Hello! We are Friends of Buttonhook Forest, a group of passionate neighbors, nature lovers, parents, and activists working tirelessly to save a 20-acre forest called Buttonhook from destruction in Westchester County, New York. Right now, this land is owned by the Chappaqua Central School District, and they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to create development plans, with the intention of selling a package with pre-approvals to a luxury home developer. However, because this forest is part of the NYC watershed, thankfully to date, the NYC Dept of Environmental Protection has not approved stormwater pollution prevention plans. 

This forest is home to thousands of creatures like bobcats, foxes, coyotes, flying squirrels, box turtles, many species of amphibians, hawks, owls, and migratory birds, as well as over 1,500 trees—but we now also know that the land is in fact a sacred Native American Ceremonial Site. 

Earlier this year, a neighbor to Buttonhook noticed piles of stones throughout her land, and could see similar stones over the fence in the Buttonhook Forest. After much research, several archeologists and Indigenous leaders have visited and confirmed that these stone features were not random or a result of colonial farmers, but instead, they are Native American prayer stone piles, turtle effigies, and underground water markers created by the first peoples of that land.

Upon learning this, a number of concerned neighbors joined forces and created Friends of Buttonhook Forest, a non-profit with the goal of protecting this precious land forever. This was when we realized we needed help from our community and beyond.

We have begun gathering support from Native American tribes, leaders, and community members far and wide. We have raised money and with the partnership of the Brothertown Indian Nation, we have successfully submitted a 7-figure bid to purchase the land, during an open bid process. But unfortunately, we continue to be met with silence by the school board & school district, even in the face of nearly 100 passionate residents, activists & Indigenous leaders who recently came to a school board meeting to implore them to Take The Bid for preservation of the land.

We can’t do this alone, and failure would be devastating.

If we fail in this effort, this land will be sold off to a developer, this forest will be clearcut, the stones demolished & buried under feet of landfill, and in their place, six luxury homes with swimming pools and septic systems will be built on top of these sacred Indigenous artifacts.

We (as a recently formed 501(c)(3) nonprofit) have raised enough money to submit an offer to buy Buttonhook and ensure that it is protected and safe from destruction. But we need YOUR signature, to add to our voices, to implore this local school board & district to do the right thing. Be heroes. Set the example and prove to our children that BIPOC issues are real, and that we can take definitive action together to respect and preserve this precious and irreplaceable cultural site. The next Board of Ed meeting is THIS MONDAY Oct 3, 2022 and we don’t know whether there will be a decision or any change to their position.

Please add your signature below to show your support for saving the Buttonhook site and asking them to #TakeTheBid!

THANK YOU! 

For further info or to find out how else you can get involved, please visit our website at https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/ or on Facebook.