Ooms Nature Conservancy

Ooms Conservation Area at Sutherland Pond is a 180-acre preserve, located in the

town of Chatham, New York, home to spectacular views and over 2 miles of trails. We

developed a master plan for the site that included more accessible trails throughout the

site and a new boardwalk along Sutherland Pond, the 35-acre centerpiece.

As the trails run along the rolling hills and grassy fields, visitors will find views of the

Catskill Mountains and surrounding hills of Columbia County. We developed a series

of more accessible trails that are more welcoming for persons with varying degrees of

ability.

During the public outreach process, we gained valuable feedback about projects

important to the public and Columbia Land Conservation. The boardwalk is a 270

LF sweeping curved pathway along the pond that will offer moments of pause to

birdwatch and visually access the water. We carefully wove natural elements into the built

environment. The site is a well-regarded bird watching sanctuary, with the meadowlark

as the site’s mascot. We distilled the meadowlark’s song via spectrogram into the wood

deck pattern. We also included many thoughtful details in the boardwalk’s design to

make the space more comfortable for walkers.

Other projects to be completed here include a rock block amphitheater to support

education, a series of wayfinding and educational signage and comfortable seating

areas for picnicking.

Location
Chatham, NY

Completion
2024

Size
180 acres

Collaborators
Columbia Land Conservancy

Recognition
2025 ASLANY Merit Award