New Paltz, NY (April 21, 2022) — With up to 200,000 runners, walkers, and bikers enjoying the Open Space Institute’s (OSI’s) River-to-Ridge Trail in New Paltz each year, visitors are likely unaware of the series of projects seamlessly integrated into the trail and landscape aimed at enhancing the natural benefits of the land.
Since the opening of River-to-Ridge in 2018, OSI has implemented a tailored land management plan for the site which optimizes the six-mile loop trail and the surrounding 360-acres of OSI-protected land for recreational, ecological, and agricultural uses. These management practices offer critical wildlife habitat, improve the water quality of the nearby Wallkill River, and support regenerative agriculture practices that create soil rich in carbon and nutrients.
“Each year, OSI evaluates the River-to-Ridge property to see how we can better improve the management of the land for people and wildlife,” says Wil Nieves, OSI’s Southern New York Stewardship Manager. “Our land management plan integrates sustainability best practices and is supporting the ecological health of the land and soil, improving grassland habitat for local birds species, and implementing natural solutions that improve water quality.”