Oct 9, 2019
Ornstein-Schuler to Host Wounded Warrior Retreat on Northern Alabama Property
Ornstein-Schuler Investments (“OSI”) is excited to announce that on November 1st through 3rd, it will partner with The Barn Group Land Trust (TBG) and the Wounded Warrior Project to host a retreat for our nation’s heroes on a property with a conservation easement called Rock Fence. This will be the seventh veteran’s retreat held on the property in just 18 months and there are another seven events planned in 2020. While OSI is no longer involved with real estate offerings where the donation of a conservation easement is an option, our company continues to be proud of how our past work in conservation benefits local communities.
Background
In 2018, OSI investors donated a conservation easement on 433 acres of natural land in Northern Alabama to The Barn Group Land Trust, permanently protecting it from development. Today, that land – full of pristine wetlands, streams, bedrock shoals, forests, open fields, well-maintained trails and a lake – is providing hope and healing to veterans and their families.
The Event
Designed for veterans disabled during service, the November 2019 weekend-long retreat will enable veteran men and women to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of sprawling green space, clean air, untouched bodies of water, and nature trails. Outdoor activities such as recreational fishing and clay shooting will also provide them invaluable opportunities to make lasting memories with their loved ones and restore kinships that may have been affected during service.
Military veterans often face challenges reintegrating into society after returning home from service, and study after study has shown that spending time in nature reduces stress, anxiety, depression and aggression, and improves happiness, life satisfaction and social connectedness. Psychologists have called these outdoor experiences “a green prescription.”
After a recent visit to the property with his children, a veteran wrote a letter thanking The Barn Group for a life-changing experience. “This was a new experience for both [my] boys,” he wrote, “and they really had the best time reconnecting with one another.” “As a veteran who has seen combat, I know the importance of making memories with your loved ones.”
OSI is proud to have played an important role in permanently protecting the Rock Fence property, and that our investors have permanently conserved more than 27,000 acres of ecologically valuable land in the Southeastern United States through conservation easement donations.
To learn more about the events at The Barn Group Land Trust, you can go here or call 678-588-6050. To learn more about OSI’s conservation efforts, you can click here.