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Our work with The Center for Discovery has protected nearly 750 acres of farmland and supported the connection between open space, agriculture and public health.
The land that we acquired helps the Center’s young adults with autism learn life skills and gain independence through interacting with the natural world.
Read more about the collaboration between The Center and OSI. (pdf)
Farming plays a major central role at The Center, providing local and organic food and meaningful work for residents.
In 2005, we supported The Center’s wellness programs by acquiring an agricultural easement on 300 acres of farmland at Stonewall Preserve.
The Stonewall Preserve’s 100 acres of open land sits high in the Hudson River Valley landscape and includes 11 forest types, wetlands and acres of June-blossoming rhododendron across its northern border. One of its most noteworthy features is the miles of stone walls built by farmers of yore.
In 2011, we helped The Center acquire Applebee Farm, and in 2013 we teamed up again to acquire a cattle farm and a nine-mile railroad bed—which will become a recreational centerpiece for the revitalized hamlet of Hurleyville.
“The Center for Discovery is a place where people come together to simply get closer to the food we all eat. We're glad to have a partner in OSI and to see this beautiful farm protected,” said Patrick H. Dollard, chief executive officer of The Center for Discovery.
By ensuring that the land will be forever available for farming, we have enabled The Center for Discovery to expand operations and programming in a sustainable, positive way -- benefiting both the residents and surrounding countryside.
After renovation, the nine-mile rail trail will become part of a larger, interconnected Hudson Valley trail network.
The network, spearheaded by the Open Space Institute and our partners, will connect towns, villages, hamlets, and cities with state parks and recreational trails, including the Long Path. It will also span three major rivers: The Hudson, Wallkill, and Rondout.