June 2020
Barnabas McHenry, Chairman Greenway Council, Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Kevin M. Burke, Chairman, Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley,
Co-Chair National Heritage Area
Scott Keller, Executive Director Greenway,
Director National Heritage Area 
Monthly News, Events, & Grant
Opportunities
Important Reminders

  • Get Outside Safely, Responsibly, and Locally. Learn more.

  • Virtual Event Registration is NOW OPEN for I LOVE NY 's Spring 2020 Path Through History Weekends: At Home, June 15 - July 4! Don't miss out, register your virtual event today! Find out more.

2020 Hudson River Valley Ramble Canceled
The protection and safety of the residents in the Hudson Valley is our top priority. We made the very difficult decision to cancel the 21st annual Hudson River Valley Ramble scheduled this September in response to the COVID-19 health emergency. The nature of the Ramble is to bring 'Ramblers' from all over the Hudson Valley and beyond. The future is uncertain, but at this time, in response to the pandemic the CDC and New York State Health Department are advising New Yorkers to enjoy the outdoors in their local communities to reduce the spread. Virtual events or self-guided tours can still be found or submitted to the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area's website .

We are grateful to all Ramble event leaders and participants who make this one-of-a-kind event series possible year after year. We can't wait till we can celebrate the history, culture and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area with you in person, in September 2021.

If you have any questions, please email hrvg@hudsongreenway.ny.gov .
GHHN Updates it's Workshop Series in Response to COVID-19
In accordance with safety measures taken in response to COVID-19, GHHN is in the process of "making it work" them selves - and re-imagining the workshops in this series. That re-imagining will look different for each of the workshops in the series, due of the nature of the workshops themselves....  

  1. Workshop 1: Care and Storage of Collections (7/23) will now be held online.
  2. Workshop 2: Archival Rehousing Workshop (7/14) is postponed until Fall 2020 (date TBA) - every effort will be made to keep this an in-person workshop, but if GHHN is unable to it will pivot to an online course as well. Final determination will be made in August. 
  3. Workshop 3: Textile Rehousing Workshop (10/20) is planned to be held in-person. Final determination will be made at a later date.

Visit their website for more details.
Thomas Cole National Historic Site is Hosting a Virtual Summer Party Pic-Nic

The Thomas Cole Summer Party must go on, so this year you are invited to a virtual a " Summer Part Pic-Nic ", custom designed by Geoff Howell Studios, and sent to your home. The virtual “Summer Party Pic-Nic” will take place on Sunday, August 30th at 5 P.M., and your picnic package will be delivered to you in advance. The party has been reimagined for these unusual times, and new features have been added so you can enjoy the fun from home:

  • A beautiful package inspired by Thomas Cole’s painting “A Pic-Nic Party,” including custom-designed picnic blanket, napkins, tumblers and other items, depending on the level of sponsorship you choose.
  • Entry to an exclusive live-streamed presentation by Tim Barringer, Paul Mellon Professor in the History of Art at Yale University, one of the most engaging, ebullient and sought-after speakers in the country, about “A Pic-Nic Party” and its little-known link to J.M.W. Turner, as well as a live question-and-answer session with Professor Barringer.
  • A video welcome from Lisa Fox Martin, a special Zoom meeting for all Pic-Nic guests so that you can see each other’s faces, and a place to send your self-portrait picnic photos that we will post all together online.
  • Finish the experience with a link to an artistically choreographed display of virtual fireworks.

Visit the event page for all the details.
Town of Wawarsing Case Study on Community Planning

The value of natural areas is being celebrated more than ever – beyond the many benefits such as clean water, wildlife habitat, flood control, and temperature moderation, COVID-19 has been a stark reminder of the relationship between habitat disturbance and disease, and the public’s need to access and enjoy nature.

With more than 250 municipalities in the estuary watershed, all making decisions about lands and waters, each community has an important role in sustaining the larger ecosystem and the many benefits it delivers. The Town of Wawarsing is an excellent case study in how a municipality can tap into funding and technical assistance to support conservation planning with outcomes that benefit the local community as well as the greater ecological landscape. It was a privilege and inspiration to work with the town’s wise and committed volunteers and I’m happy to share their story.

Watch the new video , Conserving Nature in Your Community: Critical Environmental Areas.
Make a Reservation to Visit Innisfree Garden

Recognized as one of the “world’s ten best gardens,” Innisfree is a powerful icon of mid-twentieth century design. Over fifty years in the making, it is the work of landscape architect Lester Collins, FASLA (1914-1993), with important contributions by his clients, artist and teacher Walter Beck and gardener and heiress Marion Burt Beck. The result is a distinctly American stroll garden - a sublime composition of rock, water, and sky achieved with remarkable economy and grace.

