Kevin M. Burke, Chairman, Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley,
Co-Chair National Heritage Area,
J. Winthrop Aldrich, Acting Chairman Greenway Council, Acting Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Scott Keller, Executive Director Greenway,
Director National Heritage Area
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Monthly News, Events, & Grant
Opportunities
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Important Reminders
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Greenway Planning, Greenway Trail, and Heritage Development Grant Applications are Due May 6, 2022. More details.
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Order the Free Empire State Trail Printed Map by Submitting an Email with your Name and Mailing Address on the Contact Us Page on the Empire State Trail's Website. Order now.
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Take a Moment and Fill Out the NYS Bicycling Census. Learn more.
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Submit Your Ramble Event Now!
Event registration is now open for the 2022 Hudson River Valley Ramble! We are once again inviting heritage sites, municipalities, organizations, businesses, individuals, and more to be our partners in this regional event!
Event registration is open to the 14 counties in the geographic area of the Hudson River Valley Greenway and Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area for any day during the month of September and October 1st & 2nd. There will not be a printed guidebook this year, but instead, events will be listed on our website and the guidebook will be available in a PDF version. Submit your events now!
Photo by Suzy Allman.
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Hudson River Valley Greenway Announces $80,900 in Grants
At its March meeting, the Hudson River Valley Greenway approved four matching Greenway Planning awards and six Greenway Conservancy Trail awards totaling $80,900.
The funded Greenway Planning projects include:
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$10,000 to Town of Lexington, for a Comprehensive Plan Update
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$10,000 to Town of Prattsville, for a Comprehensive Plan – Phase 1 Vision
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$8,000 to Village of Athens, for a Street Tree Inventory and Management Plan
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$10,000 to Town of East Fishkill, for a Comprehensive Plan Update
The funded Greenway Conservancy Trail projects include:
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$10,000 to City of Newburgh, for a Bike Trail to Downtown Newburgh
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$7,500 to Shaker Swamp Conservancy, for a Nature Trail Feasibility Study
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$2,500 to Springside Landscape Restoration, for a Revitalization of Springside’s Walking Tour
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$2,900 to Yorktown Trail Town Committee, for a Trailhead Signage Project
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$12,500 to Columbia Friends of the Electric Trail, for AHET Maintenance
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$7,500 to Rensselaer Land Trust, for AHET Maintenance
The next round of Greenway Planning and Greenway Trail Grant applications are due May 6, 2022. Information and guidelines are available here.
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Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Announces $10,000 Grant
The funded project includes:
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$10,000 to Hudson River Maritime Museum, for A New Age of Sail Exhibit
The next round of Heritage Development Grant applications are due May 6, 2022. Information and guidelines are available here.
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Volunteer to Clean Up a Shoreline for the 11th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep
Is there a shoreline near you that could use some attention? Would you like to organize your own cleanup or planting project?
Join Riverkeeper at one of 125+ locations along the Hudson River and tributaries for cleanups, invasive species removal, and planting projects.
The Riverkeeper Sweep started with a handful of shoreline cleanups in 2012, and has grown into a monumental, community-powered effort that stretches from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks. Dozens of schools, parks, religious communities, paddling groups, and scout troops take part. Volunteer now!
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News From Our Partners at the Hudson River Estuary Program |
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Important Reminders
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Public Comment Period for Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria is July 7, 2022. Learn more.
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Climate Leadership Protection Act Public Hearings Schedule
New York's Climate Action Council will hold 10 public hearings across the State to receive public input on the climate goals outlined in the Draft Scoping Plan for the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLPA). There will be eight in-person hearings in locations across the State, as well as two virtual hearings. In-person hearings will also be live-streamed to allow for remote viewing of the proceedings. Public comments on the draft plan will be accepted through June 10, 2022, an extension of 120 days.
The list of in-person public hearings and links to the virtual hearing are available on the Climate Act website. More info.
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Upcoming Events
*Please note that, while many heritage sites in the Hudson Valley have begun to reopen cautiously due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, some sites are still closed or have reduced hours. Please call the individual sites directly to inquire about their current status. New York State Parks remain open. While enjoying the outdoors, please follow the CDC/New York State Department of Health guidelines for preventing the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19.
Download the Hudson River Train Tour App
Between New York City and Albany, a world of history, nature, and culture awaits you. And there’s no better way to experience it all than by riding a train through the Hudson Valley. With the new, free Hudson River Train Tour app, you’ll discover what’s out that train window…and beyond. Learn more.
