FORT Friends of the Rail Trail

Art on the Rail Trail's call for proposals is due tomorrow, 4/30! We are looking for artists, designers, and teams to develop dynamic messaging/signage along the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail. Read more at https://mohawkhudson.org/art/

Don't miss out-- Art on the Rail Trail's auction ends this Sunday at 11 p.m.! https://snwbl.it/1oLlvx

Do you love seeing murals and art installations along the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail? You can help bring NEW public art to the trail! Support Art on the Rail Trail and local artists--check out the Art Auction Fundraiser at https://snwbl.it/1oLlvx . The auction is open now and will close on Sunday, April 25 at 11 p.m.

ART on the Rail Trail is seeking proposals for "Share the Trail," a public safety campaign designed to ensure that all visitors are aware of each other and can equally enjoy the trail! Please see our website for full info for this call for proposals: https://mohawkhudson.org/2021-art-proposals/

What’s up with the blue bags at Strawberry Fields? These are syrup collection bags that the landowner collects each spring for personal use. If you look closely, you can see the metal tap into the sugar maple tree where sap drips out. Spring time with warm days and cool nights is the time to tap trees. The warm temperatures create a pressure gradient that moves sap throughout the tree making it easier to collect and boil down for syrup. Please leave bags in place and observe from afar.

Join us in welcoming MHLC's newest Board of Directors member Katherine Marsh Wolfram of Schenectady. Kat was instrumental in our work to protect Lansing Farm, a protect close to her heart. She grew up on a working farm in South Carolina and later ensured the family’s land would be permanently protected by placing a conservation easement on the property.

Happy New Year from your friends at the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy! We wish you and your family all the best in 2021. Ready to plan your first adventure of the year? Visit our website to find a preserve and download the handy MHLC Map app at https://mohawkhudson.org/map-your-visit/. #ForestFriday #Welcome2021... Michelle Johnston, Keleher Preserve

It's not too late to have your year-end donation doubled! The deadline for MHLC's 20-20 matching challenge is Thursday, December 31. Join us as we work to protect vital natural and working lands in our region and provide our communities with access to nature. Take the challenge at https://mohawkhudson.org/20-20/!

Enjoy the wonders of winter with MHLC and friends! MHLC Conservation Director Sarah Walsh and Bob Frederick shared this video of trail breaking at Wolf Creek Falls yesterday. You can sign up for email notifications from the MHLC Trail Breakers to stay in the loop on meet-ups to XC ski the preserves. Join us at https://mohawkhudson.org/xc-ski-preserves/!

It's not too late to double your impact on the conservation of vital landscapes from the Catskills to the Adirondacks. Every donation made by 12/31/20 will be matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor in our 20-20 Challenge. Donate at https://mohawkhudson.org/20-20/ Robert Stone

This holiday season consider a gift to support the stewardship of MHLC's 20 preserves and maintain trails like this one at the Fox Preserve in the town of Colonie. All donations made by 12-31-20, will be matched dollar for dollar by an anonymous donor. www.mohawkhudson.org/20-20

Welcome to the Facebook page of FORT: Friends of the Rail Trail! We are a volunteer committee of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, working to support the use of the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail. The Rail Trail is owned and managed by Albany County. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding the Rail Trail, please contact the Office of the County Executive at [email protected].

We are thankful for you! Together, we are ensuring that natural and working lands from the Catskills to the Adirondacks are protected forever! We wish you and your loved ones good health and a bountiful Thanksgiving.

MHLC has made huge strides raising funds to save Bender Melon Farm. We are SO close to the goal now, but our time is running out! Help us bring the vision to life by the October 29th deadline--it's just ONE week away! Donate today at https://mohawkhudson.org/bender/ and your donation will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, through a challenge issued by the Bender family! Please share this message to help us spread the word!

Looking for something to do this weekend? Get started on MHLC's 20 Preserve Challenge! It is the perfect time to stroll the trails and enjoy the beautiful colors of fall. Keep a log of your visits from all 20 of our preserves; once you've completed the challenge, submit a list of your visits along with a photo from your favorite hike to receive a limited edition MHLC sticker. (No need to rush... the challenge is active through 2021!) Learn more at https://mohawkhudson.org/20preservechallenge/ Touhey Family Preserve photo by Peter Thomas

Only two weeks left to reach our fundraising goal for saving Bender Melon Farm. Thanks to the generous support from the community, we are SO close to our goal! Please consider a gift that will shape future land use in the area. We believe the combination of the Hilton Barn, the Rail Trail, and the Bender Melon Farm will create a community asset unlike any other in the Capital Region - linking communities, history, recreation, and conservation. EVERY dollar brings us closer to the goal - donate today at https://mohawkhudson.org/benderdonate/.

Welcome to MHLC 20th preserve, the new Touhey Family Preserve! This beautiful preserve, located at 911 Delaware Ave in Delmar, officially opened to the public today! MHLC would like to thank the Touhey family for this generous gift to the community! Many thanks to Pinnacle Trail Design & Construction for creating the 1-mile trail loop--we hope to add more to this trail system soon! Read more about the preserve and watch the video here: https://mohawkhudson.org/new-touhey-family-preserve/

Check out MHLC's Silent Auction!

Did you see all the great chalk artwork on the Rail Trail today? It's out there till the rain comes--check it out this weekend! Vote for your favorite Chalk the Walk artwork at: https://forms.gle/5V5xn3AwxHFCgTaD6 Voting will close at noon on Monday, September 28th, winners will be announced that evening!

Our online silent auction, a part of the Sowing Seeds fundraiser, has begun and is open to EVERYONE! There more than 40 amazing and truly unique items available... vacation getaways, restaurant packages, artwork, and more! PLUS - your purchase supports the mission of Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy - to protect and conserve lands so that everyone has access to nature! The auction will close at 7 p.m. during the celebration on Thursday, October 1; event participation is not necessary to win! http://ow.ly/BN0H50BAnbj

We are thrilled to share the news of ARE Event Productions' upcoming race, the Upstate Classic on 11/5. MHLC is the Charity of Choice for this race and the money raised will go directly to the Bender Melon Farm project! Learn more and register at https://upstateclassic.com/#about

Who can resist a box of sidewalk chalk?! Channel your inner artist at Chalk the Walk on Saturday, September 26! ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME! Sign up today: $10 for a 3' x 3' square. Choose from a 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. start time! All proceeds from this event will help to bring new public art to the Rail Trail. For more info and registration, visit https://mohawkhudson.org/chalk-the-walk-tickets/.

MHLC is at a very exciting point with the Bender Melon Farm project. Following a wonderful $250,000 pledge toward the project, we are down to less than $162,000 to close of the property! With our October 29th deadline quickly approaching, we ask that you please SHARE this message to help rally the support needed to reach our goal. MHLC envisions a variety of uses for the land including trails accessible from the Rail Trail, possible ongoing agricultural uses, and habitat imp...rovement and restoration. This is really a historic opportunity to shape the future land use in the area and create a community asset unlike any other in the Capital Region. Please help us reach our goal! Read the full update and donate at https://mohawkhudson.org/bender/ or text "Bender" to 518-412-7001 to donate!

Looking for something to do this fall? Join MHLC for a day trip!

Get ready for Chalk the Walk 2020!

Did you know that MHLC's Strawberry Fields Nature Preserve now has a receiver station to collect wildlife movement? The receiver is part of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a collaborative research network. Late last month, the first two data points of birds migrating over the preserve were collected: a sanderling and a chimney swift! This data leads to more protections for birds where they need it most! Learn more in our latest blog post: https://mohawkhudson.org/collecting-bird-data/