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With the aspiration of always having a place to walk his dog, Greg Sullivan donated 54 acres of land to High Bridge Trail State Park.
“I bought that land specifically to donate to the park,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t want to see the land destroyed since it provides a scenic background and is adjacent to the trail that I walk my dog on every day.”
Born in Newport News, Greg Sullivan lived in Virginia most of his life. He moved to New York for his job as a scenic artist for TV and movies, but after many years of the hustle and bustle of city life, he decided to retire in 2017 and move back to Virginia with his girlfriend.
“Farmville provides many scenic places for me and my girlfriend to ride bikes and enjoy the outdoors, especially at High Bridge Trail State Park,” Sullivan said. “We wanted to be closer to our family and live somewhere that allows us to enjoy the beauty of nature and accommodate our outdoor hobbies.”
Sullivan stays busy in the Farmville community with his many outdoor hobbies that include gardening, woodworking and beekeeping. He serves on the board of directors for the local food bank, is a member of the local riverkeeper club, Friends of the Appomattox, as well as a member of the local bee club.
“We bought an old farmhouse that allows us to access the park by only walking a short distance,” Sullivan said. “Once I found out that the surrounding land was going to be used for logging trees, I knew I had to purchase it and prevent the land from being destroyed. I walk my dog Casey, on the trail every day and it was heartbreaking to see the ruined land along the beautiful trail. The noise from the logging trucks and the overall sight of the land afterward was deeply upsetting and I knew I had to act fast to protect it.”
The land was donated on March 8, 2022, and is located on the west side of the outskirts of Farmville. The newly donated land will be incorporated into the park’s trail. Preserving the land is not only important to Sullivan, but also to the park manager.
“This grand gesture from Mr. Sullivan really means a lot to the park,” High Bridge Trail State Park Manager Daniel Jordan said. “We plan to utilize the new land by creating a trail and some picnic areas. We named the new land the Sullivan Tract and look forward to developing this area for visitors to enjoy. We are truly grateful for his compassion and that he understands the importance of land conservation and decided to use his own funds to benefit those who enjoy the outdoors.”
Sullivan said, “It seemed like a good thing to do for the park. The trees provide a buffer from the highway noise and preserving the nature that is already there is truly better than watching those trees get logged.”
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Conservation | State Parks
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state parks
