The Story of the Edward & Marlene Schmeer Preserve

A Farm, A Family, A Future

More than seventy years ago, Edward “Bud” Schmeer’s parents arrived in Cape Vincent looking for a cottage lot. Instead, they bought an entire farm.

The previous owner wasn’t interested in selling a single parcel, but was willing to sell the entire property. Bud’s parents took the leap, sold their business in Rochester, and made Cape Vincent their home.

What began as a search for a summer retreat became something much more meaningful. Generations of the Schmeer family spent summers creating memories in a place that would become woven into the family’s identity.

Today, that family farm has become the Edward & Marlene Schmeer Preserve, one of the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT)’s newest Signature Preserves.

Standing atop the observation tower at the new Preserve in Cape Vincent, visitors can witness one of the most remarkable views in the Thousand Islands region.

To the west lies the vast expanse of Lake Ontario. To the north, those open waters begin to narrow and take shape as the St. Lawrence River. Below, rolling grasslands stretch toward Wilson Bay, while Tibbetts Point Lighthouse stands watch over where the Lake meets the River.

It is a view that feels timeless.

Today, it's hard to imagine that the fields and grasslands stretching below the tower have undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years and were once soybean fields. Now as thriving grasslands, they have been restored to provide critical habitat for birds and other wildlife.

A Place Worth Passing Down

For decades, the farm remained a gathering place for the Schmeer family. Edward and Marlene Schmeer were passionate outdoors people who enjoyed hunting, horseback riding, snowmobiling, boating, and spending time with their dogs on the property. They also appreciated the quieter moments, like watching wildlife from their front porch overlooking Wilson Bay and the sweeping open fields.

While development transformed many shorelines throughout the region, the Schmeer family’s beloved property remained largely intact. Children and grandchildren spent summers exploring fields, walking the shoreline, watching birds, and developing a deep connection to this special place. The family cared for the land, farmed portions of it, and preserved the scenic character that had first drawn the Schmeer family to Cape Vincent.

"Our parents just loved this land," Mark told attendees gathered for the Preserve’s Grand Opening in June 2026. "It's why it's so important to us that this has been preserved in perpetuity in the name of our parents who loved this place."

As the years passed, the family began considering how they could ensure the property would remain protected long into the future. The answer came through a partnership with TILT.

In 2023, the Schmeer family worked with the Land Trust to conserve 212 acres of the property. Combined with neighboring conservation projects completed over several years, the effort helped create approximately 360 contiguous acres of protected land between Tibbetts Point and Wilson Bay.

From Farmland to Grassland

The preservation of the Schmeer farm also created an incredible opportunity for habitat restoration. Each spring and fall, migratory birds pass through this stretch of shoreline as they travel between the Atlantic Flyway and their breeding grounds farther inland. The Preserve contains a unique mix of shoreline, wetlands, grasslands, and forests, creating habitat for a remarkable diversity of wildlife.

Yet conservation was only the beginning.

When TILT acquired the property, much of the land consisted of agricultural fields planted with soybeans. Hedgerows divided the open countryside into smaller sections, limiting its value for grassland birds and other wildlife species that depend on large, uninterrupted habitat.

To most, it looked like ordinary farmland. But to the Schmeer family and TILT, it represented an opportunity to preserve something special while restoring a place that could benefit both people and wildlife for generations to come.

Across New York, open grasslands have quietly disappeared over time, taking many grassland bird species with them. The Schmeer Preserve offered a chance to reverse that trend.

Working alongside the Schmeer family, Wood Farms, New York Sea Grant, and other partners, TILT began this restoration project. The agricultural fields were reseeded with native grasses and wildflowers, invasive species were addressed, and in 2025 stewardship crews removed hedgerows that once divided the property into smaller sections.

The goal was not simply to protect the land, but to help it become even more vibrant.

Today, Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and other species are benefiting from the expanding grassland habitat. Pollinators, too, have begun returning as native wildflowers establish themselves across the Preserve.

"The result is not only a protected land, but an improved one," said TILT’s Associate Director Spencer Busler during the Grand Opening ceremony.

A Legacy Shared

While restoration was underway, TILT was planning another important piece of the Preserve's future: public access. From the beginning, the vision for the Schmeer Preserve extended beyond habitat conservation and restoration. The goal was to create a place where people could experience the beauty of this shoreline and grassland setting firsthand while learning about the ecological significance of the area.

Support from New York State's Conservation Partnership Program helped make that vision a reality. A parking area, interpretive signage, accessible trail, and observation tower were added to welcome visitors while protecting sensitive natural resources. The observation tower quickly became the Preserve's defining feature.

On June 5, 2026, family members, conservation supporters, neighbors, and community members gathered to celebrate the Edward & Marlene Schmeer Preserve's official opening. “Today’s much more than just opening a trail and doing a ribbon cutting at an observation deck," Spencer Busler told the crowd. "It's celebrating a vision, and the people that really made it happen."

Today, visitors see a thriving grassland, a protected shoreline, and one of the most iconic vistas in the Thousand Islands region. What they may not see are the decades of family memories, years of restoration work, and countless partnerships that made that view possible.

As visitors walk the trail, watch grassland birds rise from the fields, or pause atop the tower where Lake Ontario narrows into the St. Lawrence River, they are experiencing the legacy of a family that cared deeply for this place and chose to share it with the community.

The Edward & Marlene Schmeer Preserve stands as a testament to that legacy—a place where family history, natural beauty, and conservation come together. More than seventy years after one family arrived looking for a cottage lot and found a farm, visitors can experience the same sweeping views, quiet moments, and connection to place that made the Schmeers fall in love with Cape Vincent.

By Bridgett McCann

Bridgett McCann recently joined TILT as Communications Specialist. She is a graduate of St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Government and Environmental Studies. As a copy editor with experience communicating about conservation topics, she looks forward to making a positive impact in the Thousand Islands region, a place close to her heart. Originally from Rochester, NY, Bridgett spent many summers in the Thousand Islands. Outside of professional pursuits, she enjoys spending quality time outdoors and on the River with her family, friends, and two rambunctious black labs named River and Rosie.

Header photo by Chris Murray Photography