The garden has not closed its doors, but instead has been open on a limited, advanced-reservation basis. Those who would like to visit Innisfree must reserve their three-hour spots in advance and must observe New York State protocols for the numbers of persons in a party, wearing masks and the like. The garden is open from 10AM-1PM and from 2-5PM in the afternoon. Reservations cannot be made onsite. Read more .
Reservoir Trails Open in Middletown

The current pandemic has highlighted the need for more outdoor recreational opportunities. The city of Middletown , working with The Trust for Public Land, has opened up their 1,250-acre watershed for public access and has developed plans to turn it into a vibrant community public space. Outside of downtown Middletown, you can experience 8.5-miles of woods, roads, and trails. The trails offer stunning views of Monhagen Reservoir, Highland Reservoir, and Shawangunk Reservoir, which have provided clean drinking water to local residents since the 1860s. This forested watershed includes century-old stands of white pines that create a shady and peaceful retreat. The land hasn't been opened to the public since 2001, but now as outdoor recreation has increased in demand the watershed has opened back up to the public. For GPS Usage, the main entrance with significant parking is located at 435 Van Duzer Road. Visitors should take the necessary precautions to be safe by following the  CDC/New York State Department of Health guidelines for preventing the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19. More info .
Upcoming Events
* Please note that d ue to the spread of COVID-19, many heritage sites have announced that they are cancelling events, closing, or reducing hours. Please call the individual sites directly to inquire their current status. New York State Parks remain open. Although many events, tours, and social gatherings have been postponed. 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.

The Arts Council of Rockland's Online Viewing Room
Visit the Arts Council of Rockland's latest exhibition, "Women's Voices," in their new Online Viewing Room! In celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, the Arts Council of Rockland presents “Women’s Voices” in collaboration with SuffrageForward, whose mission is to celebrate women’s right to vote, empower women, and create awareness among all people of the strength and resiliency of girls and women. View it now .

NYNJTC Online Learning Library
The Trail Conference is now offering new digital learning and engagement opportunities. From live webinars to on-demand content, the NYNJTC is providing workshops and lectures to boost your skills and help keep everyone connected. Check it out .

Clearwater Connects
Clearwater's education team has done an excellent job curating virtual adventures and lessons to meet the needs of a range of K-12, college, and post-doc students, and social groups, and they are looking forward to bringing more people to the river through these programs. Both live and pre-recorded experiences are available along with self-guided opportunities to explore the Hudson at a distance. Teachers, social groups, and others interested in discussing opportunities to experience the river with us should email sail@clearwater.org .

Discover Olana's Historic Landscape Virtually
Virtual visitors can now learn more about Olana's Historic Landscape at any time and from around the world. Enjoy the first two sections of their new 10-part video series. An additional installment about Frederic Church's 250-acre earthwork will be released every Tuesday and Thursday. Watch them now .

Sheldrake Environmental Center's June Mini-Camp Virtual Edition
 Sheldrake's popular June Mini-Camp for ages 3-6 is Zoom-ing off on new adventures in 2020! This new format combines online group sessions and self-paced exploration activities. Loaded with nature fun, Virtual June Mini-Camp will build on the virtual preschool classes we've been holding throughout the spring, featuring lots of interactivity, live instruction, video capture of Sheldrake's 60 acres, craft activities, stories, and more. Register by week. Invite a friend to join from anywhere! Register here .

Documentary Heritage & Preservation Services for New York's Webinar Library
DHPSNY’s webinars are a great alternative to face-to-face workshops. Presented free of charge, DHPSNY’s programs address the needs of professionals and volunteers at institutions that manage unique library research materials and historical records, including libraries, archives, and museums. DHPSNY’s webinars address emerging issues and best practices, with content scaled to apply to small- and medium-sized organizations with limited resources. Webinar topics are more narrowly-focused, with more opportunities for questions and responses, as well as community building across the state. Webinars are recorded, archived, and made available for download from DHPSNY’s Resources page. See below for descriptions and registration for upcoming webinars. Check it out .

Staatsburgh State Historic Site Virtual Resources
Though the mansion remains closed, Staatsburgh is providing online content for those who want to explore our history while isolating at home. There are resources available on their  Facebook page ,  blog , and  YouTube.  The grounds are also open from dawn until dusk. They even have a  printable scavenger hunt  to do while exploring the park!

