Open Space Institute

10/08/2026

One of Minnewaska State Park Preserve’s most scenic routes just got a major upgrade: OSI restored nearly three miles of the historic Lake Awosting Carriage Road, which circles the largest sky lake on the northern Shawangunk Ridge.

Originally built in the 19th century for horse-drawn carriages, Minnewaska’s wide, gently graded carriage roads are one of the park’s defining features, giving visitors of many ages and abilities access to the park’s forests, sky lakes, rock formations, and sweeping views.

Led by OSI in partnership with NY State Parks & Historic Sites and the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey, the $1.3 million project repaired 2.6 miles of the route with upgrades that make the road more durable and safer to enjoy.

Since 2014, OSI has invested $6.6 million to restore nearly 20 miles of these paths, improving access while protecting the park’s sensitive landscapes.

Learn more: https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/news/lake-awosting-restoration

Photo Credits: Peter Nelson and Bill Amos

10/06/2026

What does it take to conserve the Hudson Valley we love while allowing it to change and thrive?

This Friday, October 9, OSI and Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley are bringing together leaders in conservation, community design, and environmental history at Boscobel House and Gardens to discuss land preservation, housing, climate resilience, and more.

OSI’s Erik Kulleseid and Bob Anderberg will join panelists from the Hudson Highlands Land Trust, MASS Design & Development Inc., and The New York Historical Society, with Brian K. Mahoney of Chronogram moderating.

Join us! The free event begins at 10 a.m. in Garrison and will be followed by a guided garden walk: https://communityfoundationshv.org/events/preserving-shaping/

10/05/2026

For residents and businesses in Garrison, NY, flooding along the Hudson River isn’t a distant concern—it’s a problem now, and OSI is helping the community address it.

OSI is leading a fundraising campaign and working with the town to use the power of nature to reduce the impact of flooding.

Read more from Mid Hudson News : https://midhudsonnews.com/2026/09/08/open-space-institute-to-assist-with-garrisons-flooding-concerns/

Donate to support OSI's work: https://bit.ly/4z6hfUg

Photo Credit: Greg Miller

10/04/2026

Protecting neighborhood green spaces starts with community knowledge and leadership.

Through OSI’s Community Land Leadership Cohort, groups in Philadelphia and Camden are developing strategies to protect and care for the places residents value most, while building climate resilience.

Supported by the William Penn Foundation, the program helps participants strengthen partnerships, share knowledge, and advance locally led conservation across both cities.

Learn more: https://greater-philadelphia-mapping-resource-center-osiny.hub.arcgis.com/pages/cohort

10/03/2026

In our latest e-news, read about how OSI is improving public access at New York’s Minnewaska State Park Preserve, an OSI-hosted event to celebrate Climate Week, and welcoming our newest Conservation Fellow.

There’s even more inside.

Catch up on OSI’s September wins: https://bit.ly/3TmrqoF

Photo Credit: Bill Amos, Bob Fagan, OSI Staff

10/02/2026

At the Land Trust Alliance’s annual Rally—the largest gathering of conservationists in North America—OSI’s expertise was on full display in standout sessions. Staff sessions included:

💚 Abigail Weinberg’s workshop with Forest Carbon Data Partnership on tools and policy approaches that can help keep wooded landscapes intact, completed in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy and American Forests.

💚 Jeff LeJava and Brad Burns’s deep dive on updated easement practices that can support lasting protection of critical lands.

💚 Neil Jordan and Julia Feller’s session offering practical guidance for local land trusts to use online mapping technology to make strategic decisions and better tell their stories.

Together, OSI’s team shared valuable lessons learned with peers and partners from across the country… and made a few new friends along the way!

10/01/2026

It’s not every day someone is named one of Garden & Gun Magazine’s Champions of Conservation! That’s why we’re so proud of OSI’s Senior Vice President of Land for the Southeast, Maria Whitehead, PhD, for being one of this year’s honorees.

Maria leads OSI’s work across the Southeastern United States, and has so far guided the conservation of more than 210,000 acres in the fastest-growing region in America. She is the driving force behind South Carolina’s emerging Black River State Park & Water Trail Network and helped guide South Carolina’s largest-ever conservation easement, which protected 62,000 acres along three coastal rivers. Maria’s inclusive, thoughtful approach brings together partners from every corner to benefit people, communities, and wildlife, preserve habitat, improve flood resilience, and expand opportunities for everyone to experience nature.

Read Maria’s profile: https://gardenandgun.com/2026-champions-of-Coastal Conservation League

From mountain streams to the open ocean, this year’s honorees are fighting in both the field and the lab for the species that rely on the South’s freshwater and saltwater habitats—including us.

09/28/2026

Highlighted by Chronogram, OSI transferred more than 170 acres in New Paltz, NY, to Mohonk Preserve. Within sight of the stunning Shawangunk Ridge, the property includes forests, meadows, wetlands, and vernal pools that provide wildlife habitat, filter stormwater, reduce downstream flooding, and support local water resources.

Completed with support from Wallkill Valley Land Trust, the project marks the Town of New Paltz’s first major use of its Community Preservation Fund, a powerful tool for community-led conservation.
https://www.chronogram.com/general/humpo-marshlands-protected-new-paltz/

Mohonk Preserve has acquired the 174-acre Humpo Marshlands and Forest property, protecting wetlands, wildlife habitat, and Shawangunk Ridge views.

09/27/2026

In western North Carolina’s Headwaters District, a property with a 1,200-foot elevation change offers something essential: options. Cooler and warmer areas across the landscape give plants and wildlife more room to adapt as temperatures warm.

As closes, the Trout Creek project shows what giving nature room to adapt can look like on the ground. OSI and Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust protected nearly 1,000 acres once slated for development, including more than five miles of streams and surrounding habitat.

Protecting large, connected landscapes today can give nature more options tomorrow.

Read this important conservation story: https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/news/trout-creek-1

09/25/2026

How do we make limited conservation dollars go further for climate? Better data can help.

For , we’re sharing OSI's Forest Carbon Map, a free interactive tool for land trusts, public agencies, and others to see how much carbon forests store today and how much more they will store by 2050.

Building on this work, OSI leads the Forest Carbon Data Partnership, a collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land Land Trust Alliance, American Forests, and Clark University to develop and share the data, tools, and research needed to guide strategic forest protection so that our forests can deliver lasting climate benefits for people and wildlife.

Explore the Forest Carbon Map:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/06aecbef03c748d3917cc2857455f02f

Register to join us at our Nov. 12 webinar, "U.S. Forest Monitor Launch: Data, Forests, and Climate Action" https://bit.ly/4ygxoXj