A place to play, hike, swim, paddle, fish, and camp — the great outdoors provides all these experiences, and so much more.
OSI increases access to nature, improves the visitor experience to parks, and creates opportunities for fun and healthy outdoor escapes.
Land for recreation
Access to natural settings is an essential human need. Active people lead healthier lives and have stronger community connections.
Increasing access today also helps protect lands for the future; safeguarding natural areas gets more families and children outdoors, and builds the next generation of environmental stewards.
After all, exploring the outdoors is just plain fun, inspiring and rewarding.
Our impact
Examples of our efforts to protect and enhance recreation include:
- Our work has contributed a full 10 percent of New York State park land.
- Our efforts have more than doubled the size of some of New York’s most popular parks, including Minnewaska, Fahnestock, Thacher and Moreau, while acquiring critical lands for many more.
- Our private fundraising campaigns were key in building the Letchworth Nature Center and the Thacher Park Center, and restoring Minnewaska’s beloved carriage roads.