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Barnabas McHenry, Chair Greenway Council, Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Kevin M. Burke, Acting Chairman, Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley, Acting Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Scott Keller, Acting Executive Director Greenway,
Acting Director National Heritage Area
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Monthly News, Events, & Grant
Opportunities
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Upcoming Hudson River Valley Greenway Board Meeting
There will be a joint meeting of the Boards of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council and the Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley, Inc. on March 22, 2017 at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Library in Hyde Park. Networking begins at 9:30 AM and the business meeting will commence at 10:00 AM. The meeting will feature a presentation by Liz McEnaney, Executive Director of the SS Columbia project. For more information, please e-mail the Hudson River Valley Greenway here or call 518-473-3835.
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Empire State Trail Featured in New York Times
On Monday, February 20, the New York Times featured Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Proposed
Empire State Trail project in an article focusing on the many benefits of the trail for New York
and New Yorkers. Explaining The Governor's vision to link all three tiers of the state from Manhattan to the Canadian border and Albany to Buffalo by means of 750 miles of multi-use trails throughout the Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Erie Canalway, it highlights the desire New Yorkers have to link their communities and their state through recreational trails. The article can be found here.
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Writing About Place: The Hudson Valley
Teaching the Hudson Valley has recently announced the winners of its
Writing about Place
writing contest. The contest, open to students in grades K-12 living or attending school in the 11-county Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, asks contestants to write about places in the Hudson Valley that have special meaning to them.
Winners have their writing published on Teaching the Hudson Valley's
blog
and their classes will receive up to $900 to help cover the cost for their class to visit the sites they write about.
More information about the contest can be found
here
, and more information about Teaching the Hudson Valley can be found
here
.
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Economic Impact of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site on Local Economy: Nearly $1.9 million
The Thomas Cole National Historic Site has recently announced the results of a study that shows its economic impact on the local economy in the Greene County area is $1,898,000 annually. Based on 2015 data, this figure represents an increase of 44% since 2010 and reflects an increase in visitors during that period by 54% to nearly 16,000 annually. The Historic Site’s operating budget has similarly grown by 46% to more than $800,000 in 2015 and has continued to grow, topping the $1 million mark in 2016. The total economic impact supports 54 jobs in the local economy, up from 38 in 2010. The study was done by Business Opportunities Management Consulting, based in North Greenbush. The same firm generated the 2010 results. Learn more about the Thomas Cole National Historic Site here.
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Path Through History Weekend Event Registration Now Open
In 2012 Governor Cuomo unveiled New York State's "Path Through History," a statewide initiative that links historically and culturally significant sites, locations and events throughout New York State. This effort to highlight our rich heritage aims to not only showcase the state's history and cultural significance, but also promote tourism and economic development in communities across the state.
The Path Through History Weekend will be held this year
in two seasons: in the Spring from June 17-18, and in the fall from October 7-9. Host sites can participate in one or both of the weekends, and registration is now open. Register your event here.
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Women in Politics: A Conference Commemorating the Centennial of Women's Suffrage in New York State
Will be held on April 21 from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the FDR Library and Museum in Hyde Park and on April 22 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at SUNY New Paltz. The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is proud to be a sponsor of this conference. More details are available here.
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Upcoming Events
Bedford Audubon Events, Katonah, NY
The Bedford Audubon Society is hosting several workshops and field trips during the month of March. On March 8 at 7:00 PM at the Katonah Library a lecture on phenology (the life cycle variations of plants and animals, including insects and pollinators important to birds) entitled
Timing is Everything: Plants, Pollinators, & People with Community Greenways will be held. Refreshments will be served
at 7:00PM, lecture begins at 7:30 in the Garden Room. Please bring a reusable mug to use to help reduce our ecological footprint. No registration is necessary. For more Bedford Audubon Events in the month of March, please visit here.
Our Other Blue Planet, Cary Institute, Millbrook, NY
On March 10 at 7:00 PM freshwater ecologist Dr. David Strayer will discuss inland waters and the rich diversity of life that they support.More information about his presentation can be found here.
Winnakee Land Trust Sleepy Moon Hike
Lace up your boots. The Winnakee Land Trust is organizing a Sleepy Moon hike at Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill from 6:00 to 7:30 PM on March 12. The event will offer spectacular night views of the Hudson River Valley with the Shawangunk Ridge and Catskills to the West and the Taconic Range and Berkshires to the East. Register for this free event
here
. For more information, contact the Events Office
here
.
Getting to Green, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Cornwall, NY
The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum is hosting author Frederic C. Rich for his presentation "Getting to Green: Saving Nature: A Bipartisan Solution" on M
arch 14
at 7:30 PM. Mr. Rich will discuss how the American environmental movement lost its way and how it can get back on track in this new political era. Call the museum at 845-534-5506, ext. 204 for more information.