Thomas Cole National Historic Site Virtual Resources
Explore hours of virtual content provided by the Thomas Cole National Historic Site on YouTube.  Check it out .

Leveraging Outdoor Recreation to Revitalize Rural Economies (WEBINAR)
June 2: Together rural communities, land managers, agencies, and counties are creating a vision to leverage the power of outdoor recreation to strengthen main street revitalization, contributing to stewardship of public lands and creating new opportunities for prosperity. Find out more .

Tactical Urbanism: Project Delivery for a Post-Pandemic World (WEBINAR)
June 5: In this webinar, participants will dig into the details of what Tactical Urbanism is, how the methodology was developed, and how it may help communities respond to current and future crises. More details .

June 9, 11, 16, 18: Learn about three new invasive pests and diseases in our region. Help scout for them, report their presence with iMapInvasives and stop their spread. Register now .

Gatehouses and Greenways: Interactive Community Engagement for Trails (WEBINAR)
June 11: This webinar will provide attendees with ideas and solutions for getting projects implemented through creative coalitions and engagement activities. Read more .

Women-Led Stewardship and Conservation (WEBINAR)
June 16: Join this panel discussion to explore why women are so critical to public lands protection, and how women’s leadership is critical to protection of our last wild places. More info .

Innovative Green Infrastructure Programs: Benefits, Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned (WEBINAR)
June 16: The panelists will discuss the challenges of launching innovative programs and their lessons learned to address community needs while meeting regulatory mandates. Register now .

Best Practices for Local Environmental Reviews (WEBINAR)
June 17: This webinar will address how to obtain natural resource information for a site, techniques for map interpretation, and effective ways to incorporate conservation principles for significant habitats, wildlife, and water resources into those reviews. Read more .

The Virtual Great Hudson River Revival (WEBINAR)
June 20: The Virtual Great Hudson River Revival will be brought to you online on Clearwater's traditional Father’s Day weekend. The program will run from 1PM-9PM with lots of familiar personalities, as well as new and exciting performances. More details .

Empowerment through Design to Create a Choice Neighborhood (WEBINAR)
June 24: This session will explore how residents are empowered to help create and utilize asset-based urban design and preservation techniques at both the neighborhood and site scales through hands-on visioning and youth engagement, the creation of early action projects and the identification of catalyst priority projects. Learn more .

The Greenway Imperative: A Call to Action (WEBINAR)
June 25: The impact of COVID-19 has heightened the role that greenways and conserved greenspace play in providing critically important outdoor space for human activity, while at the same time promoting public health, safety, and well-being. More details .
Heritage Spotlight: Copake Iron Works Historic Site in Taconic State Park

The Copake Iron Works was established in 1845 at the base of the Taconic Ridge in Copake Falls, New York. The ironworks, operated from 1848 until 1903, has long been recognized as one of the most complete rural ironworks in the four state Litchfield Iron District. New York State acquired the abandoned Copake Iron Works in 1926 when Taconic State Park was formed. In 2007, the ironworks and 18 acres surrounding the site were listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. Components of this extraordinarily intact 19th century industrial complex include a rare blast furnace, the blowing engine house, a machine shop with equipment still in place, the ironworkers’ duplex, the Carpenter-Gothic style office building, and the elegant residence of Isaac Chesbrough, one of the first ironmasters for the site. Friends of Taconic State Park, established in 2008, has accomplished important preservation work at the site. Due to the ongoing pandemic the museum building at the site is closed, but the trails are still open to the public. Learn more .
Project Spotlight: Yellow Trail Improvements at Greenport Conservation Area

The Columbia Land Conservancy, Inc. (CLC) received a Greenway Conservancy Trail grant to partner with the Greenagers, a nonprofit dedicated to providing local students with paid natural resources work, to improve a section of the Yellow Trail at Greenport Conservation Area in Greenport, NY. This trail is designated as part of the Greenway Trail System and is intended to eventually make a connection to the Empire State Trail . Improving this trail made it possible for individuals to access over 1,000 acres of land from the North Bay and Hudson High School entrances to the property. The Yellow Trail is approximately 1.5 miles in length, and is an educational asset highlighting the site’s rich natural, cultural, and historic resources. CLC education staff created a new tour on the Vizzit app reflecting the resources on the trail, and the content included in the interpretive signage, in March 2020. Check the tour out now by clicking here . This tour is available for free on the Vizzit app. Learn more about the Yellow Trail and other local trails .
Start a Compost Pile

Composting organic materials such as yard trimmings and food scraps reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. Preventing organics from landfills reduces the production of methane, a power greenhouse gas. Learn more .
Grant and Funding Opportunities

Heritage Development Grants
This annual grant program offers funding for programming, interpretation, and marketing projects that support the mutual goals of the HRVNHA and applicants. Grants will typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. Grant program guidelines and applications are available on the  Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area'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  June 19, 2020  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.

