| | | Accelerating Appalachian Conservation
The Appalachian Mountain Region is a globally important carbon stronghold that safeguards vital clean water sources, wildlife habitat and migration pathways, and world‑class outdoor recreation opportunities. But these landscapes are increasingly threatened. That’s why the Open Space Institute (OSI) has launched the Appalachian Landscapes Project (ALP), deploying its deep relationships and expertise to accelerate and amplify conservation across the 18 states that make up the region. To kick off the ALP, OSI has awarded $4 million to projects that will save more than 100,000 acres from Alabama to Maine, marking a bold new chapter in protecting one of North America’s most essential landscapes. |
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| | | | OSI Awarded $6M for New Philadelphia/Camden Initiative
Access to nature in many areas in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey, is limited to a collection of green spaces, pocket parks, and urban gardens—many of which are vulnerable to development. OSI is proud to announce it has been awarded $6 million from the William Penn Foundation to improve public access to the outdoors. |
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| | | | Closing a Conservation Gap in New York
At the southern end of the Shawangunk Ridge, OSI secured nearly 90 pristine acres, strengthening a corridor of protected land between Wurtsboro Ridge and Roosa Gap State Forests. Encompassing lush chestnut oak forests, vital wetlands, and pristine streams, OSI’s acquisition safeguards a thriving landscape and preserves opportunities for future recreational trail connections. |
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| | | | Protecting Precious Habitat for Endangered Species
South Carolina’s popular Forty Acre Rock Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area is now nearly 100 acres larger for the benefit of bipeds and bivalves alike! Since 2018, OSI has added more than 200 acres to the preserve, home to one of the largest and healthiest colonies of the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter, a freshwater mussel highly sensitive to pollution. OSI recently transferred land acquired in 2024 to the SC Department of Natural Resources, protecting water quality in streams inhabited by the Heelsplitter. |
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| | | | Connecting Trails, Wildlife Corridors at the NY-NJ Line
Along the New York/New Jersey border, OSI and the Town of Warwick are partnering to protect more than 300 acres of forested land and create a new town park. Adjacent to New Jersey’s Wawayanda State Park and the Appalachian Trail, OSI’s acquisition of the property will expand outdoor recreation amidst an ecological superhighway. The land is part of the Highlands conservation focus area, a growing network of protected lands supporting a critical wildlife corridor. |
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| | | | Learning and Land Stewardship on the Hudson
OSI hosted local students and officials at Croton Landing Park in New York’s Hudson Valley for a conservation tour. The park is a living showcase of the benefits of land protection and park development: OSI, the Town of Croton-on-Hudson, and partners saved the land from large-scale industrial use in the 1990s and subsequently turned it into a public park. It has since become a cherished riverside gathering spot where the community can enjoy the Hudson River’s spectacular natural beauty. |
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