HONORING
GOOD LAND AWARD
David Smith, Esq.
COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD
Rhinebeck Interact Club
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Tickets $90 per person
Includes Virtual Party pass and a party gift box with wine from Old Mill Wine and Spirits, Samuel's Sweet Shop chocolates, Crown Maple syrup, locally sourced honey, Hudson Valley Kinders Farm soaps, local artisanal cheeses and other specially curated gifts.
(Note boxes are designed for two people but can be done for one person)
Party box pick up outdoors at the Winnakee Land Trust office in Rhinebeck
from 2-4pm the day of the event Saturday, June 12.
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Winnakee is thrilled to present our main event, a virtual party celebrating the importance of protecting our local forests and high value conservation lands across our region. Forested lands are vital to New York's ecological and economic well-being and saving them is an indispensable investment in our future. We are planning a fun-filled evening that captures our work in unique ways through the virtual medium.
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Celebrate the wonder and magic of forests, both imaginatively and for the myriad ecological benefits they bring to our environmental health and climate resilience. |
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During the virtual party, we will highlight important conservation & stewardship work that has taken place in the last year, and honor individuals that have made an extraordinary impact on our local environment.
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You will enjoy fun food and wine, karaoke and dance, creative youth and community projects, and the evening concludes asking you to share in a virtual toast. |
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Kenneth Allen Makowski had a vision: he wanted his legacy to ensure that the work of environmental conservation organizations thrived and helped future generations to enjoy the wonders of the natural environment these groups stewarded. After he passed, his estate formed a trust to advance the work of such organizations, including the Winnakee Land Trust. The Makowski estate appointed an old friend of Kenneth’s, David Smith, as its trustee and charged him with the responsibility of ensuring the realization of Kenneth Makowski’s vision. David, inspired by that vision, made that charge his personal mission. Working tirelessly with land trusts from Long Island to the Adirondacks and across the breadth of the state, David has seen to it that the resources entrusted to him have always had the most effective possible impact on our environment. While the many conservation projects David has supported are too numerous to list here, he played an instrumental role in assisting Winnakee to protect the Saw Kill in Red Hook. For a number of years, David has been a major supporter of the work of Winnakee. David serves on our Board of Directors and plays a major role in leadership efforts to protect our forested lands and waterways and all that's important to fulfilling Winnakee's mission.
David graduated from Binghamton University (f/k/a State University of New York at Binghamton) and graduated cum laude with a BA in History. He thereafter attended St. John's University School of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 1996. In 1997 he was admitted to practice law in the State of New York and the Southern and Eastern Federal District Courts of New York and is currently a member of the firm of Martyn, Martyn, Smith & Murray in Mineola New York, and works as a trial attorney defending personal injury and product liability cases. David became a proud member of the Board of Directors of the Winnakee Land Trust in 2018. He resides in Nassau County, New York with his wife and two children.
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COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD
Rhinebeck Interact Club
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This year, Winnakee honors the Rhinebeck Interact Club for for their outstanding commitment to the community and our environment. Rhinebeck Interact is a service club for high school aged students and is sponsored by Rhinebeck Rotary. Interact students partner with Winnakee on stewardship at Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill and as stellar cleanup volunteers on the Route 9G two mile long Winnakee "Adopt-a-Highway" stretch which passes Burger Hill. Throughout the community, Interact students can be seen at clean-ups at the green cemetery in Rhinebeck, participating in the Village of Rhinebeck Tree plantings and doing other environmental projects in Rhinebeck such as helping with a compost program at the high school. During the pandemic, the club did grocery shopping and food delivery to seniors and others who were unable to leave their homes due to COVID. In “normal” years, the club also conducts several “play days” for the children living at Astor Services for Children and Families, assist with Porchfest and SinterKlass celebrations and provide free popcorn at the Village Tree Lighting Ceremony. They also do an annual service project in either Nicaragua or Costa Rica, building classrooms and other infrastructure to support children and families who live there. The club raises over $20,000 annually to support these causes. In addition, Interact donates to "Shelter Box", an organization providing temporary housing for families displaced by natural disaster or war and "Gravity Water", which develops sustainable potable water projects for Vietnam and other parts of South East Asia. |
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This year, the club has been meeting virtually and look forward to meeting live again soon. The officers for this year are Esther Murray and Elena Raccuia (Co-Presidents), Jamie Derbyshire (Vice President), Matthew Raccuia (Treasurer), Josie Raccuia (Secretary), Joey Dull and Riley LeHane (Fundraising). Winnakee looks forward to celebrating this dedicated group of tomorrow's leaders, who are making a meaningful impact on our community now. |
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"Vlei Marsh" Watercolor by Betsy Jacaruso |
Look for Winnakee's online auction!
