our people

Sara has been working at Sylvester Manor since 2008, when Peconic Land Trust was hired by the Sylvester descendant owners to plan conservation and sustainable development of the remnant acreage, and transition of the family lands to the community. She joined the Manor staff in 2013. Sara has facilitated the permanent protection of a majority of the Manor’s 240 acres for habitat, wetlands and farmland preservation. A member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Sara leads land use and historic preservation initiatives in collaboration with Town, County, State and Federal agencies, consultants and contractors. Dedicated to modeling innovative solutions to today’s critical challenges, Sara led implementation of Suffolk County’s first non-proprietary constructed wetland alternative wastewater treatment system, operating since 2017 – the Manor’s “Clean Water Project.” Sara moved from Sag Harbor to Shelter Island in 2016. She is blessed to be married to Peter Vielbig and to walk to work when not working from her nearby home. Sara serves on Shelter Island Town’s Green Options Committee and Community Housing Fund Advisory Board, and on the board of the Shelter Island Friends of Music, as well as the Unitarian Congregation of the South Fork where she also regularly provides music for Sunday meetings with her violin and voice.