Hudson Highlands Land Trust

November 2014

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www.hhlt.org

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Links to Articles

HHLT's Commemorative Book

Black Rock Forest Conserved

Veteran's Day Program

Wildlife Workshop

Southbound Soiree

Coming Events

Nov 11

Veterans Day Program
Purple Heart Hall of Honor
New Windsor, NY

Nov 19

Black Bears, a Hudson Highlands Nature Museum Wildlife Workshop

Hubbard Lodge

Cold Spring, NY

Nov 20

Connecting: Celebrating the People and Places of the Hudson Highlands Book Launch

Winter Hill

Garrison, NY

Hudson Highlands Land Trust

P.O. Box 226
20 Nazareth Way
Garrison, NY 10524
845/424-3358

info@hhlt.org

Andy Chmar

Executive Director

Katrina Shindledecker
Director of Land Preservation

MJ Martin

Director of Outreach and Development

Kathy Hamel

Membership and Public Policy Coordinator

Matt Decker
Stewardship Coordinator

Jonathan Leitner
Program and Database Associate

HHLT 25th Anniversary Commemorative Book Available for Purchase

Book Launch Reception scheduled for Thurs., Nov. 20, 6-8pm at Winter Hill, Garrison

From our first swim in a lake, hike on a wooded path, taste of home-grown produce, or feeling of joy when witnessing a Hudson Highlands sunset, we are connecting. Connecting to the land and connecting to each other. Connecting to our past, our present, and our future.

Our goal in creating Connecting: Celebrating the People and Places of the Hudson Highlands is simply to honor these ties. For more than a year, Nelsonville resident Christine Ashburn has photographed people enjoying the Highlands and the landscapes they love. Our essayists have shared their stories of the ties that bind us to the land: history, food, recreation, arts and a commitment to future generations.

Connecting will be a wonderful holiday gift for anyone who loves the Highlands. It is available for purchase at $85 per book (orders of 10 or more, $75/book). You can make your order online easily and securely (beginning Tuesday, Nov. 11), or stop by the office during business hours with a check or credit card. Please call to confirm that the office is open. Books will also be available at the Boscobel Home and Gardens Gift Shop (Cold Spring), Garrison Cafe (Garrison), Clearwaters Gifts at Jones Farm (Cornwall) and Storm King Adventure Tours (Cornwall-on-Hudson).

Please RSVP to info@hhlt.org or 845/424-3358 x6 by November 14 if you plan to attend the Book Launch Reception.

Black Rock Forest Conservation Easement to Expand Public Access

New York State has reached an agreement to acquire a conservation easement to permanently preserve close to 4,000 acres of Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, which will expand trail connections between Storm King Mountain and the Schunnemunk State Parks.

HHLT has long been part of the discussions to preserve Black Rock Forest and is pleased that the conservation easement, the largest ever in the Hudson Highlands, has been finalized. The agreement will allow hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and other park visitors an uninterrupted outdoor experience made up of nearly 60 miles of trails and 8,600 acres of protected open space. To achieve this outcome, Open Space Institute (OSI) will purchase the conservation easement and, under the agreement, the easement will be conveyed to the Palisades Interstate Park Commission by the Black Rock Forest Preserve.

"This historic agreement will benefit all our native plants and animals, including people, in perpetuity," said William Schuster, HHLT Board Member and Executive Director of the Black Rock Forest Consortium. "We are most grateful to the Open Space Institute and to New York State's far-sighted leadership for their critical roles in making this happen."

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Veteran's Day Program at National Purple Heart Hall of Honor set for Nov. 11, 2pm

In keeping with the tradition started in 1954 of honoring all those who have served in the Armed Forces, on Tuesday, November 11, the Purple Heart Hall of Honor will conduct a brief ceremony and wreath laying in commemoration of Veteran's Day. Admission is free, and the ceremony will take place outside, weather permitting, by the flag poles at the Hall of Honor.

There will be a brief tribute in the program to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the formal beginning of the War in Vietnam. Light refreshments will be served. Seating for this portion of the program is limited and reservations are strongly recommended. To make a reservation, please call 845/561-1765. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located at 374 Temple Hill Rd., New Windsor.

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Nature Museum Partners with HHLT on Black Bear Workshop, Oct 19

Partnering with HHLT, the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum brings its environmental expertise to Hubbard Lodge with a program about Black Bears on Sunday, November 16, from 2:00-3:30pm. Hubbard Lodge is on the east side of Route 9, just north of Route 301.

Come learn about the Hudson Valley's largest mammal. While human populations have been increasing, bear populations have also been expanding.

"Bears are not true hibernators, so they may wake up and leave their dens to search for food on mild winter days," says Nature Museum Environmental Educator Carl Heitmuller. Discussions will include how to avoid bear conflicts, hibernation, and bear biology and anatomy using bear skulls and pelts.

The program is for adults with or without children, and for children ages 5 and up. Admission $7/adult, $5/child (Museum members: $5 and $3) For more information go to hhnm.org or call 845/534-5506 x204.

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Southbound Soiree

At this time of year, be on the lookout for groups of grackles on your lawn as they form flocks and head south in impressive numbers. Some will stay in our area for the winter. Grackles are often considered pests because they bully more attractive birds and descend upon agricultural fields, wreaking havoc on crops like corn and peanuts. A flock of grackles is called a "plague." Grackles have a built-in rasp, called a keel, on the inside of their beaks that they use to saw open acorns.

Watch for them moving across the forest floor under the oak trees, flipping over leaves in the hopes of finding a meal.

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HHLT Lost and Found

Please contact info@hhlt.org if you left a dark green fleece or a cream-colored knit hat at Winter Hill on Sunday, October 19. We would like to return them to their owners. Thank you.

The Hudson Highlands Land Trust is a community-based, accredited, non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to the protection of the natural resources, rural character and scenic beauty of the Hudson Highlands.