Message from the President

I’ve had the pleasure of serving as RLT President for almost a year and I must say, it has been quite an education in everything from Acquisition of land to running Zoom meetings. While that’s all been interesting, the most remarkable part of representing RLT is continuing to encounter a wider range of people committed to promoting conservation than I had ever imagined existed. Here are some examples of who I’m talking about: the Johnson family who graciously donated our Featherweald Nature Preserve; the Hudson Valley Greenway which RLT aided in developing the Albany Hudson Electric Trail; volunteers who devote every Wednesday to improving trails throughout the county; donors who entrust RLT with their thousands of dollars of financial support; community members who generously donate their weekends for everything from building bridges to painting houses to expanding parking lots; local government officials who see the value in RLT’s work; neighbors who (usually) enjoy and thank us for open spaces we maintain; donors who entrust RLT with fifty dollars of financial support; members of the former Schodack Area Land Trust who have joined forces with RLT and the list could go on and on…but I think you see my point.

I also want to thank Paul Schroeder, Fred Alm and Dave Gaskell who will no longer be serving on RLT’s Board. I’m still discovering the contributions they have made to RLT over the years and while they will be missed at Board meetings, I suspect RLT will continue to benefit from their involvement in the future!

Finally, we all need to acknowledge John Winter, our Executive Director and Julie Moore, our Communications Associate who keep RLT running smoothly on a day to day basis.

Sincerely,
Bob Crowley, RLT President

From the Executive Director

Land acquisitions, Land Trust Alliance re-accreditation, and getting people outdoors into nature are key themes in this annual report. In 2019 RLT launched its neighborhood nature preserve initiative to protect land in more urban areas for local community use, protect drinking water in the Tomhannock Reservoir; and help local governments use our county-wide land conservation plan to identify land protection opportunities.

As always, none of this work can happen without the generous support of our members and friends and the assistance of our many conservation allies here in Rensselaer County and throughout the capital region.

We send our best wishes to you and your loved ones during the continuing pandemic and invite you to ask questions, make suggestions, and support us financially during the financial downturn.

With gratitude,
John Winter