We are grateful to Betsy for contributing her "Vlei Marsh" watercolor to be auctioned in support of the "Enchanted Forest" Virtual Party! Look for future information regarding the online auction for this stunning watercolor.
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Watercolorist, Betsy Jacaruso has gained the reputation for being not only a talented painter, but also a gifted instructor who teaches drawing and painting techniques as a way of realizing individual vision. Learn more about Betsy and her work by clicking here.
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We are also celebrating our forested lands with an Outdoor Experience. We are opening the gates at newly protected Vlei Marsh from June 5 - June 19th.
Tiptoe through the forest and seek out magical woodland creatures found along the trail. Visit our lean-to and immerse yourself in our fairy community created by our Master Fairy Maker, Richard Prouse.
This two week long event is FREE and you do not need to register. Vlei Marsh is located at 186 Vlei Road Rhinebeck, NY.
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SPONSORS*
(As of this date)
We are grateful to our sponsors, whose support furthers Winnakee’s conservation and stewardship of local forests and vulnerable lands for future generations.
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Carolyn Marks Blackwood & Greg Quinn*
Robert and Victoria Duffy
Valerie Ford Jacob & Charles Jacob*
Van Lamprou & Kimberly Vanmersbergen*
The Makowski Trust*
Carl E. Meyer*
Braden Rhetts & Christian Mundigo*
Gloria F. Ross Foundation*
Tatiana Serafin & Mick Kalishman*
Leslie Sternlieb*
Illiana van Meeteren & Terence Boylan
Mary Elizabeth Taylor Wohl & Dr. David Chalfin*
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Wayne Baden, Esq.*
Gloria & John Golden*
Ellen & Sam Phelan*
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Richard Prouse
Rhinebeck Bank*
Fareed Zakaria*
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Dr. Kenneth Appell*
David Ping Group*
Drake Creative
Grant & Lyons LLP
Vicki Haak, CFP®*
Mary Ann Hoffman & Lauren Kingman
Hudson Valley News
Linda Kagan,
The Kagan Law Group, P.C.*
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Nancy Leonard & Lawrence Kramer*
Angela J. Maier-Lore & Keith Lore*
Sally & Michael Mazzarella*
Michael Sasse & Tim Goodmanson*
Susan Sie and Richard Kopyscianski*
Patricia Wind & Cliff Platt*
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Cale Communications
Robert S. Davis*
Denter Sand and Gravel
Cornelia Gallow*
Jill Horn & Dr. Steven Schwartz*
David Kliphon & Jonna Paoella*
LeGrand Real Estate Inc.
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Liz Mazzarella & Allen R. DeCotiis*
Jonathan Mensch*
Phoenix Marketing International,
Allen R. DeCotiis*
George and Gail Hunt Reeke*
Elaine Sproat
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Bob Wills Architects
John Bagwell and William Harris
Vin Carrega & David Barker
Lynda Christensen
Claudia & Andy Cooley*
Hummingbird Jewelers
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Jeffrey Scales
JSA Sustainable Wealth Management
McCabe and Mack LLP
Migliorelli Farm
Sarah Olson
Pinewood Associates
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A special thank you to our Fairy Committee! |
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Richard Prouse, Master Fairy Maker
Joanne Engle
Dina Fennell
Roslye Geuss
Betsy Jacaruso
Peggy Lubman
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Tina Keil
Liz Mazzarella
Sally Mazzarella
Angela Maier-Lore
Lisa Winika
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For more information or to become a sponsor please contact Stephanie at [email protected] or (845) 376-4213 x 4 |
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