Email - February Features and News from the Open Space Institute

February 20, 2009

Dear Subscriber,

The Hudson River Valley is one of 40 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Designated by Congress in 1996 in recognition of the significant history that is part of the region’s fabric, OSI has conserved tens of thousands of acres throughout the historic Valley.

This year New York State celebrates the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration up the river that now bears his name. In honor of the Quadricentennial, we will periodically explore some of the great properties and parks that OSI has protected in the region.

Whether Presidential homes, the places where Native Americans and early settlers lived, the viewsheds surrounding them, or the battlefields where history was made, we invite you to tour some of the properties OSI is proud to have conserved. Here, we have highlighted some of our Presidential sites. Many are restored, interpreted and open to the public, and links with information on visiting the sites follow below.

3 PRESIDENTS SLEPT HERE AND HERE BUT NOT HERE

OSI has protected many of the Hudson River Valley's most historic sites. Take a look at three Presidential homes where George Washington and Martin Van Buren slept and FDR entertained luminaries but never spent a night.

IN THE CATSKILLS, A FARM FAMILY REALIZES A DREAM

"I’ve done quite a few other things, and this is what I want to do,” said 30-year-old Kyle Rockefeller, who attended the University of Maryland on a baseball scholarship, but returned home to work as a dairy farmer. “I like my one-lane dirt road traffic when I come home at night.”

GO PLAY IN THE SNOW! NEW YORK WINTER OUTINGS

While many people burrow at home when the temperature drops towards freezing, if you are more of the intrepid sort, here are a few ways to relieve cabin fever. Get out and explore the Hudson River Valley region in the winter.