Natural Heritage Trust

06/06/2026

Did you know that the Natural Heritage Trust partners with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to support trailhead stewardship throughout the state? The trailhead stewardship program is a volunteer-led effort that includes cleaning and maintaining trailheads and teaching hikers about the Leave No Trace Principles. The impact of this program can be seen far and wide across the state
In 2025, trailhead stewards:

🌳 Maintained over 65 miles of Forest Preserve trails,
🌳 worked on 18 miles of new trails,
🌳 built or maintained 18 bridges,
🌳 maintained 260 public campsites,
🌳 relocated 26 different privies,
🌳 and removed over 240 bags of garbage from trailheads in the Catskill region alone.

How can you get involved? Make a donation today at www.naturalheritagetrust.org/trailhead-stewards, or visit https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/dec-land-stewardship/adopt-a-trailhead to learn more about the program and how to volunteer.

06/04/2026

Congratulations to Commissioner Kathy Moser on her confirmation by the NYS Senate as Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation! The Natural Heritage Trust is inspired by her leadership and looks forward to continuing our partnership to support her vision for the future of New York’s state parks and historic sites.

06/03/2026

Happy World Bicycle Day! The benefits of bicycling are numerous: time spent outdoors, physical activity, and eco-friendly transportation just to name a few. You can help others experience the joy of bicycling by supporting the Bike Library at Shirley Chisholm State Park. The Bike Library offers free loaner bikes to park patrons for use within Shirley Chisholm State Park. The Library also conducts multiple bicycle swaps per year, ensuring kids have the right size bike and appropriately fitting helmets. Your gift helps these wheels keep turning. Make a contribution in honor of World Bicycle Day at www.naturalhertiagetrust.org/bike-library

05/30/2026

The Bike Library at Shirley Chisholm State Park has officially opened for the season! Online pre-registration can be completed at fountainbikelibrary.eventbrite.com (Fountain Avenue side, by the trail entrance) or PennBikeLibrary.eventbrite.com (Pennsylvania Avenue side, by Hendrix Creek Patio). Please note that the Bike Library closes during inclement weather, please call 718-277-2420 x6 for current weather status. Let's get these wheels turning!

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day! We are honored to commemorate the selflessness of the brave individuals who gave their lives in service to their country.

05/22/2026

Supporting your favorite New York State public lands and waters is easier than ever!

🌐Online: The fastest and easiest way to give, visit our website to make a secure online gift: naturalheritagetrust.org/donate

📫By Mail: Mail checks payable to the Natural Heritage Trust to:
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207

🕰Planned Giving: Give through bequest or estate planning. The NHT offers options for permanently named endowments to support a specific park or region

📈Gifts of Stock: The NHT accepts gifts of stocks and securities. Contact us at [email protected], or by calling 518-474-2997 for more information.

⛺Rounding-Up: Round-up your camping or day-use fee the next time you book a NYS park or site on ReserveAmerica

05/20/2026

Let’s bee one with the bees! Learn more about how to support your local pollinators this World Bee Day.

05/15/2026

There’s a quiet kind of hope in knowing that saving a species is possible.

Bald eagles once hovered on the brink. Sea turtles were disappearing from our shores. Gray wolves had nearly vanished from entire landscapes.
But people cared. Laws changed. Protection worked.
Endangered Species Day was created by the Endangered Species Coalition to bring attention to endangered and threatened wildlife and to remind us that the Endangered Species Act has helped pull so many species back from the edge.

Become part of the movement to protect endangered species by supporting natural habitats with a gift to Wildlife Management Areas found throughout the state and managed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. www.naturalheritagetrust.org/wmas

05/12/2026

Sick of dreading Mondays? Check out the currently available job opportunities at the Natural Heritage Trust and do move towards doing what you love. www.naturalheritagetrust.org/employment.

05/11/2026