Kevin M. Burke, Chair, Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley,

Co-Chair, Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area

Margaretta “Meg” Downey, Chair, Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council, Co-Chair, Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area

Scott Keller, Executive Director, Hudson River Valley Greenway,

Director, Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area 

Important Reminders

• Check Out the 2022 Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail Visitation Report. Learn more.

• NHA Event Sponsorship Applications Are Now Exclusively on Our Online Grants Platform. Learn more.

• Greenway Planning, Greenway Trail, and Heritage Development Grant Applications are Available Through Our Online Grants Platform by May 5, 2023. More details.

Submit Your Ramble Events Now!

Event registration is open for the 2023 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!

The Hudson River Valley Ramble is an annual event series during the month of September that celebrates the history, culture, and natural resources of the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, as well as the amazing landscape, communities, and trails throughout the region.

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. There will be a limited print of guidebooks this year, and the events will be listed on our website. Submit your events now!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at Ramble@HudsonGreenway.ny.gov or give us a call at (518) 473-3835.

Check Out GHHN's The ABCs of Collection Care 

Greater Hudson Heritage Network's The ABC’s of Collection Care provides readers with practical advice and encouragement on how to care for the objects in their collection. The ABC’s of Collection Care made possible by funding from the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is a guide that features 144 full-color photographs of objects from some of the Hudson River Valley’s historic sites and museums, it can aid staff and volunteers in care and handling, storage solutions, important points to remember, and when to seek out a professional conservator.

The ABCs of Collection Care is now available as a print book for $20 or as an ebook ($14.99) on Amazon.com.

Since 1979, Greater Hudson Heritage Network has helped heritage keepers in New York State care for their collections through hands-on training, technical assistance, and grant opportunities for organizations statewide. Read the full press release.

I Love My Park Day is May 6th!

The 12th annual I Love My Park Day is on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The annual event hosted by Parks and Trails New York, in partnership with NYS DEC, and State Parks invites volunteers from across the state to clean up, improve, and beautify over 120 New York State parks, historic sites, and public lands from Long Island to Western New York. Join your friends, family, and neighbors and sign up today to volunteer at your favorite state park or site. Learn how to help.

Hudson River Valley Greenway's Grant Applications Are Now Hosted on Good Grants

Grant applications for all Hudson River Valley Greenway and Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage grant programs, including Community/Compact Planning, Conservancy Trail, and Heritage Development Grants are hosted by Good Grants, an online grants platform. The online HRVG Grants Platform went live on November 5, 2022, and is the only way to apply for our grants. A link to the virtual application process and detailed guidance may be found on our website. This change is being made in part to help ensure we are receiving full and complete applications that may then be considered immediately. Previously, incomplete applications were automatically rejected.

All applications for funding are required to submit grant applications on the new online platform to apply for funding for all grant rounds. Applicants must register on the HRVG Grant Platform using their email addresses. Older applications will not be accepted.

If you have any questions or concerns, email grants@hudsongreenway.ny.gov or call us at (518) 473-3835.

Important Reminders

• Participate in I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 6th, 2023. Learn more.

Striped Bass, Shad, and Herring Population Surveys in the Hudson

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Hudson and Delaware Fisheries crews are on the Hudson River for annual spawning stock surveys of key migratory fish. Adult striped bass, American shad, and river herring are anadromous fish that spend most of their time in coastal waters and return to the freshwater of the Hudson River each spring to spawn.

The Hudson is a nursery for the newly hatched young-of-year bass, shad, and herring, which generally spend their first summer in the river before they join in the ocean migration to mature. Along with other states, New York has required regulatory measures that include annual spawning stock monitoring programs, recreational and commercial minimum size limits, recreational creel limits, and commercial quotas to manage and evaluate the condition of the striped bass, herring, and shad stock. DEC’s Hudson and Delaware marine biologists catch spawning river herring, striped bass, and American shad. For each species, biologists measure, weigh, and collect scale samples from the fish for aging before tagging and returning them. Biologists use spawning stock surveys in conjunction with young-of-year surveys from June – October to determine the abundance of these fish, which is critical to DEC's management of these species for recovery. Read the full story.

