Last month, New York State announced the addition of more than 260 acres of open space to three State Parks in the Mid-Hudson Valley, and we are delighted to have partnered with NY State Parks to expand Fahnestock State Park in Putnam Valley by 150 acres (pictured above).

Our Executive Director, Michelle Smith, said: "These additions to State Parks could not come at a better time, as demand for our parks has reached historic highs during the pandemic. We are grateful to Governor Cuomo, State Parks, and the state and federal funding making possible this addition to Fahnestock, with much needed new trails and access points. The addition also protects valuable forest habitat and water resources in the corridor between our Granite Mountain Preserve in Putnam Valley and Fahnestock State Park."

Read more in this press release from Governor Cuomo's office, or listen to an interview with Michelle on the partnership on WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

As we work to better understand the holistic history of the lands we work to protect, we've turned to some of our colleagues for guidance. So for our latest issue of Relearning Highlands History, we hear from Cassie Ward, Executive Director of the Putnam History Museum (PHM), about their new initiative to curate resources that explore the Black history of the Hudson Valley.

The museum's new "Black History & Culture" webpage shares the stories of several historical figures from Putnam County. Many of the individuals that are highlighted, like Bishop Robert Lawson and Sumner Lark, created opportunities for their communities to have access to, and enjoy, land in the Hudson Highlands, despite barriers of discrimination.

Read the article about PHM's initiative, and stories from Putnam County's Black history, on our website.

This is an exciting time of year for amphibians. Once the ground thaws and temperatures start to warm, amphibians emerge from hibernation ready to migrate to vernal pools for breeding. When the temperature and precipitation conditions are just right, hundreds or thousands of amphibians make this migration on “Big Nights.” These journeys can be up to a quarter of a mile, and amphibians often encounter roads (and vehicles) along the way.

But you can help these amphibians safely cross busy roads by volunteering with the NY Department of Environmental Conservation's Amphibian Migration and Road Crossing program! Now is the time to attend a volunteer training ahead of the upcoming Big Nights.

Read more in this recent article on Scenic Hudson's Viewfinder blog, which highlights the efforts of our Director of Natural Resource, Nicole Wooten, to organize local Big Night volunteers.

And learn more about vernal pools and amphibian migration in this special feature on our website, Nature Time video, or webinar recording.

For a special Nature Time series on winter wildlife tracking, Director of Natural Resources, Nicole Wooten, brings us into her backyard and to Granite Mountain Preserve to show us how to identify wildlife tracks in snow. In the series, Nicole covers some of the most common tracks, like cat, squirrel and skunk, and some less frequently seen tracks, like deer and coyote (below).

Watch the entire series, and stay tuned for new Nature Time videos, on our website and Facebook page.

Our colleagues at the Open Space Institute, in partnership with the Orange County Land Trust and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, who are all partners in our New York Highlands Network, recently announced a new long-term connectivity plan for the Hudson Highlands west of the Hudson River. The Highlands West Trail Connectivity Plan provides recommendations for working toward a connected, regional trail network that will provide recreational opportunities, protect critical wildlife habitat, and safeguard local watersheds. This Highlands West plan is a complementary effort to our connectivity work on the East side of the Hudson River, in Philipstown and Putnam Valley, through our Green Corridors project.

You can read OSI's press release, an executive summary of the plan, or the full plan to learn more.

A new Comprehensive Plan for Philipstown—Philipstown 2030—is in the works. A draft of the new plan, which is based on input gathered from residents over the past three years, has been submitted to the Town Board. The Comprehensive Plan Committee will host a virtual information meeting on Saturday, March 6th at 1pm to help residents learn about the plan's goals. The meeting will include opportunities for residents to ask questions and provide feedback about their aspirations for Philipstown’s future.

The draft Comprehensive Plan is available here, and the registration link for the March 6th meeting can be found here.

Our former Land Management Intern, Stephanie Rivera, is featured on the Fresh Air Fund "Fresh Perspectives" blog. The article shares Stephanie's inspiring story of going from Fresh Air Fund camper to environmental education intern to building a career as a STEM program specialist.

Of her internship experience, Stephanie said: "It was challenging, but I love a challenge. I was able to apply my training throughout the whole internship. The Fresh Air Fund and HHLT has helped me solidify my goal to learn about environmental stability."

Read Stephanie's story on the Fresh Air Fund's website.