Preserving Ard Na Gréine

LEWES, Del.– Non-profit County Land Trust has deemed Ard Na Gréine worthy of perserving because of the land’s rich agricultural history and natural beauty, the area’s special location and innate serentity are not lost on the First State Leaders.

DENREC Secretary Greg Patterson says it doesn’t even feel like your in the middle of Lewes when you visit Ard Na Greine.

“Well, you look around here and you wouldn’t even realize we are in the middle of Lewes, and there is development on every side of this property.” Patterson said. “And so to be able to preserve this given the devleopment that is going on in this area, it just is really valuable.”

Due to the limited parkland in Sussex County the goal of perserving this space is to create new opportunities to bring people and nature together.

Executive Director of Sussex Land Trust Sara Bluhm says perserving this land gives residents and visitors a chance to enjoy the agricultural side of Sussex County.

“So to be able to preserve this parcel, it’s on the Georgtown Lewes Trail.” Bluhm said. “And, you know, eventually we’ll have a perimeter trail on the property  and people can come and get a respite from the hustle and bustle of resort life.”

Ard Na Gréine’s preservation was made possible through a layered partnership that brought together both private and public investment and Sussex County Council President Doug Hudson says this preservation was a long time coming.

“I want people to know that we worked very hard at trying to preserve land for Sussex County.” Hudson said. “We want to keep the open space going as much as we possibly can. We put six million dollars a year in the budget for open space and that’s a really big deal.”

Ard Na Gréine is more than just open space, it is a part of Lewe’s identity and preserving it today means protecting the community, the history and a place where future generations can come and enjoy the natural beauty.