Wood and Water, Sand and Stream
Celebrating 30 Years of Land Protection in Rensselaer County

RSVP and Purchase Tickets HERE

After 30 years there’s many people to thank for land conservation in Rensselaer County. We’ll do so at our Annual Meeting and 30th Anniversary Celebration this fall!

We’ll take time to honor our donors, volunteers, and current and former board members and staff. We will hear from outgoing County Executive Kathy Jimino and Troy Mayor Patrick Madden. We’ll pay tribute to our founders and our past RLT presidents, board members, and staff including Christine Young, our former executive director, who guided RLT so ably for nine years. And we will welcome our new Executive Director, John Winter.

2017 Honorees

William Niemi Conservation Leadership Award  will be presented to ecologist Dr. David Hunt for his many years studying the plants, animals, and natural communities of Rensselaer County, advocating for their conservation, and providing ecological expertise to landowners, towns, and conservation organizations."

Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented to  Marcy Steinberg for  her years of volunteer work including  Trail Crew, a member of the Outings Committee, and providing support as coordinator for the Mushroom Series.

As a special treat, George Wilson, local renowned fiddler, multi-instrumental virtuoso, and singer will perform a variety of traditional and folk styles. George has mastered nearly 500 tunes from New England, Quebec, Cape Breton, Scotland, Ireland, and Shetland. Learn more about George Wilson here.

Please join us as we celebrate at Brown's Brewing Co.'s Revolution Hall, 417 River Street, Troy, NY 12180.

Parking is available at the site.

Tickets are $30 per person, which includes a platted dinner, sides, and dessert. Cash bar.

Reserve your tickets today by clicking HERE.

Meal options:

Meat Entree: Plated Dinner Duet: Pan Seared Chicken, Herb Au Jus, Sliced
Filet Mignon, Garlic Mashed and Butternut Squash

Vegetarian Entree: Vegetable Napoleon Stack with Gouda Cheese

Clearwater sails rain or shine, and so will we!

Departing from Riverfront Park

Please arrive no later than 8:45 am.

Join us aboard an authentic working Tall Ship – the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. This three-hour sail on the beautiful Hudson River will include dockside orientation before departure, Clearwater's history, wildlife observation, education, even a chance at steering the ship. Music by the crew and sing-a-longs. Refreshments available at the dock.
Clearwater is a 106 foot long wooden sailboat, with one 108 foot tall mast. In the 1800's such boats were a common sight on the Hudson and Long Island Sound; now, ships like Clearwater are a rare sight.

This is a benefit for the Rensselaer Land Trust and the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
Limited 50 tickets, $150/pp.

Purchase your tickets HERE.

You will help to sail her: raising the mainsail and taking a turn at her tiller. The best way to ensure that your sail is enjoyable is to be prepared for what you'll encounter on a real, working tall ship.

There is also an Afternoon Sail 1:45 - 5.

What to Wear:
Clearwater sails rain or shine with the exception of severe weather, so be sure to check the forecast and dress accordingly.
If there's even a small chance of rain, bring rain gear.
If it's cold wear clothing in layers, with a warm coat, sweater, long pants, scarf, and hat.
If the day is warm, bring a light jacket or windbreaker; it's often colder on the water than on land.
If it's sunny, a brimmed hat, high SPF sunscreen, and sunglasses should be worn.
Wear flat, soft-soled shoes. No clogs, flip flops or high heels should be worn onboard.
In any weather, make sure you wear clothing you can easily move around in and don't mind getting dirty.

What to Bring:
Hydration is extremely important while sailing; we strongly suggest bringing a re-useable water bottle.
You will not eat lunch onboard, but are welcome to bring a snack.
If you'd like to bring a camera, you may. It is important to always be aware of what is going on around you and note that there are appropriate times to take photos.

What NOT to Bring:
We encourage you to leave the following items at home:
For the safety of you and your devices, cell phones, iPods, portable music devices, and tablets should not be taken onboard. They are easily broken and can be distracting.
Headphones prevent passengers from hearing important information or directions from the captain and crew.
Backpacks can be bulky and often get in the way.

Bathrooms:
Many of the docks have facilities available on site and you are encouraged to use them before boarding the boat. Clearwater's head, or boat toilet, is rustic; more like an outhouse than a bathroom. There is a barrel of wash water for hand washing on deck.

Safety:
You are in good hands when onboard! Clearwater's professional crew has been selected to combine the talents of a competent sailing team with those of a trained education staff. It is important to listen closely to the captain, crew and to your teachers, and to always follow the basic safety rules outlined at the beginning of your sail.
For answers to other frequently asked questions visit us at www.Clearwater.org

Register online HERE or by calling 518-659-LAND (5263)

Please join us as we celebrate another great year with friends of the land. At our 2019 Annual Meeting we will honor this year's honorees and hear a fascinating lecture from Dan Bogan on the topic of coyotes.

General tickets $30 per person, please consider joining our Host Committee to help underwrite the costs of this event at $100 per person. All Host Committee members will be listed in the program as a special thank you.

Buffet dinner included, cash bar • Location: Brown’s Brewing Co.’s Revolution Hall, free street parking.

This year's honorees include

Volunteer of the Year Awarded to Frank Sorrento, one of our dedicated Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve Volunteers.

