On October 5, 2015 over 100 people attended the Rensselaer Land Trust's official opening of its Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve in East Nassau. The 73-acre preserve was created by donations of four properties from David and Lucy Gaskell, Bob and Jennifer Newton, the late Kenneth York, and the Edward W. Golden Foundation. David and Lucy, Bob and Jennifer, Ken York's three daughters, and Ted Guterman of the Golden Foundation opened the preserve not by cutting a ribbon, but by "cutting" a garland made with pine boughs. Remarks by the donors were highlighted by Wendy Brigg's touching remembrance of her father Ken York's love of nature. All the donating families share the same vision and love of their land and the desire to provide a natural place for both people and wildlife to enjoy forever. This new preserve is a good example of how land conservation by a private organization benefits the entire community.

Also presenting remarks at the opening event were David Fleming, Jr., Supervisor of the Town of Nassau, Mitch Levinn, Mayor of the Village of East Nassau, and Mike Moore, area representative of Governor Cuomo. Mike read a letter from Governor Cuomo which said in part, "The Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve is a wonderful addition to the community, incorporating a system of marked trails through picturesque wooded areas and highlighted by a half mile of shoreline along the Kinderhook Creek, a renowned trout stream. This is a meaningful day for the Nassau community and its local residents whose significant donations of land will be appreciated by future generations."

The preserve has four miles of trails, 1/2 mile of river frontage, steep hills, mature forest, and wildlife habitat. There is no charge to visit the preserve and Rensselaer Land Trust welcomes the public for fishing, hiking, skiing, geocaching, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and nature study.

Additional support for creating the Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve and making it ready for public access came from the Town of Nassau, Greg Gaskell, and the New York Conservation Partnership Program, a partnership of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Land Trust Alliance.

The Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve is located at 300 Martha Hicks Road, Nassau, NY. More information, directions, and trail maps are available here.