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FRIENDS OF THE DYKEN POND CENTER LTD
CROPSEYVILLE, NY · EIN 141741839 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Micro (<$100K) · dykenpond.org
revenue
$84K
expenses
$67K
net assets
$705K
employees
0
program ratio
46%
mission · from form 990

THE FRIENDS OF DYKEN POND IS A SEPARATE, NOT-FOR-PROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION CREATED IN 1991 TO BE A SUPPORT GROUP FOR THE CENTER.OUR MISSION IS TO FOSTER ECOLOGICAL LITERACY AND LAND STEWARDSHIP BY PROMOTING EXPERIENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION,SUPPORTING THE DYKEN POND EN

profile · synthesized from sources

Environmental education organization based in Cropseyville, NY, operating on 600 acres of protected land at Dyken Pond. Offers experiential outdoor programs for children and youth, including summer camps, school field trips, and after-school enrichment focused on nature discovery, ecology, and outdoor skills. Programs emphasize hands-on learning, environmental stewardship, and connection to the natural world.

named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

After School Enrichment Programs
Series-based programs for grades K–8 covering nature science, animal behavior, outdoor skills, and nature-inspired art, delivered at schools or libraries.
Music Under the Trees
Free outdoor concert series featuring local bands, held in a forest amphitheater with donations accepted.
Outdoor Adventure Camp
Week-long summer day camp for children ages 6–13 offering nature exploration, campfire building, fishing, archery, canoeing, and outdoor skills development on 600 acres of forest and wetlands.
Outreach Programs
Traveling programs bringing live animals and environmental education to libraries and community organizations.
School Field Trips
Hands-on environmental education programs aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for K-12 school groups, including pond studies, wildlife tracking, forestry, and botany.
Tuesday Treks
Free, guided 3-mile nature hikes for adults and older teens held weekly during summer months.
Youth Group Programs
Tailored environmental education for Scouts, 4-H, and home-schooled groups, including themed activities like owl pellet dissection, snowshoeing, and outdoor living skills.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 3 activities
    • Environmental education programs for youth
      Provides hands-on, student-driven environmental education programs for youth from toddlers to high school seniors, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and New York State Learning Standards, through science-based curricula and place-based learning in classrooms, bogs, forests, and hillsides. Programs include pond studies, owl pellet dissection, animal behavior studies, and nature-based literacy using award-winning children's literature.
    • Traveling and after-school environmental education outreach
      Delivers traveling environmental education programs to libraries and community organizations, bringing live animals and plants for hands-on learning, and offers after-school enrichment programs in nature and science for students in grades K–8.
    • Youth outdoor skills and science education
      Provides skills-based outdoor education including survival shelter construction, map and compass navigation, lost-person safety, water sourcing, and fishing and casting practice, combined with hands-on science education using scientific instruments to explore native animals, birds, insects, and water quality.
  • Youth Scouting Leadership Programs 1 activity
    • Guided outdoor recreation and education programs for adults and older teens
      Organizes weekly 3-mile guided nature hikes for adults and older teens during July and August and offers guided snowshoeing activities with borrowed equipment to promote outdoor education and physical activity.
  • Free Outdoor Music Concerts 1 activity
    • Hosting public events and concerts
      Hosts free outdoor concerts at the Dyken Pond Center amphitheater and held an annual dinner event on October 16, 2025, to celebrate 52 years of environmental education, outdoor recreation, and youth development.
  • Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
    • Maintenance and public access to Dyken Pond trails and facilities
      Operates and maintains 11 miles of open trails at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center for hiking, bird watching, and nature photography, and provides public access including visitor greeting, boat rentals, non-motorized boat launch, shoreline fishing, and self-guided trail experiences.
  • Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
    • Operation of outdoor adventure camps for children
      Operates week-long outdoor adventure day camps for children ages 6–13 at Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, featuring activities such as campfire building, wildlife discovery, plant education, fishing, nature hikes, and survival skills training, with enrollment limited to 25 children per week to ensure safety and program quality.
  • Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
    • Support for school field trips and educational resources
      Offers a Field Trip Scholarship Program that covers field trip fees and bus transportation costs for schools in Rensselaer County and provides free educational kits on loan to teachers and youth leaders, containing curriculum, lesson plans, story books, and discovery materials.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$84K
Contributions & grants$61K73%
Program service revenue$17K21%
Investment income$3K4%
Other revenue$3K
expenses
Total expenses$67K
Program expenses46%
Admin / overhead54%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$708K
Cash$133K
Investments$0
Liabilities$3K
Net assets$705K
Liquid reserves23.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -45.1%
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • Biodiversity Research Institute Partner — Collaborates by featuring guest speakers from the organization to present on species conservation.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension Partner — Collaborates on environmental education programming and utilizes research-based curricula.
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension Partner — Collaborates with Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center to deliver research-based science curricula in environmental education programs.
  • Dyken Pond Center Partner — Support group providing organizational and programmatic support to the Dyken Pond Center.
  • Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center Partner — Primary partner organization supported by Friends of Dyken Pond through financial and volunteer resources.
  • Facebook Network — Uses Facebook to share information and engage with the public about the Dyken Pond Center.
  • Facebook Partner — Social media platform used to connect with the public and share updates about the Dyken Pond Center.
  • Facebook Partner — Used for outreach and communication by the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center.
  • Meetup Network — Uses Meetup platform to organize and promote outdoor explorer events.
  • Meetup Partner — Hosts the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center Outdoor Explorers group.
  • Meetup Partner — Platform used to organize and promote activities for the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center Outdoor Explorers.
  • NYCharities.org Funder — Hosts donation processing for the organization through its fundraising platform.
  • NYCharities.org Funder — Hosts donation processing for the organization through its platform.
  • Rensselaer County Government — Administers employment applications and likely provides operational or funding support for the Dyken Pond Center.
  • Rensselaer County Partner — Collaborates with Friends of Dyken Pond to provide environmental education, outdoor recreation, and youth development opportunities at Dyken Pond.
  • Rensselaer County Partner — Collaborates with Friends of the Dyken Pond Center to provide environmental education, outdoor recreation, and youth development opportunities.
  • meetup.com Partner — Platform used to manage registration and communications for outdoor programs and events.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Early Emotional Connection to Nature
    methodology: inspire-love-for-nature
    By inspiring love and appreciation for nature in children through sensory engagement and literature-based learning, we promote lifelong environmental protection behaviors because early positive emotional experiences with nature shape enduring stewardship values.
  • Experiential Environmental Education
    methodology: experiential_environmental_education
    By engaging participants in hands-on, outdoor learning experiences such as guided hikes, unstructured play, and adventure-based activities, we foster ecological literacy and land stewardship because direct interaction with nature builds lasting cognitive and emotional connections to the environment.
  • Inquiry-Based Learning
    methodology: inquiry-based_learning
    By using student-driven, hands-on investigations and scientific tools, we build engagement and understanding in environmental science because curiosity and active exploration promote deeper learning and retention of scientific concepts.
  • Place-Based and Contextualized Education
    methodology: place-based_education
    By tailoring environmental education to the learner's physical and experiential context—using local ecosystems, natural settings, and standards-aligned curricula—we cultivate lasting respect and connection to nature because relevance and immediacy enhance engagement and meaningful learning.
  • Research-Backed and Collaborative Program Design
    methodology: collaborative_program_design
    By implementing research-based curricula and co-designing programs with educators, we ensure scientific rigor and relevance because evidence-informed content and stakeholder collaboration improve educational effectiveness and program alignment with learning goals.