National Heritage Area Sponsorships Available
The 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 complementing 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. Sponsorship's 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 Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area are eligible to apply. For more information, please contact Dan Jeanson at daniel.jeanson@hudsongreenway.ny.gov or 518-473-3835.

NYSCA/GHHN Collections Needs Assessment Program
The NYSCA/GHHN Collection Needs Assessment Program is a NYSCA/GHHN Grant partnership program which provides two opportunities for museums across New York State. Support 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, 2020 . Find out more .

Publishing Historical Records in Documentary Editions
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals to publish documentary editions of historical records. Projects may focus on broad historical movements in U.S. history, such as politics, law (including the social and cultural history of the law), social reform, business, military, the arts, and other aspects of the national experience, or may be centered on the papers of major figures from American history. Whether conceived as a thematic or a biographical edition, the historical value of the records and their expected usefulness to broad audiences must justify the costs of the project. The Commission is especially interested in projects to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. A grant is for one year and for up to $175,000. The Commission expects to make up to 25 grants in this category for a total of up to $3,000,000. Deadline: June 10, 2020 . More details .

Pomeroy Fund for NYS History
The Pomeroy Fund for NYS History is a new partnership between the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and the Museum Association of New York (MANY). This round of grant funding will provide general operating funds to 501(c)(3) history-related organizations in New York State with operating budgets of $150,000 or less with no fewer than 250 open hours in 2019. Grants will be made on a sliding scale between $1,000 to $5,000 based on budget size. Grants are available to all eligible organizations; an organization does not have to be a member of MANY to receive funding, nor will preference be given to MANY members. Deadline: June 10, 2020 . More info .

IMLS CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries
The goal of the FY2020 IMLS CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries program is to support the role of museums and libraries in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Deadline:  June 12, 2020 . More details .

IMLS CARES Act Grants for Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum and Library Services
The goal of this grant program is to assist Indian Tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in responding to the coronavirus pandemic in ways that meet the immediate and future COVID-19 needs of the Native American and Native Hawaiian communities they serve. Deadline:  June 12, 2020 . Find out more .

Access to Historical Records: Major Initiatives FY 2021
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks projects that will significantly improve public discovery and use of major historical records collections. The Commission is especially interested in collections of America’s early legal records, such as the records of colonial, territorial, county, and early statehood and tribal proceedings that document the evolution of the nation’s legal history. A grant is for one to three years and between $100,000 and $350,000. Deadline: July 9, 2020 . Read more .

EcoSolution™ Grants  
Grants range from $500-$2,500 and are intended to support solution-oriented, youth-led projects that result in real environmental outcomes. ecoSolution™ Grants are available to educators working with youth in the United States (international projects are by invitation only). Deadline: July 15, 2020 . Learn more .

EcoTech™ Grants  
This program was created to combat the notion that students needed to choose between “the screen” or “the green” and to encourage educators and students to explore the role technology can play in designing and implementing solutions to some of our most pressing environmental challenges. We believe that technology can present innovative ways to address environmental challenges – and that when dealing with digital natives, we do ourselves a disservice by asking them to unplug. Deadline: July 15, 2020 . More details .

EcoStem™ Resource Kits
Captain Planet Foundation has developed four ecoSTEM Resource Kits ,  which are perfect for educators getting started with project-based learning. These custom-curated and designed collections of lessons and materials facilitate ecoSTEM learning and using the environment as a context for applying knowledge. Kits include cutting-edge project techniques, 3-dimensional learning, citizen science, and the best materials and equipment identified for each project. Deadline: July 15, 2020 . Read more .

NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program
The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program is a partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and GHHN that provides support for treatment procedures to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects held in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. Support 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: September 1, 2020 . Learn more .

Archival Workers Emergency Fund
The Society of American Archivists Foundation announces the creation of the Archival Workers Emergency Fund (AWEF) to support archival workers experiencing financial hardship during the COVID-19 crisis. Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to financially vulnerable and at-risk workers. All U.S.-based archival workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis are eligible to apply to the fund. Due to the unpredictability of the crisis and times of acute need, applications to the fund will be considered on a rolling basis up to December 31, 2020 . Find out 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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