Conserving Land • Protecting Resources
Since 1987
 

As of January 1, 2024, the Rensselaer Land Trust has merged with the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance. For all questions regarding donations, events, land, or other matters, please visit www.rensselaerplateau.org or call 518-712-9211. For questions about the merger, use extension 101 to speak with Jim Bonesteel. You can expect a new name and logo for our merged organization by Spring / Summer 2024 and a new website by the end of the year!

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Rensselaer Land Trust Acquires Palmer Road Preserve from Schodack Area Land Trust

The Rensselaer Land Trust is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Palmer Road Preserve in Schodack, New York from the Schodack Area Land Trust. The 57-acre property was transferred to Rensselaer Land Trust upon the voluntary dissolution of the Schodack Area Land Trust.

Located in a residential community near Miller Road in Schodack, the property features an extensive walking trail system that the Schodack Area Land Trust maintained over many years. The wooded parcel is one of the sources of the Mordener Kill and is home to a diverse collection of plants and animals.

The Palmer Road Preserve will add to RLT’s growing network of neighborhood nature preserves in Rensselaer County. RLT’s goal is to create a diverse collection of publicly accessible properties within a ten-minute drive of everyone in a municipality. These properties will complement existing parks and protected areas and provide places for local residents and visitors to enjoy nature and hopefully inspire them to protect it.

Read more: Rensselaer Land Trust Acquires Palmer Road Preserve from Schodack Area Land Trust

Commitment to Land Conservation During Unprecedented Times

 
Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) Awarded Re-Accreditation Renewal

YOUR LAND TRUST has been awarded re-accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission! With the support of our members, RLT has been able to continue to meet the highest national standards for excellence. In 2008 RLT participated in the Land Trust National Accreditation pilot program and was one of the first thirty-eight land trusts out of over 1,700 in the nation to receive National Accreditation status. This year marks our our third accreditation renewal period – an accomplishment you can be proud of during these challenging times –– Thank you for being our partner in land protection!

The accreditation seal represents RLT's commitment to our community and the land by maintaining fiscal accountability, ethical business practices, strong organizational leadership, and lasting stewardship of the lands we have conserved.

With 33 years of land conservation in Rensselaer County –– we are committed to continuing stewardship of our conservation easements, managing our nature preserves, and safeguarding the natural resources and beauty of Rensselaer County for you and future generations.
 

Public Nature Preserve Updates

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Kinderhook Creek Preserve Parking Updates
In early May 2020 Kinderhook Creek Preserve's parking lot was expanded to accomodate the needs of our community. With the new expanded parking lot we can accomodate approx 15 parking spaces. We remind you that parking along Martha Hicks Road is prohibited. We need to leave adequate room for emergency vehicles to pass by. If you cannot find a parking space, please come back another time – or visit another nature preserve nearby. Our Robert Ingalls Preserve is just 3 1/2 miles away on Garfield Nassau Road. See link below for more information.

Please adhering to the following guidelines while visiting our nature preserves:

  • Maintain a safe social distance during the pandemic.
  • Park only in the designated parking lot. 
  • Observe all no parking signs.
  • When the the parking lot is full, please do not park along the road.
  • If you cannot find a parking space, please come back another time – or visit another nature preserve nearby.
  • Check out other natural areas in the county (see list below)

 

Rensselaer Land Trust Preserves Open to the Public

Geiser Preserve, Sand Lake
Hoosic River Property Canoe and Kayak Launch, Hoosic
John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve, South Troy
Kinderhook Creek Preserve, East Nassau
Robert Ingalls Preserve, Stephentown
Featherweald Nature Preserve, Cambridge, NY

Other Trails to Explore in Rensselaer County

Mud Pond Preserve, Nassau
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, Grafton
Poestenkill Community Forest, Poestenkill
Albert Family Community Forest, East Nassau
Chestnut Hill Preserve, Averill Park
Grafton Forest, Grafton
Taconic Ridge State Forest and Taconic Crest Trail
Burden Pond Preserve, Troy
Troy Narrows
Rensselaer Tech Park
Stewart Preserve
Capital District Wildlife Management Area
Tibbetts State Forest
Schodack Island State Park
Papscanee Island Preserve
Peebles Island State Park

 

 Past COVID Communications to the Community

A Note from Bob Crowley, RLT President

BobCrowley_PresidentIf you joined us at the 2019 RLT annual meeting, you might recall I closed the event with a few comments about myself, about RLT as an organization and about our members and community.

I’ve been involved with RLT for ten years…six of those as Treasurer. Prior lives were spent working for the NYS Department of Transportation and Division of the Budget, in public administration grad school at SUNY Albany, with the Peace Corps in West Africa, attending Union College and growing up in Hoosick Falls. Ironically, in all that time, I can’t say I was ever involved in any true conservation efforts….yet, here I am writing to you as the RLT President !

As a newly minted President, it seemed like a good idea to make myself a list of RLT’s activities and here is what I came up with. We have….easements to monitor… membership to grow…preserves to maintain…financial support to develop….outings to organize….a public to inform…grants to implement…publications to distribute….partnerships to develop…..an organization to run….social media presence to maintain….and (always) new ideas to explore. That’s an ambitious and important agenda that we can all be proud of.

I’m also impressed with the wide variety of people and backgrounds represented in our Board of Directors, our members and our overall community. On the upside, this leads to a continual progression of new ideas and projects that come our way from all directions. On the down side this can lead us to undertake more than our best intentions can realistically deliver (but that’s a topic for another time).

This is also a community that puts into practice an obvious but often neglected fact of life: if one wants something to happen in this world, one has to take some action. So, after you read this, go back up to my list of RLT activities, find something you value and enjoy, pick up the phone and take that action. We’ll all be glad we did and we will make a difference!

Bob Crowley
President

Caption: Bob Crowley, never afraid to get dirty on the job--pulling invasive water chestnuts from the Hoosic River.

 

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