With our committed Board of Directors and support from land conservation partners and generous donors, Mohonk Preserve bought the entire Mohonk Preserve Foothills tract, an 857-acre property strategically located between the Village of New Paltz and the protected areas of the Shawangunk Mountains. The Foothills landscape was identified by the community as the “number one cherished landscape” according to the Town of New Paltz Open Space Plan and includes the local historic landmark Testimonial Gateway gatehouse structure (c.1908); the Humpo Marsh, a critical wildlife and migratory bird area; and the historic Brook, Pine, and Kleinekill Farms, which continue the property’s heritage agricultural operations.
Photo: Lenape Lane in the Mohonk Preserve Foothills near the historic Brook, Pine, and Kleinekill Farms by Gerald Liddelow
Through funding from The North Face Explore Fund, and the Bourne and Norcross Wildlife Foundations, and with the generous support of Preserve donors, we launched a year-long program of outdoor field studies with urban students from the San Miguel Academy of Newburgh. They learned critical STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills through orienteering and map reading, fire ecology, winter survival and more.
Photo: Students from the San Miguel Academy of Newburgh conduct outdoor field studies at Mohonk Preserve by Jay Diggs
Mohonk Preserve prevailed in litigation to protect Bonticou Crag lands from an attempt by a private landholders to claim ownership of 45 acres when the State of New York Supreme Court Appellate Division unanimously upheld a decision affirming the Preserve’s ownership.
Photo: View from Bonticou Crag by Michael Neil O’Donnell
Mohonk Preserve launched our Junior Ranger program, providing an opportunity for teens ages 13-16 to learn the skills and gain the knowledge needed to pursue a career as a ranger or naturalist. Participants develop skills in rock climbing and backcountry navigation, as well as in teambuilding and leadership. The program culminates in the Adirondacks, where the rangers-to-be apply their newly acquired skills.
Photo: Anna Harrod, Mohonk Preserve Education Coordinator for Public & Youth Programs, teaches the Junior Rangers wayfinding skills. Photo by Gerald Liddelow
Mohonk Preserve held its first-ever New York City Gala at Three Sixty°–Tribeca in Manhattan. The inaugural Gala, hosted by Honorary Chair Robert De Niro, celebrated the Preserve’s 50th Anniversary and successful capital campaign – Conservation for the Next Century, and honored the Preserve’s leading corporate sponsor, M&T Bank.
Photo: Mohonk Preserve Executive Director with Honorary Chair Robert De Niro at the first-ever New York City Gala.
Mohonk Preserve’s Community Naturalist Program invites members of the community to engage in scientific research and long-term ecological monitoring through direct participation in natural history observation, data collection and analysis
Photo: Through the Mohonk Preserve Foothills Phenology project, volunteer observers document the appearance and duration of key stages in the life cycles of select plants, including the first ripe blueberry, pollen releases in red cedar, and fall color in sugar maples.
Mohonk Preserve is awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. The Preserve is one of only 230 land trusts from across the country awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008, and the first to be accredited in Ulster County. To achieve accreditation, Mohonk Preserve underwent a rigorous review to ensure that their operations are efficient and strategic, and that their conservation work is permanent.
Photo: Land Trust Accreditation Commission seal
Rock The Ridge participants run, walk, or hike a 50-mile course in 24 hours across carriage roads and trails along the Shawangunk Ridge. The 50-mile format of Rock The Ridge is based on the “Kennedy Challenge” issued in 1962 when President Kennedy challenged the U.S. Marines to cover 50 miles in 20 hours. Launched in connection with the Preserve’s 50th anniversary, Rock The Ridge participants raise funds to support the Preserve’s mission of preserving the land and inspiring people to experience nature.
Photo: Runners at the starting line of the Rock The Ridge Endurance Challenge by John Hayes
Mohonk Preserve kicks off a yearlong 50th anniversary celebration with a day of fun and activities at the grand reopening of the newly renovated Visitor Center campus. Visitors experience new, state-of-the-art interactive exhibits, orientation theater, renovated Kids Corner and Children’s Forest, and expanded trails including the accessible J&S Grafton Sensory Trail.
Photo: Educator and Wildlife Lecturer Bill Robinson presenting a Live Birds of Prey and Reptile Show at the Visitor Center Grand Reopening by Vasudha Donnelly
Neighbors are invited to join Trust staff for a walk and talk on the property. Carrying on this tradition, the Preserve offers free or low cost public programs throughout the year, including our Healthy Ulster program.
Photo: Trust Founder and Co-Administrator Dan Smiley leading a nature walk on Trust property from the Daniel Smiley Research Center archives