Lunch and Learn Seminars
Dutchess Tourism Incorporated will host a series of five Lunch & Learn seminars on Wednesdays from March 15 through April 12 from noon to 1:30 PM. Held at differing locations in Dutchess County each week, these free seminars are geared towards tourism related businesses and will feature content designed to help enhance the visitor experience. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunches and eat while they learn. To register or to get more information on these seminars, contact Dutchess Tourism at (845)463-5432 or email here.
Free Community Photography Workshop: Closely Acquainted: Familiar Rooms, Keepsakes and Objects of Franklin, FDR Museum and Library, Hyde Park, NY
On March 18, 8:30 am-1:00 PM at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor & Education Center.
Photograph the interior of the homes of FDR's "Springwood" and Eleanor's "Val-Kill".
Experience the intrinsic nature of the rooms, keepsakes, and objects of their lives. Photography environment is low, existing light, no flash allowed. Please register here.
For more information please contact Bill Urbin at 845-229-2006, bill_urbin@nps.gov
Audubon in the Parks
The Rockland Audubon Society is offering a series of public walks. On March 18, the walk will be at Kakiat County Park at 6:30 PM. Call Caroline McDonald at (917) 501-7951 for more details. On March 19, the walk will be at Tallman Mountain State Park at 8:00 AM. Contact Carol Weiss at (845) 358-3659 for more information. More events from the Rockland Audubon Society are listed here.
Historic Housekeeping....Made Simple, Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, NY
The Greater Hudson Heritage Network is offering a workshop on March 22 between 9:30 AM and 4:00 PM to teach the skills that are necessary to clean, handle, and store historical collections. The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is proud to be a sponsor of this workshop. More information is available here.
Teaching the Hudson Valley Workshops (THV), FDR Museum and Library, Hyde Park, NY
March 25, 10 am-12:30 pm at
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum Wallace Visitor Center. This unique workshop focuses on teaching about slavery in our region with Susan Stessin-Cohn, co-author of the new book,
In Defiance: Runaways from Slavery in New York's Hudson River Valley, 1735-1831. More information is available here.
Hiking through History: Flight 6231, Harriman State Park, Sloatsburg, NY
On March 25 at 10:00 AM, the Historical Society of Rockland County will be hosting a three hour hike of the site of the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 6231 in Harriman State Park. Flight 6321 crashed here minutes after take off from Kennedy International Airport on December 21, 1974. The two mile hike is light to moderate in difficulty and sturdy footwear is recommended. More information about the hike can be found here.
Hands-in-the-Dirt-Workshop, Bellefield, Hyde Park, NY
Spring is just around the corner and your garden awaits you. Learn how to prune the unruly vines of last season to promote more blossoms in your wisteria. The Beatrice Farrand Garden Association will host a Vine Pruning Workshop on March 28 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM rain or shine at the Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield in Hyde Park. More information is available here.
Trout Weekend, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Cornwall, NY
On April 1 and April 2 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Trout Weekend will be held
at the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum’s Wildlife Education Center, 25 Boulevard, Cornwall-on-Hudson “Meet the Trout” presentation at 1 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. Feeding time for Brook Trout at 1:30 p.m. & 3 p.m. Fun activities and stories plus crafts for kids. For information visit here or call 845-534-5506, ext. 204.
Grants Workshop, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY
The Capital District Regional Planning Commission, in partnership with a variety of agencies and organizations, will hold a day-long grant workshop at Hudson Valley Community College on April 12th.
This event is for grant seekers, applicants, and managers. The workshop’s objective is to help attendees prepare to apply for competitive grant programs. The workshop will feature general sessions on grant writing and grants management using case study examples. Presenters will review the Consolidated Funding Application process from start to finish. During concurrent sessions, agency representatives will participate in a series of breakout sessions about grants available for water quality, energy and sustainability, and community development. More information here.
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Museum Association of New York Annual Conference
The annual conference will be held
April 2-4
at the National Museum of Dance and the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs. More information on the conference and registration is
here
.
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Spring Seminar Series: The Roosevelt Circle
On Wednesdays in April at 2:00 PM the Wilderstein Historic Site in Rhinebeck will host a spring seminar series on the Roosevelt Circle who were some of Franklin and Eleanor's closest associates during their years in the White House. These seminars will be led by local historians Linda Bouchey and Albert Vinck. The first seminar in the series will be on April 5. For more information on these seminars please call (845) 876-4818.
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Heritage Spotlight: The New York State Capitol
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A true landmark of the Empire State, the New York State Capitol took 32 years and five architects to build. It was completed in 1899 only after a great deal of political and artistic controversy. Touted as being in the French Renaissance architectural style of the chateau-like Hotel de Ville in Paris, it is actually a combination of French and Italian Renaissance, Classical, and Romanesque architectural styles all melded together into a unique building that at the time of its completion was considered to be the most expensive government building of the era. On the inside, one can see just a touch of opulence among the many hand-painted murals depicting the heritage and culture of New York State. After much restoration work, the grandeur of fine craftsmanship of the wood and stonework of the interior is also on display. The Capitol is a highlight of Albany and should not be missed. More information about this heritage site can be found here and the restoration here.
