irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $0Education & Outreach:The organization offers education programs and outreach events, especially for children and families, which helps bring people back on the land and builds awareness and appreciation for the natural world.
- #2 $0Land Stewardship:Land stewardship includes all aspects of the organization's management of a property after acquisition, including fee-owned land management and maintenance and conservation easement monitoring, landowner relations, recordkeeping, management of stewardship funds, and enforcement and defense.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Celebration of Zena: An Immersive Forest Experience
Evening event featuring soundscapes, art, and ritual to foster deep connection with the Zena Highwoods forest, including a panel on community art and stewardship
Education & Outreach
Offers free public programs, workshops, and events focused on nature appreciation, environmental science, and community engagement with local ecosystems
Land Protection
Acquires land and conservation easements to preserve forests, water resources, and scenic areas in the Woodstock, NY region
Land Stewardship
Manages and maintains protected lands, including monitoring conservation easements, landowner relations, and ecological recordkeeping
Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project
Yearlong community initiative combining art, science, and ecology through walking tours, citizen science workshops, and an art exhibition focused on the Sawkill Creek watershed
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 2 activities
- Interpretive and visitor experience developmentDesigns and installs interpretive panels and sensory installations at preserves to enhance environmental education and public engagement, including immersive forest experiences in the Zena Highwoods featuring recorded soundscapes and projected wildlife illustrations.
- Nature and environmental education programmingOffers year-round educational programs and outreach events for children, families, and the public focused on nature appreciation, watersheds, native bees, insect biodiversity, bioindicators, and ecological health. Events include field-based documentation of aquatic insects and pollinators at Zena Cornfield, workshops on watershed science, and citizen science microbial cultivation activities.
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Recreational Trail Development and Maintenance 1 activity
- Collaborative trail development and public access projectsPartnered with Ulster County to develop and open the 11.5-mile Ashokan Rail Trail along the Ashokan Reservoir and hosts anniversary events such as walk-and-ride celebrations to promote public use and awareness of conserved recreational corridors.
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Watershed Conservation & Stewardship 1 activity
- Community stewardship and restoration initiativesOrganizes community-based conservation efforts including the Stream Stewards Program, riparian buffer planting events, and long-term watershed engagement projects such as the Mapping the Sawkill Watershed initiative, which includes participatory workshops, walking tours, community mapping, and ecological restoration along an eight-mile riparian corridor.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Environmental art and interdisciplinary public programmingHosts public exhibitions and immersive experiences that integrate art, ecology, and science, including a sculptural topographical map of the Sawkill Creek, community art displays, panel discussions on art and land stewardship, and co-released multimedia works such as the album and book 'Invitations from the Land: the Zena Highwoods' featuring seasonal recordings and wildlife illustrations.
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Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 1 activity
- Environmental field research and assessmentConducts scientific fieldwork including studies of second-growth forest recovery and assessments of heavy metal contamination to inform conservation practices and ecological understanding.
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Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Initiatives 1 activity
- Indigenous land acknowledgment and advocacyIssues formal recognition that its conserved lands were taken from the Esopus Munsee and Lenape peoples and pledges to honor these communities and their descendants through public statements and advocacy.
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Land Acquisition and Conservation Easements 1 activity
- Land conservation through acquisition and easementsAcquires land for conservation via fee ownership and conservation easements from private or public landowners, and manages protected lands including monitoring and enforcement of easements. The organization owns 26 parcels and holds conservation easements on 13 additional properties, totaling over 1,000 acres protected since 1988, including key sites like Mount Guardian and the Zena Cornfield.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Endangered species awareness programmingRecognizes Endangered Species Day through targeted educational programming, such as events focused on the Indiana bat, to raise public awareness about threatened species and habitat conservation.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$419K
Contributions & grants$378K90%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$41K10%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$559K
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$223K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.94M
Cash$1.29M
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$2.94M
Liquid reserves27.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -39.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 11
- Andy Mossey — Executive Dir.
- Grace Murphy — Vice President
- Hank Starr — Director
- Jim Bogner — Director
- Kevin Smith — Board Chair
- Lou Klepner — Director
- Michael DeWan — Director
- Nels Leader — Director
- Patricia Goodwin — President
- Steve Coltrara — Treasurer
- Tom Howard — Director
relationships · 36
Who they work with
- American Eel Project Partner — Organization with which Seasonal Land Steward Marissa Trojan volunteered and continues to engage annually, indicating an ongoing partnership link.
- Catskill Center Partner — Former employer of Executive Director Andy Mossey, indicating a professional connection between the organizations.
