Agenda Items include:

For more information, contact Rebecca Martin, Executive Director at 845/750-7295.

The Healthy Kingston for Kids School and Community Garden Committee is in the midst of designing a citywide “Kingston City Garden” website that will help to bring together all of the current gardens, opportunities and provide helpful instruction in the city of Kingston. Included will be an interactive social media component called “BuddyPress” where immediate communications can occur on all garden related content.

Instructed by Kingston Digital Coordinator Mark Marshall at the Everett Hodge Center’s computer lab,  the group learned how to apply BuddyPress to a WordPress site that is being developed with plans to launch in February, 2012.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the HKK School and Garden Committee, please contact co-chairs Julie Noble (JulieLNoble@kingston-ny.gov) or Rebecca Martin (kingstonlandtrust@gmail.com)

A very Special thanks to the City of Kingston, the Everett Hodge Community Center and Kingston Cares for their assistance.

Thanks to all who came out this evening to show support and to celebrate the efforts of the Kingston Land Trust in 2011.

The Stockade Tavern was an excellent setting for about 50 guests who enjoyed presentations by Steve Rosenberg of Scenic Hudson and Mark Castiglione of the Hudson River Valley Greenway.  The Kingston Land Trust raised $2,045.00 to go towards its match challenge of $5,000 before December 31st.

We’ve got just about a month to do it, and every contribution no matter how large or small helps us to continue this important work.  Click on the “Just Give”  link below to make a secure on line donation to our annual fund and match drive.  Contributions are tax-deductible.

From all of us at the Kingston Land Trust – Happy Holidays and thanks.

The Kingston Land Trust in 2011. Click the link to . . . → Read More: The Kingston Land Trust’s Holiday Mixer and Benefit a Great Success]]>

The Kingston Land Trust Executive Committee. (L-R): Gregg Swanzey (Board Director and Chair, KLT Rail Trail Committee), Rebecca Martin (Executive Director), Steve Noble (President), Kevin McEvoy (Vice President/Treasurer)

Thanks to all who came out this evening to show support and to celebrate the efforts of the Kingston Land Trust in 2011.

The Stockade Tavern was an excellent setting for about 50 guests who enjoyed presentations by Steve Rosenberg of Scenic Hudson and Mark Castiglione of the Hudson River Valley Greenway.  The Kingston Land Trust raised $2,045.00 to go towards its match challenge of $5,000 before December 31st.

We’ve got just about a month to do it, and every contribution no matter how large or small helps us to continue this important work.  Click on the “Just Give”  link below to make a secure on line donation to our annual fund and match drive.  Contributions are tax-deductible.

‘

From all of us at the Kingston Land Trust – Happy Holidays and thanks.

The Kingston Land Trust in 2011. Click the link to watch our powerpoint presentation.

A packed house. Mark Castiglione of the Greenway speaks with Pat Murphy from the FOHK.

Julie Noble wears many hats working for the City of Kingston, Forsyth Nature Center and Chair of the Conservation Advisory Council enjoys a special "Kingston Land Trust" cocktail made with Lemongrass from the South Pine Street City Farm.

Steve Rosenberg of Scenic Hudson listening on.

Amanda LaValle (Coordinator, Dept. of The Environment for Ulster County) and March Gallagher (Deputy Director for Economic Development at Ulster County).

Incoming Ward 9 Alderwoman Debbie Brown and Ward 1 Alderwoman Andi Turco-Levin.

Paul Maloney, owner of the Stockade Tavern. Where everybody knows your name.

The Kingston Land Trust Rail Trail Committee secured a truck from the City of Kingston to remove the final load of brush and garbage from a section of the proposed Kingston Point Rail Trail over the weekend (Saturday, December 3rd, 2011).  Located on First/Delaware Avenues, about a dozen volunteers helped to clean the site filling the dump truck to capacity in just a little over an hour.

More clean-ups will be scheduled in the spring of 2012.