Sugaring Off: 18th Century Style, Senate House State Historic Site, Kingston, NY
April 2: There will be demonstrations of boiling maple sap down to syrup, hewing a log into a trough, hearthside cooking, and more. Find out more.
New York State as a Leader in Environmental Protection (WEBINAR)
April 5: Learn how the history of environmental affairs is reflected in records preserved at the State Archives and how, for over 125 years, NY has taken steps to steward our natural environment. More details.
Amelia Edwards at Olana and the Birth of Egyptian Archaeology (WEBINAR)
April 5: This webinar will discuss Edwards’ important efforts as the “Godmother of Egyptology,” including her co-founding of the Egypt Exploration Fund. Read more.
The Making of "Dickinson", Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY
April 6: This virtual conversation is about the making of the Apple TV+ historical comedy "Dickinson," which filmed for more than two months at the Jay Estate last year. More info.
Unveiled: Wedding Wear in 19th-century New York Virtual Tour (WEBINAR)
April 7: Check out this virtual tour of selections from Unveiled, an exhibition of wedding wear in New York State. More details.
Kids Day, Peebles Island State Park, Cohoes, NY
April 9: All activities are free and will be outdoors including bluebird house building, creating bird feeders, various spring crafting activities, island hikes, and scavenger hunts. Find out more.
Needle Felted Wool Hens, Glebe House, Poughkeepsie, NY
April 9: In this beginner workshop, participants will use needle felting to make a 5-6 inch hen. Learn more.
Tree Walk, Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, NY
April 10: Go for an early spring hike to learn how to identify our native trees, even when they don't have their leaves! Read more.
Sustainable Shorelines: Climate Adaptation in Practice (WEBINAR)
April 14: This webinar showcases projects and community partnerships that are taking the lead on climate adaptation, providing vision and technical support in re-imagining shorelines and other community spaces. Learn more.
Interpretive Walk for Children: The World of Horses, Staatsburg State Historic Site, Staatsburg, NY
April 15: Join in for a children's hike on the grounds of Staatsburgh and learn the many roles that horses played on a Gilded Age estate. More details.
Hike with Mike: Rockwood Hall to Eagle Hill, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville, NY
April 16: Experience the variety of scenery the Preserve has to offer in this 5-mile hike from Rockwood Hall to Eagle Hill and back, guided by Historian, Mike Miernik. Read more.
Flag Changing Ceremony, Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Highland, NY
April 17: The American Legion organize and present monthly Flag Changing Ceremonies on the Walkway to honor our region's veterans and their service to our country. Learn more.
New Leaders for the Hudson River and the Clean Water Act at 50 (WEBINAR)
April 20: In this online event, three pioneering Hudson River environmental organizations come together to discuss the 50th anniversary of the landmark Clean Water Act. Find out more.
Van Cortlandt Park Trails, Including the Old Croton Aqueduct, Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park, Bronx, NY
April 21: Free, easy, approximately 6 miles (4-mile only bail-out option available), can be muddy; portions on the John Muir Trail will be hilly. Read more.
Earth Day Story & Hike with Bethlehem Public Library, Normans Kill West Preserve, Delmar, NY
April 22: Celebrate Earth Day on this story and hike with the local library. More info.
Making Your Website Accessible (WEBINAR)
April 22: This webinar will guide participants through analyzing their institution’s website for accessibility and taking concrete steps to become more accessible. Learn more.
Grafton 15k, Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY
April 23: This course runs through some fun and challenging terrain for around 9.3 miles and 900 ft of elevation gain. More details.
Horsing Around at the Museum: Mini Horse Mania, FASNY Museum of Firefighting, Hudson, NY
April 23: Visit the “adoption barn” and learn all about how firefighters cared for fire horses and more. Find out more.
Tour Day, Mesier Homestead Historic Site, Wappingers Falls, NY
April 24: Take a walk back in time as you tour the home of the original settlers of the area that is now known as the Village of Wappingers Falls. Discover more.
Springtime Poetry Story Hour, Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown, NY
April 24: Visit Clermont for Poetry Month for storytime in the sun! Read more.
David Gellman, Liberty’s Chain: Slavery, Abolition and the Jay Family of New York, John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Katonah, NY
April 28: Liberty's Chain explores the contradictions of the Jay family's attitudes and actions toward slavery over multiple generations. More info.
