Eric and Marina Bravin

Eric and Marina Bravin walk their conservation talk, and they are involved with Otsego Land Trust on several levels. Because they both work at Bassett, they have enjoyed the views of the growing network of conservation lands along Red Creek on the hills east of Cooperstown, which are visible from the clinic and the hospital and now exceeds 1,000 acreas.

Eric bikes to work the majority of the time, even throughout the winter months, and Marina walks almost daily with one or two of their three daughters, all under the age of three. With the joy they take in being outside, they appreciate the protected lands which can be explored through an expanding schedule of outings. The Bravins also rely on local food as much as possible, and in fact, they raise a couple of pigs. Because they value local meat and produce, they are committed to helping protect area farms.

And despite their growing family—or perhaps because of it—the Bravins support our conservation efforts with a generous financial contribution every year. In fact, a couple of years ago, Eric mentioned that his favorite check is the one he sends to the Otsego Land Trust every year. What would we do without people, like the Bravins, with their abiding passion for the land and thorough commitment to protecting the places we all cherish?