Hudson Highlands Land Trust

05/22/2026

Spring migration has been in full swing at HHLT preserves!🐦🦆

Last week, we had a fantastic morning at Lane Gate Preserve, hosting a spring migration bird walk with partners Putnam Highlands Audubon Society (PHAS) and New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP). Participants were treated to a diverse range of sightings, including the Solitary Sandpiper (pictured below), reflecting the rich biodiversity at Lane Gate Preserve. A big thank you to PHAS and NYNHP for co-leading the walk and sharing their expertise, and to everyone who joined us!

Interested in exploring Lane Gate Preserve? Don't miss our upcoming BioBlitz on June 4, co-hosted with Wild Woods Restoration Project! Open to all experience levels, participants will work together or on their own to document as many plant, animal, and fungi species as possible in a single day. To learn more, visit: https://hhlt.org/june-bioblitz-at-lane-gate-preserve/



Photos by Nadia Azizi & Cory Tiger

05/20/2026

Hudson Valley Gives is today, May 20! Support conservation in the Hudson Highlands by participating at www.hvgives.org/organizations/hudson-highlands-land-trust

We hope you will join us in the effort to conserve and care for the lands and waters of the Hudson Highlands so that people and nature can flourish together for generations to come. Your support helps ensure a future for the Hudson Highlands where wildlife thrives in a healthy, connected, climate-resilient landscape and people can enjoy equitable access to nature’s benefits!

05/13/2026

Meet the Dot-tailed Whiteface Dragonfly! Keep an eye on local wetlands this summer because you might spot one of New York’s most recognizable dragonflies! The Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) is easy to identify by its small black body, bright face, and yellow dot on its tail. Active from early May through late August, it favors calm, vegetated water bodies including ponds, lakes, bogs, marshes, and slow-moving streams across New York State.

Don’t let their small size fool you. Adults actively hunt mosquitoes, flies, and other flying insects, playing a valuable role in keeping wetland ecosystems balanced!


Photo by Cory Tiger

05/08/2026

📅 Mark your calendars for our June BioBlitz! Join HHLT and Wild Woods Restoration Project on June 4th (8am to 6pm) for a day of community science at Lane Gate Preserve in Cold Spring, NY.

Spot and document as many species of plants, animals, and fungi as you can in a single day. Download the free iNaturalist app, and your sightings will count toward HHLT's preserve data. No experience needed, just an interest in learning more about the natural world around you! For more information, visit https://hhlt.org/june-bioblitz-at-lane-gate-preserve/

05/01/2026

🌿What’s happening at HHLT preserves? Field season is taking off, and there’s a lot to look forward to! HHLT is setting up and monitoring camera traps across our preserves over the coming months through two exciting projects; (in collaboration with Cornell University and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation) and the 2026 Regional Black Bear Project in partnership with Mianus River Gorge. Together, this work helps us capture wildlife diversity in the region and contributes to ongoing conservation research efforts.

📸 Want to get involved? We’re looking for volunteers to help restock cameras and gear, and sort through camera footage at HHLT preserves. Reach out to [email protected] to learn more. If you are interested in setting up camera traps on your own property through Snapshot NY, click here: https://www.snapshotny.org/

04/28/2026

04/24/2026

🌳What a beautiful morning at Granite Mountain Preserve! HHLT staff led participants on a guided hike along the Red and Yellow Trails in Putnam Valley, where they explored tree identification and forest ecology on their way to Lookout Rock. The weather was perfect, the company was great, and the learning never stopped. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

The fun doesn't stop here, if you're in the Putnam Valley area, click the links below to find Earth Week events happening near you. And wherever you are, check your local municipality's website for activities and celebrations in your community. There's something for everyone this weekend. Come on out!🌎

Putnam Valley Earth Week Events:
https://www.putnamvalley.gov/celebrate-earth-week-in.../
https://www.boscobel.org/events/earth/

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County Sustainable Putnam Boscobel House and Gardens