Archaeological evidence from the area surrounding the River-to-Ridge Trail indicates widespread, continuous occupation of the immediate area for at least 9,000 years.
Like so many indigenous people of that time, the area’s Munsee people, also referred to as the “Esopus” in colonial written records, were forcibly removed from their lands to territories in the west.
Today, the Munsee people’s continuing Tribal Nations reside in Oklahoma, Ontario, and Wisconsin and are known as the Delaware Nation, the Delaware Tribe, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.
These communities maintain a deep connection to their ancestral homelands and share an enduring commitment to protecting it. We pay honor and respect to them and their ancestors as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
OSI in the Region
Over the past four decades, OSI has protected nearly 33,000 acres on
and around the Shawangunk Ridge, in Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster
counties—a total more than twice the size of Manhattan. This work,
achieved with the support of local partners and generous donors, has
expanded parkland, created trails, preserved local viewsheds, and
protected vulnerable farmland and wildlife habitats.
Committed to protecting the 50-mile Shawangunk Ridge and improving
public access to protected lands, OSI is also supporting the creation of
a local rail trail network, rebuilding Victorian-era carriage roads,
and adding a visitor center to Minnewaska State Park Preserve. In partnership with the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, OSI also restored the Rosendale Trestle.