In the 1970s, schoolteacher Jeanne Paisley bought 128 New York acres because she wanted space; 40 years later, the forests and fields were protected from development

In the early 1970s, there was a schoolteacher with three kids, a half-hour commute, and a big wish for room to breathe. According to The Land Steward, the Spring 2013 newsletter of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, that teacher was Jeanne Paisley. In the town of Richford in Tioga County, New York, she bought 128 acres of forests, fields, and wetlands. Her reasons were simple, and they still seem relevant.

A campsite she couldn’t forget

The story begins with a family road trip. Paisley and her husband lived on Long Island and had no summer work. So they bought a tent and took their three children all over the United States and Canada to see beautiful places. When they returned to New York and found this land, the family agreed it was the best campsite they had ever seen. The land suited her job, too. Paisley said the drive to school took about half an hour, and she liked the setting. Paisley recalls seeing red salamanders in the driveway when the family first came. She was also glad to live where no neighbor would tell her to mow her lawn. For Paisley, the appeal was natural beauty and the freedom to leave the grass alone.


What the land does for the water

Roughly 40 years later, Paisley was 86 and still lived on the land. She had recently placed a conservation easement on her property with the Finger Lakes Land Trust. This is an agreement that restricts the manner in which the land will be developed in the future. In this case, the agreement was aimed at protecting the mature forests and prime farmland in the area of the east branch of Owego Creek. The Land Trust noted that two attorneys, John Alexander and Eric Haselbauer, provided pro bono legal help.

This protection mattered because it helps safeguard the watershed. As reported in The Land Steward, David Diaz, the Land Trust's director of land protection, said the property helps maintain local watershed quality and supports fish such as eastern brook trout. He explains that because of its steep slopes and presence of a seasonal stream, the land is particularly susceptible to erosion due to stormwater runoff if disturbed by future development. Such damage can affect the water quality not only of the Owego Creek but also of waters many miles downstream. The property lies in a focus area for the Land Trust, where tributaries flow into the Upper Susquehanna River. That river's watershed drains into the Chesapeake Bay, the country's largest estuary.

Paisley's land is part of a bigger picture, too. Andy Zepp, executive director of the Land Trust, said she and her family helped expand a network of protected lands in her Southern Tier neighborhood. Her property joins several nearby protected areas, including multiple state forests, the Land Trust's King Nature Preserve, and another conservation easement.

Where her love for nature began

Paisley traces her love for the outdoors to her childhood during the Great Depression. When her father was unemployed, the family moved to the country. They built a small house and carried spring water up the hill. That early life stayed with her. In her words, "Caring about nature is just part of how I think." She added that she always knew she wanted to protect the land at some point. Decades later, she did just that.

What science says about green places

In a 2019 review published in Science Advances, Gregory Bratman and his co-authors summarize research related to nature and its impacts on mental health. Time spent in nature, the researchers argue, is linked with better well-being, better sleep, and lower stress. Many of the findings show links, not proof. Experiments suggest a short time in nature can brighten mood, but it is less clear whether that builds long-term mental health. The paper also lists water purification as one example of the benefits ecosystems provide, echoing Diaz's point about water quality at Owego Creek.

Small choices, long stories

Paisley’s story is not a prescription or a model, and one woman’s land does not prove a scientific point. But it shows how a personal wish can often grow into something bigger. She just wanted space and beauty and a home her family would love. Decades later, that same place helps protect a creek and builds on a growing network of protected land. You don't need acres of land to follow her lead. You can start by supporting a land trust in your area if you wish to. You might also advocate for a park or simply spend a few minutes outside noticing what you would miss if it disappeared.