The Schenectady County land that Vicki Herzl Watkins ’76 and Gray Watkins ’73 owned for decades has inspired much.
A deep love of and commitment to nature. The songs “Harvest Time” and “The World is a Song,” written and performed by Gray (graywatkins.bandcamp.com). And their decision, last spring, to donate all 54 acres to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy (MHLC).
Gray Watkins '73 and Vicki Herzl Watkins '76
In July 2025, that acreage became the Alplaus Kill Preserve, named after the creek that forms its eastern border.
The decision to donate was an easy one for the couple.
“We moved to the hamlet of Alplaus after Union and enjoyed walking and exploring this property, which was right across the street from our first home (we now live across the creek from the preserve). When a neighbor offered it for sale in 1995, we purchased it,” said Vicki. “We acquired two adjacent parcels over the next 20 years until we had a 54-acre contiguous parcel.”
“We did briefly consider subdividing into a few large building lots after the initial purchase but soon decided against it as the land is too beautiful to develop,” added Gray, who studied English and graduated from Albany Law School. “We also considered other uses—a Christmas tree farm, blueberry farm, soccer/lacrosse fields. But we resolved that the deer, herons, foxes, coyotes, eagles, river otters, racoons and others needed a home more than we or the community needed it for those other purposes.”
Of the 500 acres of MHLC-protected land in Schenectady County, this parcel is the first to be open to the public.
“Hyper-development places too great a strain on nature, and on our relation to and enjoyment of nature’s beauty and the lessons we can learn from it,” said Gray. “More strain on public utilities, increased traffic and more pavement does not serve the long-term wellbeing of the individual or the community.”
“There is an energy in the land that should be cherished, along with the life it sustains. Standing in our yard across the creek from the preserve, we’ve seen bald eagles winging along the water, heard a pack of coyotes yipping, watched a flock of thousands of migrating blackbirds, and seen many deer pausing for a drink at the creek,” added Vicki. “Why would we not try to keep that close to home and share it with the community?”
A love of nature helped bring them together when they met at Union during chemistry lab. (Gray had briefly considered becoming a veterinarian in his junior year, which is why the English major was in Vicki’s first-year chemistry class. While those plans didn’t last, the couples’ love for one another did. Gray and Vicki even spent a summer working for a traveling carnival after graduation.)
“I figured, if we made it through that—earning money for rent and law school and trying to find ourselves in the process—we could make it through anything,” said Gray. “It helped that we valued many of the same things, too. The outdoors has always been important to both of us, despite very different upbringings.”
Gray grew up hunting and fishing, exploring the woods, fields and streams as his family moved from Kentucky to Connecticut to Ohio and finally to New York for his father’s job with GE. He spent the later part of his adolescence in a neighborhood adjoining Alplaus and graduated from Niskayuna High School. Vicki is a first-generation American who grew up in downstate (New York) suburbia but spent many summers on a small dairy farm in Vermont, growing to appreciate the delicate balance between nature and development and expanding her love of the outdoors.
Nature has remained a vital part of the life that Gray and Vicki have built together. They still hike, bike, ski and paddle in the Adirondacks, and have had many adventures around the world. The couple, who have two children (Steve and Jenny), have travelled extensively, exploring and mountaineering. Gray has climbed the highest peaks, and many others, on five of the seven continents. In 2019, they summited Mr. Kilimanjaro together.
After practicing real estate law for 40 years (Gray) and earning 15 patents as a GE materials scientist during a 38-year career (Vicki), both are now retired.
HOW DID UNION INFORM YOUR CAREER PATH?
“Hans Freund, Mike Shinagel, Ruth Stevenson, Charlie Steckler and others, were more than professors. They were mentors and friends who selflessly shared their life experiences and learning in a way that young minds, including my own, could both appreciate and emulate. Union College allowed me the freedom to explore various scholastic disciplines, with its unique combination of both liberal arts and science/engineering curricula, in a small, friendly and supportive campus. The opportunity to learn from students from more varied backgrounds and lifestyles was also an important part of my experience at Union.”
— Gray Watkins ’73, retired real estate attorney
HOW DID UNION INFORM YOUR CAREER PATH?
“Bob Schaefer (chemistry), Stephen Berk (history) and Hans Freund (English) were my most influential teachers. Union was my first choice of schools because I looked for a small liberal arts college with strong sciences. I was interested in becoming a veterinarian and chose to major in chemistry instead of biology, the more traditional route to med/vet schools, due to an exciting introduction to chemistry in high school. I took as many classes outside of the sciences as I was able to and am forever grateful for that exposure. My biggest regret was that I didn’t take advantage of a term abroad during my years at Union.”
— Vicki Herzl Watkins ’76, retired GE Global Research materials scientist
This story first appeared in the summer 2026 edition of Union, the College's alumni magazine.