Winnakee Land Trust Fall-Winter Newsletter 2016

N E WS LE T TER ~ FAL L /W INT ER 2016 Winnakee Land Trust Awarded Greenway Grant Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the 2016 Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program awards for projects that improve public access to natural and cultural resources, provide greater connectivity between communities, and enhance the visitor experience at trails and open spaces throughout the Hudson River Valley. Winnakee Land Trust is pleased to announce our grant in the amount of $14,800 awarded by Greenway for the Rhinebeck Trails Project. This will lay the groundwork for greatly increased connectivity in the Town of Rhinebeck between existing parks, schools, and village center as well as the establishment of bike/pedestrian infrastructure within Northern Dutchess County with Rhinebeck as a hub where several trails would converge. It will be matched with a $10,000 grant from the Thomas Thompson Trust and additional funds from the Land Trust Alliance Conservation Partnership Program. This project will enhance the experience for residents and visitors to the area by connecting them to a regional network as well as improve safety for school children walking or biking to school or to the local parks. Marist Students Lend a Hand Hyde Park Trails Committee teamed up with Marist College students for the annual Seth Lyon Trails Workday on Saturday, September 17th at Hyde Park's River Ridge community where Winnakee holds a trail easement. This annual workday is held in memory of Seth “At this juncture, Winnakee would like to work toward a regional trail vision that Lyons a dedicated trail advocate, who articulates how communities are connected,” said Sally Mazzarella, President lost his life while backpacking during of the Winnakee Land Trust Board of Directors. “It is a vision that would see the a winter storm in 2010. Village of Rhinebeck connected to the neighboring hamlet of Rhinecliff – and, as such, Rhinecliff ’s Hudson River waterfront and Amtrak train station. The study will look at potentially Thirty-nine Marist College students participated in this year’s event working on trail clearing, installing trail blazes, painting road stencils, and staining trail signs made during the 2016 Hyde Park Trails Annual Sign Making Workshop. connectioning Winnakee Land Trust would like trail networks with to thank the Hyde Park Trails the Town of Red Committee—a dedicated group of Hook, representative organizations and local including Bard College and volunteers working to improve and Tivoli to the north, expand the trail network in Hyde and Park—and the Marist College students Staatsburg and Hyde Park to that made the 2016 Seth Lyon Trail the South.” Work Day such an amazing success!