2019 Barnabas McHenry Award winners work on projects to protect the Valley’s natural and cultural resources
NEW YORK, NY —The Open Space Institute (OSI) announced recipients of the 2019 Barnabas McHenry Hudson Valley Awards, honoring exceptional young leaders who are working to protect and enhance the Hudson River Valley. The five recipients, who represent communities throughout the Hudson Valley, are working this summer with prominent community nonprofits.
OSI established the McHenry Awards in 2007 to honor the extensive contributions of its Trustee Barnabas McHenry, a renowned environmental philanthropist and conservationist. Funded by an endowment raised by OSI, the awards go to graduate and undergraduate students pursuing research, leadership, and community involvement in the Hudson Valley.
“The winners of OSI’s McHenry Award represent the bright future of the Hudson Valley. Each year we are delighted by the applicants, their project ideas, and their passion to improve their communities,” said Kim Elliman, OSI’s president and CEO. “Through educational, conservation, and cultural projects, these young leaders are adding to Barney McHenry’s amazing legacy of dedication to the Hudson Valley.”
Every year, OSI makes awards of up to $5,000 to each graduate or undergraduate student to partner with regional nonprofits in the fields of environmental conservation, historic preservation, the arts, and tourism, with $1,000 going to the partnering institution. In response to the interest of student leaders, OSI added a fifth award category, healthy communities, in 2018.
Since 2007, OSI has committed nearly $277,000 to 51 McHenry Award grantees working in support of the Hudson Valley.
The 2019 recipients of the McHenry Awards and their project descriptions are as follows: