| | | Incremental Conservation to Save a South Carolina Barrier Island
While some landscapes are protected with a single acquisition, others require a more incremental approach. Such is the case on South Carolina’s Waties Island, one of the Southeast’s most pristine barrier islands, located within sight of bustling North Myrtle Beach. Last month, the Open Space Institute and local partners announced the acquisition of more than 200 acres of fragile terrain on and around Waties Island. This latest acquisition from siblings Olivia Boyce-Abel and Merrill Boyce, whose family has owned the land for generations, builds on a 260-acre acquisition last year that proved to be a significant step to permanently protecting Waites Island and the surrounding landscape.
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| | | | Apply Now for Summer Fellowship Funding
Graduate and undergraduate students are invited to apply for the Open Space Institute's 2024 Barnabas McHenry Hudson Valley Awards. The awards fund seasonal fellowships for students partnering with Hudson Valley-based nonprofit organizations on projects focused on environmental conservation, environmental justice, historic preservation, the arts, or tourism. Applications will be accepted through April 15. |
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| | | | Fragile Great Swamp Lands Protected
Encompassing more than 6,000 acres, and spanning Dutchess and Putnam counties, New York’s Great Swamp forms one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the state. Recently, OSI permanently protected nearly 90 acres of the Great Swamp to help secure long-term access to clean water for millions of New Yorkers, as well as safeguard habitat for breeding wood ducks, New England cottontail rabbits, and migrating waterfowl. |
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| | | | Protecting Forests for Clean Water
It’s a fact: forests help purify water. But the conservation community and land managers often lack data to quantify the benefits of forest protection on clean water. The Open Space Institute has issued findings on how conservation and proper management of forests can support clean water. The research is drawn from OSI’s conservation experience through its Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund, which protected 21,000 forested acres across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York between 2013 and 2023. |
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| | | | A Vermont Victory for Marten Recovery
More than 1,200 acres of endangered wildlife habitat have been conserved with support of the Open Space Institute. The “Victory Hill” project, led by the Trust for Public Land, is a significant victory for wildlife connectivity and will aid recovery of the American marten, endangered in Vermont; as well as other declining species, such as the blackburnian warbler and wood thrush. |
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| | | | OSI Awards Boost Hudson Valley Communities
A total of $65,000 has been awarded to Hudson Valley community organizations in grants from the Open Space Institute’s Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund. The grants were given to nine groups to support locally focused environmental education initiatives which engage communities, inspire the next generation of environmental stewards, and support access to healthier food. |
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