The substantial wetlands on the new parcel
will increase the biodiversity of Skidmore’s
woodland properties and will be of particular
interest to students, staff, and faculty,” she
noted.
Research projects have focused on everything
from the impact of invasive species to
the relationship between art and nature. In
one project, Robert Jones, associate professor
of economics, and a team of four students created
an online atlas of Skidmore’s undeveloped
lands, including detailed information about the
200-acre parcel donated by the Roohans.
The Roohans’ gifts will also play a big role
in teaching Skidmore students about land conversation,
Kellogg said. A stewardship plan for
the college’s undeveloped lands and grounds is
currently under development by the College’s
Campus Sustainability Subcommittee. ”
“That will tell us how we can best approach
such matters as use, maintenance, and signage,
and how we can think about our wooded areas
more comprehensively,” said Kellogg.