Winnakee Land Trust

09/04/2026

With just one month to go until Winnakee’s 20th Annual Barn Tour on October 4, our committee is hard at work! Local barn restorer John Coppell is visiting the barns to help property owners discover their history and unique details to share with attendees.

This year’s tour features a special mix of historic barns, with plenty of animals to see along the way, including horses, cows, donkeys, and more.

Get your tickets now and enjoy this beloved fall tradition, followed by a festive barn reception with live music from The Decoys.

More info and register here: https://www.winnakee.org/barntour/

08/27/2026

🥾 NEW TRAIL PREVIEW HIKE — Hyde Park, NY 🥾

Winnakee is opening a brand-new trail, and you can be one of the first to explore it before it opens to the public!

Join Winnakee's Jen Adams, who led a team of volunteers to build this trail system, for an exclusive guided preview hike.

Along the way, you'll learn about an exciting woodland pollinator project and other stewardship efforts underway at this former red pine plantation. The trail passes vernal pools, climbs a ridgeline, and offers views over a healthy hemlock stand.

08/15/2026

Tickets for the 20th Annual Barn Tour on October 4 are on sale now! Embark on a self-guided tour of some of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful and historic properties, enjoy fresh cider, local apples, coffee and (of course) cider donuts! After the tour join us for a festive farm party with live music and local food and refreshments.

Register Here: https://www.winnakee.org/barntour/

08/14/2026

Is someone missing a telescope? 👀🔭 Found atop Burger Hill. Provide a few details to claim it at our office at 7 Livingston Street.

Also! Did you catch the partial eclipse from Burger Hill? We want to see your shots.

Please send us your footage to [email protected] and be a featured photographer.

08/10/2026

Congratulations to our Founder, Sally Mazzarella, on this wonderful and well-deserved recognition! Thank you, Sally, for your decades of dedicated vision and leadership in preserving and protection irreplaceable treasures that make our region so special today, and for the lasting impact you've had on our community!

💡 SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON A GREAT CONNECTOR 🔗

Today, we proudly unveiled a plaque on solar light 273 honoring the foundational contributions of Sally Mazzarella in bringing the dream of the Walkway into reality.

Sally, pictured here at left, served more than four years as chairperson of the official Friends of the Walkway nonprofit organization. She was joined for the occasion by former Friends Executive Director Elizabeth Waldstein (pictured), current Friends staff and board members, and many other longtime friends and colleagues on a beautiful day atop the World's Longest Elevated Pedestrian Bridge.

To learn more about adopting a solar light of your own to commemorate an important person, story, or milestone, visit walkway.org/adopt.

08/08/2026

Thank you to our volunteers for your dedicated work to make our trails safer for hikers! We ended this hot and humid day with well deserved freeze pops!

08/07/2026

Barberry is a thorny invasive shrub that attracts ticks! Help us remove this invasive shrub along our trails at Vlei to keep hikers safe. Learn removal skills using hand tools that you can use at home, too!

Winnakee will provide all tools and gloves needed. Please bring a reusable water bottle and wear long pants with long socks and closed toe shoes.

Barberry Removal Day
Saturday August 8th, 10am-12pm
Vlei Marsh, 186 Vlei Road, Rhinebeck, NY.

08/06/2026

Please join us in welcoming Tom Purves as Winnakee Land Trust’s new Senior Director of Development!

Tom brings more than 25 years of experience building meaningful partnerships, inspiring philanthropy, and helping organizations create lasting community impact. In his new role, he will lead Winnakee’s fundraising efforts across annual giving, major gifts, institutional support, campaigns, and planned giving to help advance our conservation mission throughout the Hudson Valley.

Before joining Winnakee, Tom served as Senior Director of Community Engagement at Major League Soccer, where he led sustainability and community investment initiatives. His career also includes leadership roles with T-Mobile, Ralph Lauren, and Octagon, developing strategic partnerships for globally recognized brands and sports organizations.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from Swansea University. Today, he proudly calls Rhinebeck home, where he founded the Burger Hill Massive—a community running group that brings people together while fostering a deeper appreciation for Winnakee’s Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill.

We’re thrilled to welcome Tom to the Winnakee team and look forward to the relationships, vision, and leadership he will bring as we work together to protect the lands and waters that make the Hudson Valley so special.

Please join us in giving Tom a warm welcome!

07/29/2026

Winnakee today kicking off the Northeast Partners for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation (NE PARC) conference alongside our partners at the Wetland Trust, with a visit to the Wild Center! Staff will be participating in forums on h**p conservation and research, sharing best practices with our network, connecting with fellow h**p enthusiasts!

07/23/2026

Winnakee’s stewardship team, Jen Adams and Garrett Chisholm, spent the day on Vlei Marsh with Advisory Board member Erik Kiviat of Hudsonia Hudsonia Ltd, continuing our ongoing research into the marsh habitat. Highlights included muskrats, a juvenile bald eagle, a green heron, turtles, and a rich variety of native marsh plants!