Upcoming Events

8th Annual Wallkill River Summit, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY

May 3: Hear about the DEC’s progress in developing a “pollution diet” to reduce the risk of harmful algal blooms in the Wallkill River and more. Find out more.

Stone Strategies Workshop, Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, NY

May 3: This is a full-day workshop: with a morning full of practical, useful information and an afternoon in the cemetery learning functional hands-on preservation methods. More info.

Rail Transportation Along the Hudson River, Shattemuc Yacht Club, Ossining, NY

May 3: Sign up for a historical and photographic overview of Westchester County’s past and current railroads. Register now.

Homeschoolers: Time Traveler’s Hike and Brochure Making Contest, Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Kerhonkson, NY

May 4: Take a deep dive into history by examining resources in the Nature Center then take a hike around the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, stopping to examine various spots. Learn more.

Community Spring Fest, Sojourner Truth State Park, Kingston, NY

May 6: Join the community in celebrating Spring by enjoying food vendors, art, music, and more at this free event! More details.

I Love My Park Day, Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY

May 6: The park needs some helping hands for various initiatives around the park. More info.

I Love My Park Day, Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain, NY

May 6: The park needs some helping hands to interface with the public, work on garden projects and garlic mustard pulls. Read more.

I Love My Park Day, Peebles Island State Park, Cohoes, NY

May 6: Regular cleaning of Peebles Island is needed, such as picking up litter, and trail maintenance. Find out more.

I Love My Park Day, Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park, Yorktown Heights, NY

May 6: Join FDR State Park in mulching flower beds, picking up leaves and branches, and a little painting. More info.

I Love My Park Day, Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, NY

May 6: Volunteers are needed for trail clearing, mulching of the playground, gardening at the nature center, and roadside cleanup. More details.

I Love My Park Day, Mills Norrie State Park, Staatsburg, NY

May 6: Removing trash and marine debris from the shoreline of the Hudson River at the Norrie Point Environmental Center is needed. Find out more.

I Love My Park Day, Moreau Lake State Park, Gansevoort, NY

May 6: Volunteers are needed for flower and garden cleaning, planting and more. Read more.

I Love My Park Day, Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, Cold Spring, NY

May 6: Help make this Hudson River Coast Line the most pristine and welcoming in the lower Hudson Valley. More details.

Family Day: Learning Center 25th Birthday Celebration!, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY

May 7: Throughout the day community partners will offer engaging, creative art-making activities. the museum will have garden games, music provided by DJ Slinger, food trucks, and a puppeteer. Learn more. 

Albany History Fair, Historic Cherry Hill, Albany, NY

May 7: Experience the art and history of photography in

the Capital City over an afternoon of special presentations, themed tours, collection highlights, and immersive activities. More info.

Lecture: Spaces of Enslavement and Resistance in Dutch New York, Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, Yonkers, NY

May 10: In her presentation, Andrea Mosterman will explore the history of slavery and resistance in Dutch New York. More info.

Weir Tour, Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park, Ossining, NY

May 11: After a brief walk, descend into the Weir in Ossining and explore the original 1842 brick water tunnel and learn its history. Find out more.

Guided Tour, Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site, Walloomsac, NY

May 12: Tour the three main areas of interest in the first engagement of the battle during the Revolutionary War. Learn more.

Birding at the Fort, Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, Fort Montgomery, NY

May 13: Join DEC Wildlife Technician Rachel Guerrieri for a walk during peak migration through the grounds of the Fort. More info.

Planning for Nature in Your Community Workshop, Columbia-Greene Community College, Greenport, NY

May 15: This workshop will introduce approaches for conserving natural areas and water resources, from the town-wide scale to the site level. More details.

Extreme Heat, Health, and Policy: Strategies Across New York’s Many Landscapes (WEBINAR)

May 18: This webinar explores the impacts of extreme heat across New York’s diverse geographies and communities, including urban heat islands, rural and suburban communities, and workers. Learn more.

