Who We Are

Founded in 1988 by a dedicated group of local citizens, the Woodstock Land Conservancy is a non-profit land trust. We are run by a small staff and an all-volunteer Board of Directors. At its core, WLC is an ever-growing community of dedicated and generous volunteers, supporters, and community members who share a passionate love and respect for the land and the unique place we live. WLC owns and manages undeveloped land and works with landowners to permanently protect their property through conservation easements and by acquiring their land through donation or sale. We also provide nature education and outdoor activities to the community. Because we operate in the public interest, WLC depends on private donations to carry out its work. It is our strong foundation in the community that makes it possible to protect land that otherwise would be lost forever. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn how you can become part of our work!

WLC Events

9th Annual Film & Discussion Series

The Woodstock Land Conservancy, Woodstock NY Transition,
Woodstock Jewish Congregation
Present

Hudson Valley Farm Hub's "Farmscape Ecology"
March 29th, 7:00 - 8:30pm 

Join us to hear about biodiversity and agricultural sustainability and how researchers and farmers are working to effectively manage farms for both biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services to crops. Learn about the ecology of the farmscape and the ways you can contribute to this work in your community or in your own backyard. The film, “Farmscape Ecology” will be accompanied by a brief introduction by the Farm Hub’s Director Brooke Pickering-Cole, and followed by a Q&A and discussion with Farm Hub’s Applied Farmscape Ecology Program Manager Anne Bloomfield, Field Crops Production Manager Jay Goldmark, and Conrad Vispo of Hawthorne Valley’s Farmscape Ecology Program.

Register for this event here 

See the full Film Series schedule here

If you missed the January 25th Film Series Launch event you can watch the recording here 

First Saturdays on the Trail

*Waitlist Only*
Winter Hike with Michael Drillinger
March 6, 2021

Get outdoors and experience the natural beauty of the Catskills. Woodstock Land Conservancy invites you on a two-hour winter hike hosted by Michael Drillinger, Saturday, March 6th as part of the “First Saturdays on the Trail” program series.

The walk will include talks on nature, geology, the history of the area, winter trees, and looking for signs of winter wildlife. Details including start time and location for the hike will be confirmed later upon registration.

Group size is limited, Pre-registration is required.

Email Etta Grover This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.to register

 See the full "First Saturdays on the Trail"  schedule here

 WLC in the News

Spend First Saturdays on the Trail with the Woodstock Land Conservancy

by Frances Marion Platt for Hudson Valley One, January 28, 2021

"The Woodstock Land Conservancy (WLC) has released its First Saturdays on the Trail schedule for 2021. If you want to participate in these expert-led nature hikes and activities, you’ll need to sign up well in advance. The January 2 Winter Stream Walk, visiting various habitats along the Sawkill Creek near the Zena Cornfield – whose preservation was the focus of the battle that brought WLC into being 33 years ago – was full up. The previous event, a tree identification walk at the Thorn Preserve, proved so popular that another outing was scheduled for the second Saturday in December.

In the past, in fact, says WLC’s program and outreach coordinator, Ellie Reese, “All our programs have filled. There’s always a waiting list.” Those in the know sign up on the organization’s website to get a News and Events e-blast each time registration opens up for a new outing.

Competition is even fiercer in this age of COVID, which forced a five-month hiatus in the First Saturdays program in 2020. Since its resumption, a maximum of ten people is allowed on each WLC hike, in order to enable social distancing in the woods.

Read more ...

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) 

We strive to be an open and inclusive organization embracing diversity in race, age, language, income, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientation and gender identity in our policies, governance and activities. We are committed to hearing and empowering the voices and needs of Black people, Indigenous peoples, and People of Color in our work around access to nature, land access, ownership, livelihood through the land, stewardship and land conservation. We strive to diversify our team and do outreach to groups that have historically been under-represented in our audience, partnerships, and the communities we serve. 

Read More

WLC Projects

Woodstock NY Pollinator Pathway
Visit the Woodstock Pollinator Pathway website for more information
www.woodstocknypollinatorpathway.org

Advocacy
850 Route 28 LLC a Manufacturing Facility Proposed Adjacent to Onteora Lake, Bluestone Wild Forest
Website for further info:
saveonteoralake.org

Land Acquisition
32 acres expanding Israel Wittman Sanctuary
18 acres atop Mt. Guardian

Stewardship
Ashokan Rail Trail – Volunteer Trail Stewards Program, More than 250,000 visitors in one year
Visit the Ashokan Rail Trail website for more information.
www.ashokanrailtrail.com

WLC Preserves
Sloan Gorge Trail Improvements with Tahawus Trails
     -Stone Stair Installations (3); Side Hilling; Repair of collapsed trail
     -5 days of trail building training for volunteers
Opening of Loop B Trail at Israel Wittman Sanctuary

Bluestone Wild Forest (BWF)
BWF offers destination trails with new and improved user-friendly trails, with beautiful way spots and loops, now with more beginner level terrain and access to Pickerel Pond. The new and improved trails are thanks to lands acquired by the Open Space Institute in partnership with WLC and conveyed to DEC.  
https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/75323.html