Building Bridges

Connecting people to the land and nature within their own community

By Jen Adams, Director of Land Stewardship

In 2024, one of our key stewardship goals was to connect people to the land in their community. So far this year, Winnakee Land Trust has hosted 42 opportunities attended by 106 volunteers who collectively contributed 682 volunteer hours to build trails, remove invasive species, monitor wildlife, and assist with other land management tasks.

A highlight of our volunteer projects this year are three new bridges: one at our Vlei Marsh preserve in Rhinebeck and two at our Saw Kill preserve in Red Hook. In December 2023, the old Vlei Marsh bridge washed out during a major rain event, cutting off access to half of the trails at the preserve. Due to the variability of the Fallsburg Creek that flows out of Vlei Marsh, the preserve was in need of a sturdy bridge that could withstand occasional major flooding events. Winnakee has also recently taken on projects that support our amphibians and reptiles and we wanted to ensure construction did not impact stream health in any way, which meant avoiding manmade structures in the stream. As such, we had dual goals to both ensure that the public could reliably access the trails on the other side of the creek, as well as minimize the impact of creating such access on sensitive wildlife species and habitats.

“After extensive research, I found myself struggling to find a suitable design that met all these demands—until I discovered the remarkable Leonardo da Vinci-style bridge.”
— Cal Adams, retired engineer

We knew replacing the Vlei Marsh bridge wouldn’t be an easy task, but fortunately, we were able to call on our hardworking network of volunteers. One of our first major obstacles was designing a bridge that would be flood resilient, ecologically sound, and representative of the spirit and personality of our unique Vlei Marsh property. To tackle this challenge, volunteer, retired engineer, and my father Cal Adams assisted with the bridge design. He shared, “When my daughter, Jen Adams, approached me for assistance in designing bridges for several trails managed by the Winnakee Land Trust, I was excited to lend my expertise. With my background in engineering and extensive building experience, I was eager to take on the challenge.”

***Cal and Jen Adams, the father / daughter duo behind Winnakee’s new bridges***

Construction of the Vlei Marsh bridge began in June 2024, with staff and volunteers braving heat waves, rainstorms, and even a microburst to see it completed. Featuring its arched design, we are confident that the bridge will withstand future storms and remain standing for a long time. Cal says of the design process: “After extensive research, I found myself struggling to find a suitable design that met all these demands—until I discovered the remarkable Leonardo da Vinci-style bridge. This innovative structure, a parabolic self-locking stick bridge,

was designed by Leonardo between 1485 and 1487 for the military commander Cesare Borgia. Remarkably, it requires no fasteners; it relies solely on the interlocking of its joists to stand firm. However, to enhance its stability for long-term use, we chose to incorporate fasteners into our design.”

The now-completed bridge can be seen and traversed at our Vlei Marsh property, but that wasn’t the only bridge project that our volunteers took on this year. In Fall 2023, Winnakee was awarded a grant by Hudson River Valley Greenway to build new trails at our Saw Kill preserve in Red Hook, which included about a mile of new walking paths, a long boardwalk through a wetland, and a bridge over a tributary of the Saw Kill. This second “da Vinci bridge,” shorter than its counterpart at Vlei Marsh, was completed by our dedicated volunteers in just 4 days.

“A bridge can connect two places, or span an abyss. It can be made of rope, or wood, or steel. A bridge can offer a new point of view. Our new Saw Kill creek bridge will help connect a town to a river. It is ingeniously built of wood in a way that it supports itself. And it will offer a new place to experience nature’s bounty. It was my privilege to help Winnakee build that new bridge. And it afforded me an opportunity to meet and make new friends.”

—Dave Lindemann, volunteer

Volunteers also helped construct an additional bog bridge at Saw Kill, protecting a wetland while offering extended access to walkable trails that connect the Town of Red Hook to Bard College.

Through our bridge building and other volunteer events, we are not only enhancing the trails and wildlife habitats but also fostering a deeper connection between the community and the land. We look forward to continuing to work with the community to improve public access to our preserves, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to explore nature.

Keep an eye out for Winnakee’s Second Saturday Stewardship volunteer days to help with ongoing stewardship needs and our occasional special volunteer events to complete specific projects!