The School of Light: Interpreting the Landscape Through Photography and Painting, Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, NY

May 19: During this hands-on guided landscape walk, landscape photographer and artist Robert Rodriguez Jr. will discuss the interconnectedness between painting and photography through the theme of light. Read more.

18th Century Growing Season, Senate House State Historic Site, Kingston, NY

May 20: Learn what it was like to grow things and produce food in the 18th century. Find out more.

Founders Day: "Remember the Ladies", General John Hathorn Stone House, Warwick, NY

May 21: Explore the many ways in which “the ladies” helped during the war and suffered its hardships and demonstrations of military life by Hathorn’s Minutemen and the 5th NY Regiment. More info.

Free Outdoor Concert with Stephen Kellogg, Jay Heritage Center, Rye, NY

May 21: Enjoy music from singer/songwriter, Stephen Kellogg at JHC. More details.

Book Talk: Sarah Cedar Miller, John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Katonah, NY

May 23: Author of Before Central Park, Sara Cedar Miller is the historian emerita of the Central Park Conservancy; she has written three other books about the Park. Find out more.

Create Your Own Badge of Military Merit, Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, Newburgh, NY

May 27: The site will offer a take-home craft for children of all ages. Learn more.

Memorial Day Flag Changing Ceremony, Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Highland, NY

May 28: Please join us and the American Legion Post 739 to observe Memorial Day and honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice, at a special sunset flag-changing ceremony. More info.

Tree Identification Walk, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Pleasantville, NY

May 30: Join conservation steward, Devyani Mishra, for a leisurely stroll through the Preserve to learn about trees and how to identify them. More details.

Slavery, Segregation & Staatsburgh: From Black Service to White Servants (WEBINAR)

May 31: Join Staatsburgh State Historic Site staff on Zoom for a conversation about the transition from a Black presence at Staatsburgh during the early 19th Century to a total absence during the Gilded Age. Read more.

Heritage Spotlight: Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate, Westchester County

This Classical Revival-style villa was completed in 1913 for John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company. It became the home of his son, philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr., and grandson, Nelson A. Rockefeller, four-time governor of New York and vice president under Gerald Ford. First-floor living spaces were designed by Ogden Codman Jr., then America’s leading interior decorator. They contain excellent examples of 18th-century-style furniture, as well as

Asian ceramics. An underground art gallery holds works from the collection of Nelson Rockefeller, including pieces by Andy Warhol and Alexander Calder. Dramatic grounds were designed by noted architect William Welles Bosworth and feature formal gardens in a variety of styles. The grounds contain fountains, pavilions, and Nelson Rockefeller’s collection of large-scale sculptures, including works by Louise Nevelson, David Smith, Pablo Picasso, and Henry Moore. Historic Hudson Valley provides a sign language interpreter for visitors who are hearing impaired. Please call in advance to request this service and note that Historic Hudson Valley does not provide transcripts of their tours.  Learn more.

Project Spotlight: Reese Woodland Trail Rehabilitation Project

Boscobel House and Gardens in Putnam County received a Conservancy Trail Grant to rehabilitate its Frances Stevens Reese Woodland Trail of Discovery. The Reese Woodland Trail in Garrison was opened to the public in 1997 and is a designated Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail. The trail is popular with visitors and in order to keep it safe and accessible for visitors many maintenance items and issues had to be resolved. Rehabilitation of the trail consisted of tree and branch removal, repaired trail gazebos, reinforced footbridges, replaced railings, and mulched and leveled trails damaged by erosion. In 2019, Boscobel House and Gardens also received a Heritage Development Grant for interpretation on the trail to engage and inform audiences. Learn more about Boscobel House and Gardens.

Plant a Tree

An average tree can absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Learn more.

Grant and Funding Opportunities

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 on HRVG's Online Grants Platform by May 5, 2023. More details.

Hudson River Valley Greenway Community Grant Program

Matching grants are available for Greenway Communities and Greenway Compact Communities. Applications are due on HRVG's Online Grants Platform by May 5, 2023. More info.

