November 2021
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

  • Greenway Planning, Greenway Trail, and Heritage Development Grant Applications are Due November 8, 2021. More details.

  • NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets is Requesting the Public’s Help in Combating the Spotted Lanternfly. Use the reporting tool.
Hudson River Valley Greenway Announces $79,400 in Grants

At its October meeting, the Hudson River Valley Greenway approved one matching Greenway Planning award and three Greenway Conservancy Trail awards totaling $79,400. 

The funded Greenway Planning project includes:

  • $20,000 to Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, for a Comprehensive Plan Update

The funded Greenway Conservancy Trail projects include:

  • $10,000 to Hudson Valley Rail Trail, for HVRT Public History Interpretation Signage
  • $40,000 to Bard College, for Montgomery Place Pedestrian Safety Improvements
  • $9,400 to Town of Germantown, for the Roe Jan Park Improvement Project

The next round of Greenway Planning and Greenway Trail Grant applications are due November 8, 2021. Information and guidelines are available here.
Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Announces $8,000 in Grants

At its October meeting, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area approved two matching Heritage Development awards totaling $8,000. 

The funded projects include:

  • $5,000 to Friends of Mills at Staatsburg, for an Introductory Video for Visitors to Staatsburgh State Historic Site
  • $3,000 to Village of Stillwater, for the Stillwater Heritage Guide

The next round of Heritage Development Grant applications are due November 8, 2021. Information and guidelines are available here.
East Gate Plaza Officially Opens at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

On October 25th, the East Gate Plaza of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park (Walkway) officially opened with a celebratory ribbon cutting. With funding support of the Hudson River Valley Greenway and other supporters, the expanded gathering space more than doubles the size of the path near the Washington Street Stairs and provides a scenic and convenient location for community events.

Lieutenant Governor Brian A. Benjamin said, "The Walkway Over the Hudson State Park is an ideal destination to enjoy the Hudson Valley's scenic beauty and fascinating history - and our administration is proud to invest in making the park even more inviting for healthy outdoor activities and fun events. Outdoor recreation is a significant economic driver for our state, and projects like this help to ensure the long-term vitality of Poughkeepsie and surrounding communities." 

The East Gate Plaza includes a walk-in space for guests to purchase Walkway merchandise, improved access to snacks, drinks, and other items, and a covered pavilion with audio/visual capabilities to support events, tours, and special programs. Read more.
MANY Awarded $575,000 from NYSCA to Distribute 100 Grants to NYS Museums

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) announced a new regrant partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to distribute 100 grants of $5,000 to assist New York museums with capacity building. Grants will be awarded for museums to respond to pandemic-related challenges, help build financial stability, strengthen board and community engagement, update technology, support leadership, and change systems to address diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and justice. This grant program partnership with NYSCA was developed in direct response to the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Partners for Public Good study “Market Analysis and Opportunity Assessment of Museum Capacity Building Programs” report published in March 2021.

Guidelines will be available on the MANY website in January 2022 and the application portal will open in February. For more information email info@nysmuseums.org or call 518-273-3400. Read more.
News From Our Partners at the Hudson River Estuary Program
Important Reminders

  • NYSDEC is Accepting Submissions for the Annual Arbor Day Poster Contest Now Until December 31st! Read more.

Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species to be Released Today

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the premiere date for Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species, a brand new film from Westfield Production Company and DEC. Uninvited is an informative documentary about the damage that invasive species are causing to New York’s natural environment, communities, and economy. But it isn’t all doom and gloom - the film also highlights some of the innovative ways NYS is combating these threats, including how our tail-wagging friends are helping out. Uninvited details the collaborative work of DEC and its partners including the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, the eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management, NYS Invasive Species Research Institute. It covers both prominent emerging invasive species such as spotted lanternfly, and lesser known species of concern such as scotch broom. 

You can find Uninvited on DEC’s YouTube channel today. Read the full press release.
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.

Boscobel Activity Booklet
The Boscobel Activity Booklet—full of pictures, information, and activities—is simple to use, fun to follow, and can be picked up as you enter or download before your visit to Boscobel House and Gardens. Learn more.

Mixing & Matching Authorities for Success in Shared Stewardship Peer Learning Session (WEBINAR)
November 1: Speakers will describe the authorities that can be useful for achieving success in Shared Stewardship; using these authorities; the role of these authorities in advancing Shared Stewardship of forests; and answer questions from the moderator and audience about mixing and matching authorities for success in Shared Stewardship. More details.

Minnewaska Homeschoolers: The Story of the Wild Turkey, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Kerhonkson, NY
November 4: Join other homeschoolers to learn about the importance of the American wild turkey throughout human history. More info.

Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association Monthly Star Party, Lake Taghkanic State Park, Ancram, NY
November 5: The Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association hosts a monthly stargazing party in the West Beach parking lot. Bring your own telescopes and binoculars or use those provided by our members. Find out more.

Moreau Half, Moreau Lake State Park, Gansevoort, NY
November 6: The is a challenging 14-mile tour of the Moreau Lake State Park trail system, Read more.

Paint & Learn Art Workshop: Adirondack Mountains, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY
November 6: Enjoy guided painting while you take inspiration from a 1930 travel poster by Walter L. Greene showcasing the lovely landscape found along the passenger train service to the Adirondacks and Lake Placid. Learn more.

Community and Identity: Exploring Chinese American Experiences in Literature (WEBINAR)
November 8: In this session, you’ll consider how Chinese Americans have represented themselves from the early 1800s to the present day and how they’ve been represented by others. More info.

Mystery Solved at the State Archives! Paying for the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (WEBINAR)
November 9: Alexander Hamilton was one of three delegates sent by NYS to the Constitutional Convention. We are still learning new information about the process states used. Hear more about how newly discovered journal entries in the NYS Archives shed light on our country’s formative period. More details.

Walking Tour: Historic Harlem Adventure (WEBINAR)
November 10: Celebrate the exhibition African American Art in the 20th Century on this virtual walking tour that explores the history of Harlem. Read more.

Pocantico Hills Marathon, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville, NY
November 13: This single-loop course is rolling and hilly with views of the Hudson River and Palisades. Run past fields, stone walls and bridges, lakes and streams, forests, and grazing livestock! Find out more.

Community Hike at Rudd Pond, Taconic State Park, Millerton, NY
November 13: The Town of Northeast/Millerton Library is hosting a Rudd Pond Community Hike consisting of about 3-miles. More info.

Inside/Out House Tour, Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown, NY
November 14: Take a walk with one of Clermont’s docents around the mansion. This exciting tour takes you deep into the lives of the Livingstons and the people who worked at Clermont. Learn more.

Croton Reservoir & Dam Hike, Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park, Dobbs Ferry, NY
November 14: The leader of the hike will discuss the history and construction of the Old Croton Aqueduct and the features of the Croton Dam, the trailhead of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. Read more.

USGS and USFWS Collaborative Project to Conduct a National Horizon Scan for Organisms in Trade (WEBINAR)
November 17: The focus of this project is to conduct a global horizon scan to help identify alien vertebrate species within the Organisms in Trade Pathway at greatest risk of entering the country, establishing populations, and becoming invasive in the U.S. More details.

Talk and Trek: Geocaching, Five Rivers Environmental Center, Delmar, NY
November 17: Learn to Geocache and find out what has been hidden at Five Rivers. Read more.

Regulating Short-Term Rentals (WEBINAR)
November 18: The speakers will discuss specific concerns and ordinances, and will review and apply case law from across the country. More info.

More Than a Land Acknowledgement with Heather Bruegl (WEBINAR)
November 18: This workshop gives you a history of the Federal Indian policy that led to land loss and provides 5 steps on how to create a land acknowledgment that does more than just put words on paper. Find out more.

Quilted Potholders Workshop, Glebe House, Poughkeepsie, NY
November 20: In this beginner sewing class learn to make a patchwork potholders. Learn more.

Trail Trek, Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, NY
November 24: Take an adventure with Environmental Educator and explore the Nature Center trails! More details.

Holiday Kickoff with Santa, Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Highland, NY
November 26: Santa will arrive at the Walkway. Bring your kids, your dogs —the whole family— for this fun photo opportunity with Santa. Read more.

Green Friday, Opus 40, Saugerties, NY
November 26: The Green Friday Sale features honey, tonics, candles, essential oils, jewelry, books, art and more — all from local producers and artists. Find out more.

World Folktales for Winter Nights, Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, NY
November 27: Celebrate the spirit of the season and join author and storyteller Pamela Schembri for this outdoor story walk inspired by folklore from around the world. Learn more.
Heritage Spotlight: Madam Brett Homestead

In 1709, Roger and Catheryna Brett, with their children and slaves, emigrated from New York to Dutchess County and hired a Long Island architect to build this Dutch-style house. Over the next seven generations, until 1954, the home remained in the family. Today, the Madam Brett Homestead is the oldest house in Dutchess County and is maintained by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Architectural features include original scalloped shingles, Dutch doors, and sloping dormers. The home’s interior is decorated with original Georgian, Empire, and Victorian furniture; a collection of 18th-century Chinese porcelain; silver tea sets; displays of early doll collections, textiles, and tools; a copy of Houdon’s bust of Robert Fulton; a punch bowl presented by Lafayette; plus items belonging to Catheryna Brett. The remaining five acres surrounding the home feature a perennial garden, brook, and one of New York State’s Big Trees dating to the time of Catheryna Brett. Learn more.
Project Spotlight: Furnishings and Signage for Reher's Bakery

The Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History received a Heritage Development Grant to furnish Reher’s Bakery and add directional and interpretive signage to the building. The Reher Center worked with a variety of preservationists, craftspeople, and scenic design professionals to furnish Reher's Bakery. A team of consultants purchased, fabricated, and set props in the Reher Center. Three-large interpretive panels were created to tell the "People's History of Rondout." Seventeen community consultants, including those from the Native American, African-American, Italian American, Jewish-American communities, as well as local historians and those who grew up in Rondout, helped revise and finalize the panel content. The panels are now mounted to the side of the Reher Center (as shown in the photo above). The Reher Center is open to the public for weekend Historic Bakery Tours. Schedule a tour.
Compost Pumpkins

You can do this in your yard or by taking them to a community drop-off spot where your local town will compost them. Learn more.
Grant and Funding Opportunities

Hudson River Valley Greenway Community Grant Program
Matching grants are available for Greenway Communities and Greenway Compact Communities. Deadline: November 8, 2021More 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 websiteOne 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 November 8, 2021 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 November 8, 2021. More details.

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 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. For more information, please contact Dan Jeanson at daniel.jeanson@hudsongreenway.ny.gov or 518-473-3835.

DHPSNY Planning & Assessment Services
Offered free of cost to New York institutions, each DHPSNY Planning & Assessment Service is tailored to fit your organization’s needs and can be utilized to obtain additional funding, increase the accessibility and use of your collections, and more. Deadline: November 5, 2021. Learn more.

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, 2021. Find out more.

Museums for America
The Museums for America program supports museums of all sizes and disciplines to undertake projects that strengthen their ability to serve their public. Project activities may include exhibitions, educational or interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2021. More info.

Historic Transportation Canals Marker Grant Program
The Historic Transportation Canals Marker Grant Program commemorates the history of transportation canals in the United States. The Pomeroy Foundation provides grants that pay for the entire cost of the marker, pole, and shipping. Deadline: November 19, 2021. Find out more.

Park & Trail Partnership Grants
The program is administered by Parks & Trails New York and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is designed to:
  • Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance, and promotion of New York State parks, trails, state historic sites, and public lands.
  • Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, and volunteer and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain, and support New York State parks, trails, state historic sites, and public lands.
  • Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails, greenways, and public lands.
Grant applications are due November 30, 2021. Learn more.

Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project Grants
In 2008, the Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project began a twenty-year initiative with a goal that all Hudson fish and crab consumers know about, understand and follow the NYSDOH Hudson River fish advisories. Through a Request for Applications "Local Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Initiatives", Health Research, Incorporated (HRI) and the New York State Department of Health announce the availability of a total of $90,000 per year to develop partnerships with local groups. The maximum amount per applicant is $15,000 per year. The project area extends 192 miles along the Hudson River from Baker’s Falls in Hudson Falls (Washington County) to the southern tip of the Manhattan Battery in New York City. Deadline: December 1, 2021. Read more.

Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Research Fellowship
The two-year Margaret A. Davidson fellowship brings a graduate student to conduct research at the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (the Reserve) to address a key coastal management question. The annual stipend for a Margaret A. Davidson fellow is $41,000 for research and travel, and an additional equipment and supply budget of approximately $7,000. The research that is conducted at the Reserve is intended to be a substantial part of the fellow’s degree research. Deadline: December 10, 2021. More details.

Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation Program
Through the Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation program, EDA is focused on accelerating the recovery of communities that rely on the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors. $750 million of EDA’s American Rescue Plan funds are allocated to support the following efforts: State Tourism Grants: $510 million in non-competitive awards to help states quickly invest in marketing, infrastructure, workforce, and other projects to rejuvenate safe leisure, business, and international travel. The state tourism grants are accepted on a rolling basis. Competitive Grants: $240 million to help communities that have been hardest hit by challenges facing the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors to invest in infrastructure, workforce or other projects to support the recovery of the industry and economic resilience of the community in the future. Deadline: March 15, 2022. More info.

Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs. A wide range of technical, planning, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and public works and infrastructure projects are eligible for funding under this program. Deadline: March 15, 2022. Find out more.

Build Back Better Regional Challenge
The Build Back Better Regional Challenge is designed to assist communities nationwide in their efforts to build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks. Phase 2: EDA will award 20-30 regional coalitions $25 million to $75 million, and up to $100 million, to implement those projects. Deadline: March 15, 2022. Learn more.

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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