| | | OSI Celebrates McHenry Legacy
At its annual celebration in New York City this month, OSI celebrated the life and legacy of Barnabas “Barney” McHenry, a founding Trustee who played a key role in OSI’s protection of 100,000 acres across the Hudson Valley and whose zeal for conservation continues to shape OSI’s ethos and impact. Barney’s son and current OSI trustee, Tom McHenry, was among the featured speakers at the organization’s marquee event, joined by his brothers and numerous family members. Also featured at the reception were dozens of OSI’s McHenry Award recipients, past and present, who joined in the cheers as OSI announced that the McHenry endowment had reached $1 million. With the influx of funds, OSI’s McHenry Awards will continue promoting young leaders as they elevate the Hudson Valley’s environmental, historic, artistic, and cultural assets. |
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| | | | OSI Breaks Ground on New Lake Placid Trailhead
OSI and partners gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for a new OSI-designed trailhead in Lake Placid, New York, at the eastern end of the popular 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail. The Lake Placid Trailhead will improve access to an iconic and striking landscape while strengthening the village’s outdoor recreation economy. The trailhead is expected to be completed this fall. |
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| | | | Protecting Critical Forests and Headwaters in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania’s Carbon County, support from OSI made it possible for the Wildlands Conservancy to permanently protect more than 1,100 acres of forestland in the Upper Lehigh River watershed. The property contains more than three miles of Pine Run headwaters, including a tributary of the Lehigh River with exceptionally high value for wild trout habitat. The project expands a growing network of conserved lands that safeguard the region’s drinking water supply and strengthens public recreational access in the Lehigh Valley. |
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| | | | OSI Leads at NY Land Trust Conference
At the Land Trust Alliance’s 2026 New York Conference, OSI staff joined land trust leaders to share tools, exchange ideas, and celebrate recent successes. Continuing the organization’s long tradition of conservation leadership, OSI’s Julia Feller co-led a three-hour workshop demonstrating how land trusts and others can use forest carbon data and online mapping tools to guide conservation investments and highlight the climate benefits of forest protection. |
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| | | | Safeguarding Groundwater and Wildlife Habitat in New Jersey
In northwestern New Jersey, a grant from OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund helped the Land Conservancy of New Jersey protect nearly 100 forested acres in the Paulins Kill watershed. The project expands a growing network of conserved lands in a corridor known for its rich wildlife habitat. The property sits atop a porous limestone aquifer that helps filter and recharge groundwater and includes wetlands and open fields that will be restored through future efforts. |
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| | | | Helping Southeastern Counties Prepare for Extreme Weather
OSI and Thrive Regional Partnership have added three new municipalities to their Resilient Communities program, which supports locally driven, nature-based solutions to environmental issues like flooding, drought, and extreme heat. In Mentone, Alabama, and Fort Oglethorpe and Dade County, Georgia, OSI and Thrive will work with residents and experts to develop strategies to weather-related challenges shaped by their landscapes and community priorities. Since 2021, the program has empowered communities to harness the power of nature while strengthening their ability to prepare for, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of severe weather. |
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