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OSI Saves New York Land for Community Trail
In the small town of Marbletown, New York, officials were faced with a real dilemma last year – one that could alter the identity of the community forever. Scenic farmland at the center of town was listed for sale, with the possibility of large-scale residential development. Despite local efforts to save the land, timing was a problem. Marbletown had recently established a Community Preservation Fund for conservation, but it could take years for the Fund to generate the money to buy the land. That’s when the Open Space Institute (OSI) stepped in. OSI was able to work with the conservation-minded sellers and negotiate a deal wherein OSI would buy the cherished property and hold it until the town had the means to acquire it. Earlier this month, Marbletown formally took ownership of the property from OSI and announced plans to create a community trail modelled after OSI’s River-to-Ridge Trail in nearby New Paltz.
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| Closing a "Conservation Gap" in South Carolina
Recently, OSI helped close a 50-acre gap in Kings Mountain State Park that was listed as a high conservation priority for its location within the park and its role as home to numerous species of conservation concern. The area is rich with Revolutionary War history and contains evidence of thousands of years of Native American inhabitation. Now forever saved, it will be publicly accessible for fishing, paddling, and wildlife observation. |
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| Apply for OSI's Conservation Diversity Fellowship
For the eighth year, OSI is investing in the next generation of environmental leaders through its Conservation Diversity Fellowship. The program, administered by the Environmental Leadership Program, offers two-year, paid fellowships based in OSI’s New York City office to college graduates and postgraduates from diverse backgrounds seeking professional experience in the conservation field. |
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| Protecting Endangered Mollusk Habitat
Nearly 100 acres of land at South Carolina’s Forty Acre Rock Farm are now fully safeguarded, thanks to OSI and local partners. The newly conserved land offers added protection to one of the largest colonies of the globally endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel. The property will become part of Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve – Wildlife Management Area, to which OSI has added more than 200 acres since 2018. |
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| Improvements for the O&W Rail Trail
OSI’s Growing Greenways initiative in New York’s Hudson Valley continues to make progress with upgrades to a section of the O&W Rail Trail in Wawarsing, Ulster County. OSI’s renovations include a new, ADA-compliant pedestrian bridge along with other trail improvements. The project is the latest in entry in OSI’s visionary effort to connect a fragmented 57-mile corridor across three counties. |
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| Addressing Weather-Related Challenges
A partnership between OSI and Thrive Regional Partnership has resulted in the first grant awarded through the “Resilient Communities” program. Tennessee’s Chattanooga Housing Authority has received funding for natural disaster preparedness activities and environmental education. The program, launched by OSI and Thrive in 2022, empowers communities to develop land-based solutions to challenges caused by extreme weather such as erosion and flooding. |
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| Webinar Recording: Forest Carbon Tools
Together with the USDA Forest Service and major partners, OSI recently hosted a webinar introducing tools to help land trusts, municipalities, and others integrate forest protection into their efforts to capture and sequester atmospheric carbon and avoid future emissions. Watch the webinar recording and explore resources here. |
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