If you’d like information on the Kingston Land Trust Rail Committee or wish to get involved, please contact Gregg Swanzey at gswanzey@gmail.com

Loading the truck. Thank you city of Kingston!

Kevin McEvoy, Board Director . . . → Read More: The Kingston Land Trust Acquires Eight Parcels through Competitive Bidding Process.]]>

“The acquisition of these properties flooded, all too often by the Lower Esopus will allow the Kingston Land Trust to develop public access points, provide beneficial areas for wildlife and will allow for greater flood mitigation in the Lower Esopus Watershed. These properties will join other Kingston Land Trust lands in the City of Kingston, as we strive to create a network of open space and protected sites along the Lower Esopus Creek in the Towns of Hurley, Ulster and the City of Kingston.” says Steve Noble, one of the co-founders of the Kingston Land Trust and current Board President.

Kevin McEvoy, Board Director and Chair of the Kingston Land Trust Land Use, Management and Planning Committee responsible for creating the bids agrees. “The Kingston Land Trust looks forward to having its open space preservation efforts in the Esopus Creek floodplain and nearby wetlands lead to the formation of partnerships including the municipalities along this designated inland waterway which is eligible for participation in the NYS Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.”

Currently the Kingston Land Trust is in the midst of an assessment provided by a grant through the Land Trust Alliance. As part of the effort, board and staff members will work to create management plans and ways in which to partner with other municipalities, organizations and community groups to help utilize these new public access points to the creek.

The workshop will take place at the Everett Hodge Center located at 15-21 Franklin Street in Kingston and led by web developer Mark Marshall of the Kingston Digital Corridor. The group will transform an existing word press site “Kingston City Gardens Network” into a dynamic and exciting garden site that will become a resource for the city of Kingston.

There are 25 slots, and only community members who are able to commit to the four hour program are encouraged to sign-up by contacting Rebecca Martin at kingstonlandtrust@gmail.com by November 30th.

Snacks will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring a lap top and a bagged lunch.

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About the HKK Garden Committee – Sponsored by Healthy Kingston for Kids, a project of Cornell Cooperative Extension, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and co-chaired by Rebecca Martin and Julie Noble.  The Healthy Kingston for Kids School and . . . → Read More: Healthy Kingston for Kids School and Community Garden Committee Offers Free BuddyPress Workshop.]]>

The group boasts an impressive year with grant awards from the National Park Service, Hudson River Valley Greenway, Land Trust Alliance, Park & Trails New York and the City of Kingston’s CDBG, all of which will help to build capacity and bring attention to their projects such as a Rail Trail System with a ‘Midtown Hub’, urban farming and practices, protecting and preserving open space and historic sites and to be a strong partner in helping to devise a park conservancy strategy in Kingston.

Special guest speakers will include Steve Rosenberg, Senior Vice President and Executive . . . → Read More: The Kingston Land Trust Hosts Holiday Mixer and Annual Benefit Event at the Stockade Tavern in Uptown, Kingston.]]>

This is the time to show the Kingston Land Trust that you appreciate their efforts and want to help them continue to do this important work. One of our generous benefactors has offered to match each dollar that we raise up to $5,000. That means that the KLT has the potential to earn at least $10,000 that will be added to our annual operating costs. We have until DECEMBER 31st, 2011 to reach this goal and any donation large or small plays an important role. If you cannot be present at our upcoming event but wish to support us with a secure, on line donation to our annual fund and match drive, click on the ‘Just Give’ link.  Contributions are tax-deductible.

From all of us at the Kingston Land Trust, we appreciate your support.

After a successful year of gardening and learning farming practices, The Dig Kids (an Urban Farming Program) held their final work party to close their garden at the Everett Hodge Center on Franklin Street in Kingston.

Later in the afternoon, volunteers joined some of our ‘Dig Kids’ at the City Hall Victory Garden to collect the harvest and close the garden there for the year as well. City Hall staff did a fantastic job maintaining the gardens this season!  With pounds of greens, we all made our way over to the Queens Galley Soup Kitchen to make a food donation to help feed the community.

