named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Animal Care Program
Manages a working flock of sheep, alpacas, and chickens for land management, predator control, and educational purposes.
Community Composting
Year-round drop-off program for food scraps; supports soil regeneration and public education on waste cycles.
Gardens of Joy
Community gardening initiative with hugelkultur beds, native plants, vegetables, and a sunflower spiral to promote pollinators and joy.
Grazing Project
Uses rotational grazing with a flock of sheep to manage invasive species like Phragmites australis and improve soil health and biodiversity at Tivoli Lake Preserve.
High School Internship Program
Paid year-round internship for six students focusing on gardening, ecological practices, and community projects.
Workshops and Events
Hosts educational workshops on fiber arts, plant dyes, flax processing, and environmental topics from May to October.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Ecological Habitat Restoration 2 activities
- Engages in ecological restoration and green space revitalization projectsConducts restoration initiatives including the daylighting of Patroon Creek (completed in 2019), invasive species management, and the transformation of underused urban spaces into productive ecological sites.
- Uses rotational grazing with sheep and other animals for vegetation management and ecological restorationManages invasive plant species and promotes native plant growth through rotational grazing using flocks of sheep and alpacas at Tivoli Lake Preserve and other sites, including seasonal grazing along the Brother Yusuf Memorial Trail and on Governors Island from 2020 to 2025.
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Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
- Advocates for city-wide environmental planning through community engagement and visioningPlayed a key role in the city's revitalization by organizing community meetings and contributing to a Visioning Plan that was adopted into the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
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Community-Based Urban Agriculture 1 activity
- Develops and maintains community gardens using sustainable methods and shared harvestsTransforms underused land into productive garden spaces using hugelkultur and other sustainable methods, operates collaboratively tended gardens with weekly work parties, and shares harvests collectively with participants.
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Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
- Hosts seasonal public programming and community events in environmental education and stewardshipOrganizes and hosts seasonal events from late May to October, including garden work parties, workshops, trail walks, bird and plant identification, art classes, and clean-ups to engage the community in land stewardship and environmental learning.
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Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
- Improves public access and interpretation in Tivoli Lake Preserve through signage and infrastructureProvides self-guided brochures, maps, and improves trail signage to enhance public access and education, and implemented trail enhancements in 2025 to address ecological disruption.
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Community Composting & Organic Waste Diversion 1 activity
- Operates a community composting program to convert food scraps into compost for organic gardeningRuns a year-round food scrap drop-off program at the Tivoli Community Farm entrance, processes compost, and uses the finished compost to rebuild soil and grow food in community gardens, closing the farm-to-table loop.
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Youth Workforce Development in Food & Environment 1 activity
- Provides environmental education through youth internships and experiential learning programsOperates a year-round paid internship program for six high school students focused on gardening, personal growth, and community projects, and introduces youth from Albany to outdoor spaces to promote environmental engagement.
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Sustainable Fashion & Textile Circularity 1 activity
- Supports fiber and textile education through animal husbandry and flax cultivationUses sheep and alpacas to teach the fiber-to-fashion cycle, provides wool to regional textile projects, and cultivates flax to produce linen yarn, integrating fiber arts into environmental education.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Facilitates community-based cultural and historical documentation projectsSupported the creation of a history zine about Tivoli by high school students and mentors in 2023, fostering youth-led exploration of local history and community identity.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$117K
Contributions & grants$115K98%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue$12K
expenses
Total expenses$100K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$74K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$15K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$9K
3 years on record · 2022–2025 · YoY revenue +6.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIM TATEO | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FARM MANAGER | 8 | $30K |
board members · 2
- GAIL GOLDERMAN — BOARD OF DIRECTOR
- JOSHUA FARRELL — BOARD OF DIRECTOR
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Albany County Soil & Water Conservation District Partner — Provided past support for the grazing project focused on invasive species management.
- Brother Yusuf Partner — Acknowledges Brother Yusuf as essential to the founding and development of the organization.
- Carl E. Touhey Foundation Funder — Provides grant funding to support programs at Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm.
- City of Albany Government — Owns Tivoli Lake Preserve and partners with the organization through a license agreement to support conservation and public programming.
- Earth Matter NY Partner — Provided educational content about chickens used in outreach and informational materials.
- Governors Island Partner — Partnered to expand programming, including launching a Summer Education Program for kids.
- Hannaford Bloomin’ 4 Good Program Funder — Supports the organization through a community giving initiative.
- Haudenosaunee Partner — Recognizes the Haudenosaunee as Native stewards of the land where the preserve is located.
- Honest Weight Enviro Tokens Program Funder — Provides funding through an environmental grant program.
- Hudson Valley Textile Project Partner — Receives wool from the organization’s sheep and alpacas starting in 2025 for inclusion in their wool pool.
- Livingston Apartments Partner — Partnership to maintain raised garden beds adjacent to the building for residents.
- Mohicans (Muh-he-Kuhn) Partner — Recognizes the Mohicans as Native stewards of the land where the preserve is located.
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Representatives attended Brother Yusuf Burgess’s memorial service, indicating an official affiliation or collaborative relationship.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Funding partner for past arts workshops through the Decentralization Program.
- Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Partner — Provided past support for the grazing project focused on invasive species management.
- Professor Gary S. Kleppel Partner — Partnered with the city to design and implement a grazing project using sheep to control invasive species in the preserve.
- Radix Center Partner — Co-steward of the Brother Yusuf Memorial Garden at Normanskill Farm
- Radix Center Partner — Shared garden space for growing squash, pumpkins, flowers, and a sunflower spiral from 2020 to 2025.
- Radix Ecological Sustainability Center Partner — Listed among supporters, indicating a collaborative or reciprocal relationship in ecological sustainability work.
- Regeneron Funder — Provides grant funding to support preserve programs.
- Stewart’s Holiday Match Program Funder — Provides matched funding support through a holiday giving program.
- The Arts Center of the Capital Region Partner — Administered the Decentralization Program funding for past arts workshops.
- The Trust for Governors Island Partner — Partnered on the sheep grazing project from 2020 to 2025; their horticultural team cared for the animals and monitored effectiveness.
- UAlbany Department of Biological Sciences Partner — Collaborated with the city and Friends of Tivoli Lake to establish a grazing project using sheep to manage invasive species in the preserve.
strategies · 3
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.
- Co-Creative, Collaborative Stewardship Models Build Community Ownershipmethodology: collaborative_stewardshipBy using collective gardening, shared labor, and co-creative design that integrates human intention with natural processes, the organization fosters community ownership and sustained engagement in land stewardship, because inclusive, participatory models deepen commitment and distribute responsibility beyond institutional actors.
- Experiential Environmental Education Fosters Stewardshipmethodology: experiential-environmental-educationBy engaging individuals in direct, nature-based experiences such as plant and bird walks, animal interactions, and outdoor immersion, the organization cultivates personal connections to the land that drive long-term environmental stewardship, because emotional and sensory engagement increases ecological responsibility.
- Regenerative Land Practices as Ecological and Educational Toolsmethodology: regenerative_agricultureBy applying regenerative agriculture, rotational grazing, hugelkultur, and closed-loop composting, the organization restores native ecosystems and controls invasive species while simultaneously modeling sustainable practices for community education, because hands-on demonstration of ecological cycles strengthens both land health and public understanding.