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Project Spotlight: Historic Huguenot Street
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Historic Huguenot Street, a National Historic Landmark District located in New Paltz, was awarded a $5,000 Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Heritage Development Grant for their Reinventing the Visitor Experience project. This project involved the enlivenment of interpretive tours and programs by the noted historical consultant, Bill Weldon, who is the former director at the National Association of Interpretation (NAI) and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Mr. Weldon brought the daily tour to life by incorporating animated, story-like, interactive, and experience driven historic elements for visitors. Examples of the interactive nature of this project are the digitized copy of the original land patent that transferred ownership of the land from the Native Americans to the Huguenots that is displayed on an IPad for visitors. The IPad also plays a traditional Huguenot hymn sung at masses as visitors enter the French church. In addition, a reproduction musket was purchased and incorporated into the the tour to show how difficult it was to carry, load, and shoot during the Revolutionary War. Mr. Weldon's changes to the program have been transformational and have reinvented the tour of the site for visitors. More information about tours of Historic Huguenot Street can be found here.
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Grant Opportunities
Hudson River Valley Greenway Grant Program
Matching grants available for Greenway Communities and Greenway Compact Communities. Deadline May 5. More here.
Hudson River Estuary Grants Program- Due April 6, 2017. Grants from $10,500 to $1,000,000 are for Tributary Restoration and Resiliency. These grants help communities in the Hudson River estuary watershed improve water quality, increase flood resiliency, and conserve natural resources. More information is available here.
NYS DEC
2017 Invasive Species Rapid Response and Control Grant Program
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is pleased to announce funding for the Invasive Species Rapid Response and Control Grant Program. The program, which is open to municipalities, not-for-profits and educational institutions, will target both aquatic and terrestrial infestations throughout New York State.
Deadline March 24. More here.
2017 Barnabas McHenry Awards
The Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards are grants awarded each year to four exceptional young leaders in the fields of environmental conservation, historic preservation, the arts, and tourism.
Any nonprofit organization working in the Hudson Valley may nominate a candidate and the project that he or she will conduct. Eligible candidates must be undergraduate or graduate students. Deadline March 10. More here
2017 Mark B. Bain Graduate Fellowships
The Hudson River Foundation will award up to six full-time research fellowships to advanced graduate students conducting research on the Hudson River system. Fellowships are available for doctoral and master's level students. Applications are due March 13, 2017. More information here.
NYS Department of State
Countywide Resiliency Planning Grants
This is a competitive funding program for the development of Countywide Resiliency Plans that primarily address climate change risks and vulnerabilities associated with: an increase in frequency and severity of storm and precipitation events; sea-level rise; storm surge; and flooding.
Deadline March 29. More information here.
Open Space Institute's Conservation Diversity Fellowship
This program seeks candidates pursuing professional experience in the conservation field. The Fellowship is a full-time, salaried, one-year position in New York City offering candidates the chance to work with colleagues and leaders at the Open Space Institute to accomplish meaningful conservation goals. Deadline to apply is April 15. More here
USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced funding for approaches to benefit farming, ranching, and forest operations, local economies, and the communities and resources in a watershed or other geographic area. Program priorities include projects that address climate change, improve agricultural energy management and efficiency, and prevent flooding and drought. Deadline April 21. More information here.
Making Transportation Smart and Sustainable Funding from NYSERDA & NYSDOT
Proposals are welcome from organizations with ideas to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption from New York's multi-modal transportation system. Project areas include Smart Mobility Solutions, Smart Infrastructure and Systems Planning, and Smart Freight and Urban Delivery Systems. More
here
.
New York State Assembly Grants Action News
State, federal, and private grant information from the New York State Assembly. More
here
.
Grants Available to Improve Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites
Parks and Trails New York and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation have teamed up to provide grants funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. More
here
.
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Green Tip of the Month: Planning Your Vegetable Garden
As spring approaches, it is time to plan your vegetable garden. A well-planned vegetable garden will produce greater yields in the coming months and will allow you to take full advantage of natural growing seasons, soil nutrients and other climatic elements. Key to planning your vegetable garden is succession planting. Succession planting, if planned properly, takes advantage of the scheduled growing season for a variety of plants and it will allow you to grow several crops throughout the season in one space. Planning is a relatively simple task involving a few hours now and careful measurements throughout the spring and summer. A little effort now will bring great benefit in the future. As you enjoy the bounty of your garden in the coming months, you will be glad that you planned your garden now. More information about planning your vegetable garden can be found here.
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