Heritage Development Grants

This grant program offers funding for programming, interpretation, and marketing projects that support the mutual goals of the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and applicants. Grants will typically range from $1,000 to $7,500. Grant program guidelines and applications are available on the HRVNHA's website. Please note 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. Applications are due on HRVG's Online Grants Platform by May 5, 2023. Learn more.

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. Municipalities and nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations located within the HRVNHA are eligible to apply. Applications are available on HRVG's Online Grants Platform. For more information, please contact Dan Jeanson at daniel.jeanson@hudsongreenway.ny.gov or 518-473-3835.

Major Collaborative Archival Initiatives

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives supports projects that promote access to America's historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. Draft Deadline: February 15, 2023. Deadline: May 3, 2023. Read more.

2023 Biodiversity Conservation Grant: Enhancing Pollinator Habitats

Habitat enhancement projects should directly support the creation, restoration, remediation, improvement, and/or protection of habitats for important pollinator species such as butterflies, bees, bats, and more. The project should impact pollinators on at least 150 acres of public land. The land does not need to be contiguous. Additionally, projects should incorporate community outreach and engagement activities designed to educate and empower the public to help enhance pollinator habitats. Deadline: May 10, 2023. More details.

Tree Planting in Disadvantaged Communities After Ash Tree Loss Grant Opportunity

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands and Forests announced funding for Tree Planting in Disadvantaged Communities After Ash Tree Loss. Funding for this two-year grant comes from the US Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters through the State Urban Forest Resilience Grant and from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. Grant projects must plant trees for urban and community forests in New York State. Deadline: May 30, 2023. More info.

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program

The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI Program) is a new competitive grant program created by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work – urban and rural areas alike – in addition to along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). CFI Program investments will make modern and sustainable infrastructure accessible to all drivers of electric, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas vehicles. Deadline: May 30, 2023. Find out more.

NYSCA/GHHN Site Assessment Grant Program

This is for a half-day site visit by a collections consultant to discuss specific areas of stewardship, including identifying collections issues and prioritizing basic steps to improve the care of your collections, followed by a written report. Deadline: May 31, 2023. More details.

NYSCA/GHHN Preservation Supplies Grant Program

This program provides funding to purchase collections management supplies. Deadline: May 31, 2023. Learn more.

USDA Forest Service - Inflation Reduction Act Urban & Community Forestry 

The Inflation Reduction Act provides up to $1.5 billion for Urban and Community Forestry investments that foster increased and equitable access to urban tree canopy and associated human health, environmental, and economic benefits in disadvantaged communities, broadened community engagement in local urban forest planning, tree planting, and management activities, and improved community and urban forest resilience to climate change, extreme heat, forest pests and diseases, and storm events through best management and maintenance practices. Deadline: June 1, 2023. Learn more.

Mellon Planning Grants for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives supports projects that promote access to America's historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. Draft Deadline April 1, 2023. Final Deadline: June 7, 2023. Read more.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program

The purpose of SS4A grants is to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries through safety action plan development and implementation focused on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators. Deadline: July 10, 2023. Find out more.

History of Equal Rights Grants Program

The State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division is now accepting applications for the History of Equal Rights (HER) grant program. Congress has appropriated $5 million for the HER program. Grant projects fund physical preservation or pre-preservation of sites associated with efforts to achieve equal rights. The History of Equal Rights grants are not limited to any specific group and are intended to include the broadest possible interpretation of equal rights for any American. Deadline: July 11, 2023. More details.

Underrepresented Communities Grant Program

Congress has appropriated $1.25 million for the Underrepresented Communities Grant Program (URC) for FY 2023. The URC Grant Program supports the survey, inventory, and designation of historic properties that are associated with communities currently underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places and among National Historic Landmarks. Deadline: July 18, 2023. Read more.

NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program

These grants support treatment procedures by professional conservators to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State with up to a maximum of $7,500. Deadline: September 1, 2023. Find out 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.