The Rensselaer Land Trust, with the help of volunteers from the Junior National Honor Society, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Appalachian Mountain Club, Town of Hoosic Falls, and individuals from the community, planted 300 trees at our Hoosic River public boat launch and fishing access site on Saturday, May 8, 2010. Special thanks are due to Brunswick Agway on RT 7 for donating tree fertilizer and to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the trees. The site is located between Buskirk and Eagle Bridge on RT 67 in Northern Rensselaer County. The property is owned in fee by the Rensselaer Land Trust with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation holding the public access and fishing rights easement. This project is an example of what small local land trusts, such as the Rensselaer Land Trust, working in cooperation with the State and local communities can achieve for the benefit of the people of Rensselaer County and the State of New York.

RENSSELAER LAND TRUST HOOSIC RIVER COMMUNITY BOATING & FISHING DAY!

On Saturday, July 31, the Rensselaer Land Trust held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a boat launch built on conserved farm land along the Hoosic River between Buskirk and Eagle Bridge. The project was a team effort between the Land Trust and the state Department of Environmental Conservation with funding provided by the state Attorney General's Office through a settlement resulting from the 2001 Oak Mitsui chemical spill.

The site is a mile and a half east of Buskirk on Route 67.  It is open to rooftop boats only.  Many of the visitors took advantage of the fine weather to launch their kayaks and canoes to play on the river.  There was also a fly fishing competition.  The highlight of the ceremony was State Sen. Roy McDonald teaching Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino how to cast for fish.

Here are links to writeups about the event in the Troy Record and the Albany Times Union

Volunteers from the Rensselaer Land Trust, Stephentown Historical Society, Restoration of Eastern European Jewish Cemeteries, Inc., Down in Denver Books of Stephentown, neighbors, friends and community members came together on Saturday July 17^th for cemetery restoration work at the historic Stephentown Old Baptist Church Cemetery on Calvin Cole Road. The Old Baptist Cemetery is an early Stephentown cemetery with graves predating the mid 19^th century. The property is owned by Alice LeBlanc who is undertaking responsibility to restore the cemetery to a dignified state and who has granted the Rensselaer Land Trust a conservation easement on the property.

Under the guidance and instruction of cemetery restoration specialist Joseph Ferrannini of Grave Stone Matters, tombstones were excavated, reset and cleaned by the volunteers. Earlier this year, and in 2009, local Eagle Scouts have volunteered at the cemetery and cleared much of the brush, trees, and debris. Their work allowed Saturday's volunteers to focus on tombstone restoration. A follow-up restoration workday is scheduled for Saturday, September 11^th, 2010. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Paul Schroeder, Volunteer Coordinator, Rensselaer Land Trust at pschroeder1@nycap.rr.com or 518-674-2480.

 Volunteers Bob Crowley and Dan Lober excavate a headstone