Frank Sorrento, a lifelong outdoorsman, grew up in New York spending his time hunting and fishing in the area. In recent years, he purchased a piece of property in East Nassau, where he began to spend much of his time and quickly discovered RLT’s Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve. Frank met David Gaskell, Kinderhook’s preserve steward, while enjoying the woods. At that point Frank shared with David his love and appreciation for the preserve and offered to help in any way possible. David quickly enlisted Frank and his backhoe in the building of the two creeks trail and clearing down trees to make the trails more accessible. Frank’s time spent with David and working at the preserve has given Frank an opportunity to learn more about the different trees, mushrooms, animal habitat, and to deepen his understanding of how important land conservation is to future generations.

One of Frank’s greatest pleasures is being able to share his knowledge and experiences at Kinderhook Creek with his daughter Olive. The preserve has been a great influence in the molding of her childhood, creating many precious memories, and developing an appreciation for nature. Frank also finds it very rewarding to see all the wonderful visitors being able to enjoy the land as he does.

Over the last few years Frank has made so many friends at Kinderhook Creek that he started The Friends of the Kinderhook Creek Preserve Facebook page. On this Facebook page, Frank can connect with visitors and inform them of preserve news or animal activity and people can share their experiences as well. Kinderhook Creek’s following growing and is a destination for many people each week and even daily. Frank is looking forward to seeing the ridge top trail completed and being a life-long volunteer with RLT and friend of Kinderhook Creek Nature Preserve.

William Niemi Conservation Leadership Awarded to Teri Ptacek, Executive Director of Agricultural Stewardship Association

Teri Ptacek has been involved in farmland conservation since 1992 when she first started volunteering for the Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA). ASA was founded by farmers and conservationists as a land trust nearly 30 years ago. To date, the organization has conserved nearly 22,400 acres of farms and forests throughout Washington and Rensselaer counties.

“I fell in love with this area because of its farms and farm community and am passionate about the work ASA is doing here in the greater Capital Region.”

Teri joined ASA’s board of directors in 2002 and became ASA’s first executive director in 2003, after working as a project coordinator in Saratoga Springs for American Farmland Trust (AFT) for eight years. While at AFT, Teri was charged with the development of Rensselaer County’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan, giving her an opportunity to become acquainted with the farm community.

ASA began working in Rensselaer County in 2003 shortly after Teri became the executive director. During Teri’s tenure, the organization has conserved over 19,000 acres on 104 properties including 7,169 acres on 40 farms in Rensselaer County. ASA is currently in the process of protecting another 2,370 acres on seven farms in Rensselaer County that have been awarded state farmland protection grants.

Farms in Rensselaer County have received a total of $13.3 million in farmland protection awards since ASA first began working in the county in 2003. This success would not be possible without the support from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Rensselaer County Legislature, Office of Economic Development and Planning and Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board.

Lecture

Investigating Eastern Coyote (Canis latrans) Diet Ecology in Suburban Albany and Rural Rensselaer Landscapes

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a wild canine predator species that only recently became an inhabitant of northeastern States. Here in New York, coyote ecology is not fully understood, which leaves knowledge gaps regarding their interactions with other species across landscapes gradients. As a major component of my research agenda at Siena College, I am investigating the diet ecology of coyotes in two regions of New York: The Albany Pine Bush Preserve and the Rensselaer Plateau. I am actively working with project partners, citizen scientists, and Siena College undergraduates to collect scat (feces) as a non-invasive method to evaluate diet ecology while simultaneously assessing relative abundance of coyotes and other carnivores. I predict diets from the urban study area will have lower diet diversity in comparison to the more natural, rural study region. Predator ecology is important within the larger context of considering the forces that shape and influence these important conservation areas.

Dan Bogan is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Siena College. His research investigates behavioral ecology of wildlife and interactions with humans, carnivore ecology and conservation, and urban wildlife ecology and management. Dan holds a PhD from Cornell University, a MS from SUNY University at Albany and a BS from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry.

Celebrate 50 Years of Environmental Action in America with RLT

Join Rensselaer Land Trust and singer-songwriter Tom Rush for a live benefit concert as we commemorate the first Earth Day and the passage of national legislation on clean air, water, and land. 

Event Details
Sunday, June 12, 2022
2:00 pm: Doors Open/Cash Bar
3:00 pm: Concert begins
Brown’s Brewing Company Revolution Hall • 425 River Street, Troy, NY
Brown’s Brewing Company’s Troy Taproom (next door) will be open for dining reservations from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Benefit Event Ticket Options
For Info: 518-659-5263 or e-mail: julie@renstrust.org

• $100 per person
• $1,000 table sponsorship (includes five tickets)
• $400: Socially-distanced pods of four tickets are available (all four tickets must be purchased together)
• $1,000 business sponsorship (includes five tickets, promotion on signage, program, and Rensselaer Land Trust website)

Purchasing tickets in support of Rensselaer Land Trust is deductible less $65 per attending guest.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Tom Rush, now celebrating 52+ years of touring, has been thrilling audiences with hits like No Regrets, Circle Game, Remember Song, Urge for Going, and Merrimack County. Tom’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Garth Brooks have cited Tom as major influences. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor. Subsequently, his Club 47 concerts brought attention to artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin. As vital and engaging as ever, Tom is still doing what audiences love him for: writing and playing ...passionately, tenderly...knitting together the musical traditions and talents of our times.

Listen to a sampling of his music HERE.

“Tom Rush has made his reputation as a soft-spoken, powerful interpreter of traditional songs.” The New York Times