Souvenirs of Yesteryear: The IBM Glen

Preserving a superb natural resource is one of our most satisfying accomplishments. When that piece of nature is also accessible to the public, the satisfaction is greatly enhanced. The ultimate salvation of our planet depends upon a widespread appreciation of nature. The more people we can get to enjoy the outdoors, the better.

The IBM Glen is just such a superb place. It is an veritable island of nature rapidly being surrounded by an onrushing sea of urban sprawl. Its four miles of walking trails are heavily traversed by folks of all ages, sizes, and shapes. In its own way, the Glen is to its neighborhood what Central Park is to New York City. These kind of natural areas have to be saved before they are destroyed by rampant development.

The IBM Glen is in Broome County, Town of Union, about 11 miles from our county. I do not write about places in other counties unless they have a connection to Chenango County. Here is that link. We in the Chenango Land Trust played a key role in saving the IBM Glen. We hold the conservation easement on it. Although the Chenango in our name refers to the greater Chenango valley, those of us who secured this easement live in Guilford, Norwich, Oxford, and Sherburne. However, we did not do this alone. The Fred L. Waterman Conservation Education Center played the most important role.

Here is a brief history of the Glen. It was owned by IBM (International Business Machines) since 1931. In the 1990s, when IBM began downsizing its presence in the Triple Cities, it wanted to divest much of its real estate. The Glen was originally targeted to be logged and then sold to a housing developer. This sparked an outraged outcry from the local community. A "Save the Glen" group was formed in 2000. IBM wisely recognized the benefits of saving the Glen, so in 2004 it sold the land to the Homestead Development Corporation, with the specification that the Glen be placed in a conservation easement with the Chenango Land Trust and donated to the Waterman Center. This four-way cooperation should assure that the Glen will be saved in perpetuity. The Land Trust filed its easement with the Broome County Clerk on November 14, 2004, and Waterman took possession in January, 2005.