Mid Hudson Astronomical Association Star Party, Lake Taghkanic State Park, Ancram, NY
April 29: The Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association hosts a monthly stargazing party in the West Beach parking lot. Learn more.
Birding, Gardiner Library, Gardiner, NY
April 29: This program will be an approximately one-mile walk on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and wander through Majestic Park. Find out more.
Spring Crafts, Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, NY
April 29 - May 1: The Spring Craft Show by ArtRider returns with 150 craftspeople and makers in a modified, socially distant layout! More info.
Volunteer Clean Up, Sheldrake Environmental Center, Larchmont, NY
April 30: Cleanups help make the Sheldrake Lake and pond a cleaner habitat for our plants and animals, which include fish, frogs, turtles, birds, ducks, and more. Volunteer now!
Harriman Big Bear Loop & Preview Run, Harriman State Park, Tompkins Cove, NY
April 30: Spectacular views, epic climbs, and history on this challenging trail run with 2 pace groups.
Thomas Cole's Studio: Memory & Inspiration, Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill, NY
April 30 - October 30: The exhibition, will for the first time reassemble those significant works and explore how Cole’s example so powerfully affected the evolution of art in America. Find out more.
Albany History Fair, Historic Cherry Hill, Albany, NY
May 1: Visitors and heritage partners will once again gather at Albany’s Yellow House on the Hill to explore the Capital City’s fascinating history. More details.
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Heritage Spotlight: Jay Heritage Center, Westchester County
The 23-acre Jay Estate is the childhood home of American Founding Father, John Jay (1745–1829). Jay’s character was nurtured by this land. He became one of our nation’s greatest patriots, diplomats and jurists, an antislavery advocate, spymaster, Governor of New York, and co-author of the Federalist Papers. Together with John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, he negotiated the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War. His descendants became civic leaders and ambassadors. Visitors will see what he saw—an unparalleled water view over a 10,000-year-old meadow, the oldest in New York State. One and a half acres of sunken gardens feature a parterre, reflecting pool and 100-foot arbor. Buildings open to the public include the 1838 Greek Revival Peter Augustus Jay House presented in various stages of historic preservation; it is the oldest National Historic Landmark in New York with geo-thermal technology. Learn more.
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Project Spotlight: Village of Ossining Comprehensive Plan
The Village of Ossining in Westchester County received a Greenway Compact Grant to update the Village's 2009 comprehensive plan. The purpose of updating the plan was to benefit the local area by amending zoning laws, providing cost savings by planning for infrastructure, and scaling orderly growth and development. The Village of Ossining has little vacant land and is under continual redevelopment pressure of parcels underdeveloped due to aged zoning laws. The project included a complete zoning evaluation to gauge the need to update the zoning with Form-Based Code overlays. The Comprehensive Plan update created a roadmap for realizing the vast potential of the riverfront, transit-oriented, and diverse community in Ossining. Check out the Village of Ossining's Comprehensive Plan.
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Natural Egg Dye for Easter Festivities
If you plan on dying eggs for Easter, consider using natural dyes like coffee, lemon, and oranges. Learn more.
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Grant and Funding Opportunities
Hudson River Valley Greenway Community Grant Program
Matching grants are available for Greenway Communities and Greenway Compact Communities. Deadline: May 6, 2022. More info.
Heritage Development Grants
This grant program offers funding for programming, interpretation, and marketing projects that support the mutual goals of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and applicants. Grants will typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. Grant program guidelines and applications are available on the HRVNHA's website. One notable departure for this round is that staff time is eligible to be reimbursed, but only if that staff time is for the direct development of programming or interpretation, as identified in the grant application. We will be accepting applications with a May 6, 2022 submittal deadline, particularly focused on creating virtual tours and programming. Please note, that there is a new budget form with the application packet. Applicants should not use an older version of the budget form.
Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program
This grant program is dedicated to funding recreational trail projects. Special consideration is given to projects that seek to implement the goals of the Greenway Trail Program. Applications are due May 6, 2022. More details.
National Heritage Area Sponsorships Available
The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA) will partner with various organizations to sponsor programs and events that reinforce the Heritage Area’s mission. While complimenting the mission of the Heritage Area, cultural, heritage, and recreational events deliver significant tourism and economic benefits to communities, and encourage local and regional partnerships. Sponsorships will have an additional focus on events promoting the 19th Amendment and/or Women's in History in the Hudson Valley for the year 2020. Municipalities and nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations located within the HRVNHA are eligible to apply. There is a new application and budget form that must be used and can be found on our website. For more information, please contact Dan Jeanson at daniel.jeanson@hudsongreenway.ny.gov or 518-473-3835.
