round 3 awardees
Capital Region – total awarded: $27,580
friends of clermont ($4,000)
to create a planned giving program to raise funds to provide more programs, including marketing materials, a planned giving and named endowment policy, and training for the board of trustees.
Friends of thacher park ($4,080)
to design and procure promotional materials to promote the Friends group and build capacity through outreach.
Friends of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage ($19,500)
to provide critical administrative support and focus on acquiring and maintaining sustainable income sources for the organization.
Central Region – total awarded: $28,900
CHITTENANGO LANDING CANAL BOAT MUSEUM ($20,400)
to create a new education program entitled “The Story of the Water STEM Program: Erie Canal Connections.” The program will allow the museum to research water systems related to the Erie Canal and create STEM educational programming. Additional components of the new STEM program will be a summer STEM camp, and a “Story of the Water” series of talks. The new education program will enable visitors to explore how humans impact the canal water system today.
COUNCIL PARK OF FRIENDS ($8,500)
to make many needed updates to the Clark Reservation State Park Nature Center, specifically the geology exhibit, which explains the geologic formation comprising the main attraction at the park. Additional updates include the wildlife and flora exhibits, replacing the book collection, and purchasing new tables and display cases.
Finger Lakes – total awarded: $96,958
Friends of Ganondagan ($50,000)
to fund the restoration and replacement of the Seneca Bark Longhouse roof using new, “flexbark/Elm Bark” roofing panels to ensure the viability of the structure, and the safety of the artifacts, reproductions, and interpretive materials housed within.
Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park ($15,740)
to enhance the self-guided interpretive tour to educate visitors about the role Hamlin Beach State Park CCC/POW Camp played during the Depression and World War II. The enhancements will include a stone dust path to follow the interpretive sign tour, five new interpretive signs, and new locator signs within the park directing patrons to the CCC/POW site.
Friends of Letchworth State Park ($12,530)
to fund a planning document along with two architectural project reports that will allow the Friends group to more effectively manage and fund projects that will move forward the ongoing effort to preserve the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) legacy in Letchworth State Park.
Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park ($18,688)
for the restoration of the Vinery Greenhouse. The scope of the restoration project includes repairs to masonry, skeletal framework, sashes, roof, glass and gutters.
Long Island – total awarded: $20,000
The Caumsett Foundation, Inc. ($20,000)
to fund the construction of a courtyard between two classrooms to enhance the education complex at Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve. It will provide additional public space if the classrooms are occupied for lectures, break-out sessions and lunch breaks. It will be the primary space for other groups to meet and will complement the overall design between the classrooms, restrooms and Park offices, all of which are new spaces.
Mid-Hudson – total awarded: $122,938
Basha Kill Area Association ($7,792)
will fund professional reformatting and printing of 500 copies of a revised book (the third edition) entitled “A Birding Guide to Sullivan County New York.” This project will generate more interest in this valuable, state-owned natural resource by specifically educating visitors about the 250+ bird species who inhabit this wetland during the year.
Friends of Mills Mansion ($48,000)
to fund the purchase of historically-accurate, custom-made fabric, trim, and as well as decorative trim, tie-backs and hanging hardware needed to reproduce the historic draperies in Staatsburgh’s formal dining room. These will replace the existing drapes that have been hanging for over 100 years and are in very poor condition.
Friends of The Old Croton Aqueduct ($27,200)
to cover the cost of a coordinator to support the needs of the recently opened Keeper’s House Education and Visitor Center. The coordinator will develop and manage the volunteer docent program, including recruiting new volunteers to assist with all the activities at the Center and improve the visitor’s experience.
The Little Stony Point Citizens Association, Inc. ($39,946)
to fund a solar installation on the Volunteer Center to power activities there, which will increase volunteer presence at Little Stony Point. A portion of the energy generated will be stored in a mobile battery, which will be used to support volunteer activities throughout the Park. Additionally, installing a simple “green” incinerating toilet at the Center will provide better amenities for visitors.
Mohawk Valley – total awarded: $9,905
Friends of Johnson Hall ($9,905)
for a historic floor cloth, a “painted carpet” for the Front Hallway of Johnson Hall State Historic Site. This reproduction floor cloth will help protect the original wooden floor from heavy wear by visitors, and will complete the restoration of the decorative finishes on the first floor of this site. Funds will also be used to produce a detailed color booklet, postcards and a website update to summarize all the restorations projects that have been competed or are underway.
New York City – total awarded: $15,750
Four Freedoms Park Conservancy ($15,750)
to redesign and install clear, direct, and inviting entrance signage that incorporates messaging of the Park’s rules in the park, which are unique due to the park’s entirely engineered environment.
North Country – total awarded: $76,703
Azure Mountain Friends ($7,225)
to initiate a publicity campaign and fund necessary repairs. The publicity campaign will improve communications to the public about the work of the Azure Mountain Friends, the history of the tower, expand interest, and ultimately increase the number of volunteers and supporters. Most importantly, the increased exposure and publicity will help to insure the continuation of educational programs.
Friends of the Nature Center ($50,000)
to create a new forest exhibit that will be located at the entrance of the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center. This exhibit will include interactive graphics that explain what each part of the tree does. This modern, state of the art exhibit will draw the attention of new visitors, while also giving returning visitors a reason to return and explore the new elements.
winona forest recreation association ($19,082)
for the rehabilitation of multi-use trails in the Winona State Forest, designed specifically to increase public access and significantly enhancing users’ experience. This rehabilitation of the trails will attract new users, increase tourism dollars, and grow the local economy.
Western New York – total awarded: $51,611
Friends of Allegany State Park ($4,250)
for the construction of approximately two miles of new, narrow tread trail, as part of the park’s master plan. Funds will cover the materials for the trail, new signage, and informational kiosks and maps. The trail will be created in collaboration with a mountain biking group to attract bikers, a new user group, to the park.
FRIENDS OF REINSTEIN NATURE PRESERVE ($47,411)
to hire a Development Manager to cultivate a sustainable donor base and expand the organization’s funding sources in the areas of corporate giving, foundation giving, and planned giving. These actions will increase the long-term viability of Friends of Reinstein Woods, and foster improvements to the educational and stewardship programs supported by Reinstein Woods.