Plans are underway to expand ‘The Dig Kids” program in 2012 to include the Van Buren Street Park in Midtown.

If you wish to be a volunteer or make a donation to this valuable farming initiative, please contact Rebecca Martin at 845/877-5263 or email  kingstonlandtrust@gmail.com

Harvesting the final tomatoes at the Everett Hodge Center.

The garden at the Everett Hodge Center retired in 2011. The youth did a fantastic job.

The City Hall Victory Garden was beautiful this season thanks to the Kingston Clerks Office and other . . . → Read More: The Dig Kids Retires Gardens in 2011 and Look Ahead to 2012.]]>

After a successful year of gardening and learning farming practices, The Dig Kids (an Urban Farming Program) held their final work party to close their garden at the Everett Hodge Center on Franklin Street in Kingston.

Later in the afternoon, volunteers joined some of our ‘Dig Kids’ at the City Hall Victory Garden to collect the harvest and close the garden there for the year as well. City Hall staff did a fantastic job maintaining the gardens this season!  With pounds of greens, we all made our way over to the Queens Galley Soup Kitchen to make a food donation to help feed the community.

Plans are underway to expand ‘The Dig Kids” program in 2012 to include the Van Buren Street Park in Midtown.

If you wish to be a volunteer or make a donation to this valuable farming initiative, please contact Rebecca Martin at 845/877-5263 or email  kingstonlandtrust@gmail.com

Harvesting the final tomatoes at the Everett Hodge Center.

The garden at the Everett Hodge Center retired in 2011. The youth did a fantastic job.

The City Hall Victory Garden was beautiful this season thanks to the Kingston Clerks Office and other City Hall staff.

Garden Volunteer Lei Isaacs helps to prepare Kale and other greens for delivery to the Queens Galley Soup Kitchen.

"The Dig Kids" close the City Hall Victory Garden. Great work!

Kingston Land Trust Executive Director Rebecca Martin is surrounded here by 'The Dig Kids'. Greens picked and packed to be delivered to the Queens Galley Soup Kitchen.

The Galley Community Garden had it’s first full year in 2011. Led by residents in the Uptown Kingston area, the Kingston Land Trust and the Queens Galley were happy to get this new project off the ground.

We are all looking forward to a future collaboration with Creating Healthy Places (to Live, Work and Play) – a grant project secured by Cornell Cooperative Extension in 2012. Together, the partners will continue to work to engage and support new community garden interest in the city of Kingston.

If you wish to join us in this work, please contact Rebecca Martin, Executive Director of the Kingston Land Trust at 845/877-5263 or by email: kingstonlandtrust@gmail.com

WHO CAN APPLY? Not for Profit Groups in Ulster County are eligible. This includes schools, churches, hospitals, community and neighborhood groups and other organizations who may not have 501c3 IRS exemptions, but whose interests are working with youth to create a healthy supply of food for their community.Community groups which have received LSA funding in the past are not welcome to apply for this round of funding.  Click on the link below for an application.

Fall 2011 Learn and Serve America Mini-Grant, New Gardens

For more information, contact Julie Noble, Environmental Educator at 845/481-7339. . . . → Read More: Mini-Grant Opportunity for New Gardens in Kingston]]> The Fall 2011 LSA Mini- Grant: New Gardens! is a mini-grant award that is designed to fund youth led service-learning garden projects in Ulster County. This grant will fund materials for the construction of a new garden at your site and does not provide capital funding to the grantees. Community groups must have youth participants and are encouraged to work with nearby schools and teachers.

WHO CAN APPLY?
Not for Profit Groups in Ulster County are eligible. This includes schools, churches, hospitals, community and neighborhood groups and other organizations who may not have 501c3 IRS exemptions, but whose interests are working with youth to create a healthy supply of food for their community.Community groups which have received LSA funding in the past are not welcome to apply for this round of funding.  Click on the link below for an application.