- Esopus Munsee Partner — Recognized as original stewards of the land; honored through formal acknowledgment and pledge
- Frank Beres Partner — Collaborates with the organization to lead a field event on macroinvertebrate photography and ecological education.
- Frank Beres Partner — Local ecologist leading a field program on insect biodiversity and bioindicators at Zena Cornfield.
- Frank Beres Partner — Local ecologist leading field events to document insect biodiversity and educate participants on bioindicators.
- Historical Society of Woodstock Partner — Co-hosts educational programs, including workshops on local environmental history.
- Jennifer Zackin Partner — Collaborates on the Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project, leading a yearlong community initiative involving workshops, walks, and an art exhibition.
- Jennifer Zackin Partner — Led the Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project, a yearlong community initiative involving ecological exploration and art.
- Jesse Jenifer Partner — Collaborated with Jesse Jenifer on website design and production.
- Land Trust Alliance Network — Works closely with WLC to improve effectiveness; WLC is accredited through its commission.
- Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Partner — Former employer of Executive Director Andy Mossey, indicating a professional connection between the organizations.
- Lenape Partner — Recognized as original stewards of the land; honored through formal acknowledgment and pledge
- Maverick Concerts Partner — Hosted the event 'Celebration of Zena' at their concert venue in Hurley, NY.
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection Government — Works with WLC on land conservation initiatives in the service area.
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Government — Collaborated with WLC and OSI to add land to Overlook Wild Forest.
- Open Space Institute Partner — Partnered to launch a campaign to protect Overlook Mountain and expand Overlook Wild Forest.
- Orange County Audubon Society Partner — Former employer of Land Acquisition & Stewardship Manager Melissa Peterson, indicating a professional connection between the organizations.
- Orange County Land Trust Partner — Organization that Land Acquisition & Stewardship Manager Melissa Peterson has assisted, indicating a collaborative relationship.
- Ravensbeard Wildlife Center Partner — Collaborated on educational programming about forest ecology and wildlife rehabilitation.
- Susanna Ronner Partner — Collaborated with Susanna Ronner on website design and production.
- Town of Woodstock Drinking Water Source Protection Program Government — Collaborates with Woodstock Land Conservancy on the Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project to support drinking water source protection.
- Ulster County Partner — Collaborated with WLC on the development and opening of the Ashokan Rail Trail.
- Woodstock Artists Association & Museum Partner — Collaborates on the Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project, hosting the culminating exhibition and integrating the project into its social practice artist-in-residence program.
- Woodstock Historical Society Partner — Hosted a workshop on the human impacts on the Sawkill Creek, followed by a site visit to Tannery Brook.
- Woodstock Historical Society Partner — Hosts a workshop on the history of the Sawkill Creek, followed by a walk to Tannery Brook.
- Woodstock Land Conservancy Network — Member organization publishing an annual report as part of its operational transparency.
- Zaneta Sykes Partner — Collaborated with the artist on the creation and release of the album and book 'Invitations from the Land: the Zena Highwoods'.
- Zaneta Sykes Partner — Interdisciplinary sound artist creating an eco-ritual of reciprocity based on Filipinx traditions for a community forest experience in the Zena Highwoods.
- Zaneta Sykes Partner — Interdisciplinary sound artist whose work _Invitations from the Land: the Zena Highwoods_ was featured in an immersive forest experience event.
+ 6 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Arts- and Ritual-Based Ecological Engagementmethodology: art-based ecological engagementBy using participatory art, sensory experiences, ritual, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the organization fosters deep community relationships with local ecosystems, because immersive, culturally resonant practices cultivate emotional and reciprocal connections to land and water that drive stewardship behavior.
- Community Science for Environmental Monitoringmethodology: bioindicator monitoringBy engaging volunteers in bioindicator monitoring and hands-on restoration, the organization promotes watershed health, because community-led data collection builds local ownership, increases ecological literacy, and produces actionable environmental insights.
- Integrated Land Conservation through Easements and Stewardshipmethodology: land_trust_modelBy acquiring land and conservation easements while actively stewarding protected areas, the organization prevents development and maintains ecological integrity over time, because permanent legal protections combined with hands-on management ensure long-term preservation of natural and scenic resources.
- Private Landowner Engagement with Voluntary Conservation Incentivesmethodology: private-land-conservationBy offering private landowners alternatives to development that respect property rights and provide financial incentives, the organization enables voluntary land protection, because aligning conservation goals with landowner interests increases participation and scalability beyond public lands.