NYS Canal System Tourism Infrastructure & Amenity Support
This program supports capital improvement projects, acquisition of equipment and tourist amenities that enhance tourism and recreational assets along the NYS Canal System (Canal waterways and Canalway Trail). Funds are intended to support projects that fall below the New York State Consolidated Funding Application, with a funding maximum of $24,000. Deadline: April 1, 2022. More info.
Buffer in a Bag Program
The Buffer in a Bag program provides organizations and private landowners with free tree and shrub seedlings to help establish or improve a stream buffer on their property. Deadline: April 11, 2022. Find out more.
National Scenic Byways Program 2022 Grants and Technical Assistance
The program funds improvements, such as byway facilities, safety improvements, and interpretive information, along roads in the United States that merit recognition at the national level for their outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural recreational and archeological qualities. Letter of intent due by April 11, 2022. More details.
NYSDEC's Community Forest Conservation Grant Program
The grant program’s goal is to assist communities in the conservation of local forests to create opportunities for public access, help protect natural areas from development, and encourage sustainable management of forested lands. Deadline: April 13, 2022. Read more.
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the RAISE grant program. The popular program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. Deadline: April 14, 2022. Learn more.
The Trail Fund
This grant program was created to assist the trails community with funding to support maintenance, research, and stewardship training needs. Deadline: April 15, 2022. Find out more.
State Economic & Infrastructure Development Investment Program
The State Economic & Infrastructure Development Investment Program is offered through the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). NBRC's mission is to fund economic development and infrastructure projects throughout designated counties in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. The counties in the Hudson Valley are Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Washington. Deadline: April 22, 2022. Learn more.
Apply to Host the 2022 Climate-adaptive Design Studio
Calling all Hudson riverfront communities: do you want help envisioning a thriving, climate resilient future for your waterfront? CaD is a collaboration between Cornell University Landscape Architecture Professor Josh Cerra and the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program. The semester-long studio links students in landscape architecture with Hudson Riverfront communities to explore design alternatives for thriving, climate-resilient waterfront areas. Community stakeholders take part throughout the studio semester to help inform the design process and support practical results. Letter of interest due on May 2, 2022. More info.
Legends & Lore® Marker Grant Program
Does your community have a great piece of folklore that should be shared? Legends & Lore is designed to promote cultural tourism and commemorate legends and folklore as part of our heritage. Legends & Lore grant funding includes the full cost of a marker, pole, and shipping. Deadline: May 2, 2022. More details.
Tributary Restoration and Resiliency Grants
NYSDEC is offering funding to help communities in eastern New York watersheds improve water quality, increase flood resiliency, and conserve natural resources. The Tributary Restoration and Resiliency grants, supported by the State's Environmental Protection Fund, will fund projects in the Hudson River Estuary, Jamaica Bay, Long Island Sound, Peconic Estuary, and South Shore Estuary Reserve watersheds. Deadline: May 4, 2022. Read more.
National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program
The Mega Program will support large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits. Deadline: May 23, 2022. Find out more.
The Rural Surface Transportation Grant
The Rural Program will support projects to improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. Deadline: May 23, 2022. More details.
The INFRA Grants Program
The INFRA Program awards competitive grants for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas. Deadline: May 23, 2022. Learn more.
NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program
Support of up to $7,500 is available for conservation treatment
of paintings, works on paper (including individual drawings, watercolors, prints, or photographs), textiles (including costumes, domestic textiles, and upholstery), furniture, frames, sculpture, historical, ethnographic, and decorative objects. Deadline: June 1, 2022. More info.
Major Collaborative Archival Initiatives
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives supports projects that promote access to America's historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. Deadline: June 8, 2022. More details.
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative of the Museums for America program. It is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Deadline: November 15, 2022. More info.
Extreme Terrain’s Clean Trail Grant Program
This program will provide eligible groups the opportunity to apply for a grant to fund their next trail improvement-related project, which could range from trail clean-up, trail restoration, trail expansion, to name a few. Learn more.
New York State Assembly Grants Action News
State, federal, and private grant information from the New York State Assembly. More info.
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