Ridgelines #214

Conservation and Education Leader Joins the Preserve Team

Mohonk Preserve is pleased to welcome Paloma Krakower as the new Director of Conservation & Community Education. Paloma’s background in both conservation and education makes her a natural fit for this position.

Paloma holds a Master of Arts degree in Environmental Conservation Education from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development. Prior to joining Mohonk Preserve, she was the director of workforce education and development at Dutchess Community College, where she managed all non-credit workforce and continuing education programs, grant initiatives and personnel.

“At Dutchess Community College, my central mission was creating pathways to degree and career opportunities for students,” Paloma noted. “This work included collaboration and relationship building both within the college and with other schools and organizations in the region and aligns with the goals of the Preserve’s Conservation & Community Education team as we continue to expand both our research and education outreach and engagement efforts.”

Prior to her position at Dutchess Community College, Paloma has eight years of experience working for the Wildlife Conservation Society, where she oversaw the Urban Advantage Program, a middle school science initiative which serves over 850 teachers and 95,000 students across 300 New York City Department of Education schools.

Earlier in her career, she was an environmental educator for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, conducting environmental outreach programs to schools throughout the region and serving as a secondary education consultant.

A Woodstock, New York native, Paloma has been a frequent Preserve visitor over the years and is excited to refamiliarize herself with the Preserve’s carriage roads and trails from a new point of view.

“My father has been one of the House Doctors for Mohonk Mountain House for over 25 years, so I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the natural wonder of the Gunks since I was a little girl,” Paloma said. “It feels like a full circle moment, coming back to the land that helped set me on my path to becoming an environmental educator.”

Paloma is joining the Preserve at an especially exciting time as the Conservation team prepares to relocate from the Daniel Smiley Research Center at Mohonk Mountain House to Mohonk Preserve’s Brook Farmhouse next year. The farmhouse was a natural choice, given its proximity to existing research plots along with enhanced community programmatic access. It is currently being rehabilitated to facilitate research, lab work, training, public programming, and land management.

In addition to the Brook Farmhouse move, the Conservation & Community Education team have a number of exciting projects underway and on the horizon. This year we implemented a Hemlock Forest Management Plan to conduct and pilot interventions to improve hemlock tree health and encourage the growth of more climate-adapted species. The team is also growing its partnership network by establishing new relationships with organizations such as Community Matters 2 (CM2), a nonprofit organization in Poughkeepsie focused on community engagement through collaborative events and programming. CM2 summer campers had the opportunity to experience the wonders of local aquatic life through our Creature’s Alive! education outreach program.

“I am looking forward to highlighting and making our conservation work more accessible to a broader audience, Paloma said. “Our data has a story to tell about our changing environment, and it is our job to inspire our community to care and be active stewards of the land.”

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Raise Your Paddles for the Preserve!

At Mohonk Preserve’s 27th Annual Benefit Auction on Saturday, September 14, 2024, guests will have the opportunity to support the Preserve’s conservation mission by enjoying a magical night on the ridge for the ridge.

And making the event even more special, we will be honoring Mohonk Preserve Board Member Emerita Sara S. Senior with the Long View Conservation Award for her 55 years of leadership and dedication to saving the land for life.

The silent and live auctions will raise funds to provide critical support for conservation science, land protection, community education, ranger and visitor experience and stewardship teams that conduct important work every day on the ridge.

Guests will gather at the Mohonk Mountain House Pavilion, where they will enjoy browsing more than 140 items and experiences, from on-land adventures with Mohonk Preserve staff members to gift certificates, wine, outdoor gear and so much more! This year’s silent auction features many new items including a set of sterling silver cufflinks donated by Hudson Valley Goldsmith, and a handmade Scandinavian design chair from local woodworker Jonah Larson of Rare Form Carpentry, just to name a few. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music by Manhattan Swing with Joe Bonacci will add to the festive atmosphere. A buffet dinner will precede the exciting live auction, with the Mountain House’s own Alex Sherwood as auctioneer.

Featured live auction items will include a breathtaking via ferrata experience on the cliffs, house seats to Broadway’s most Tony-nominated show and winner of Best Play in 2024, Stereophonic, and an Orbea Diem 30 20MPH e-bike from Bicycle Depot of New Paltz.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to support exciting Preserve initiatives, such as outdoor education programs that help kids experience the natural world; important new bird and salamander research supporting our eastern hemlock forest management program; restoration and stewardship of key historic carriage roads; funding to foster additional land protection and conservation; and equipment and training to keep Trailhead and Patrol Rangers visitor and rescue-ready.

“We are so excited to get together again for this not-to-miss event in support of Mohonk Preserve” said Preserve Board Member and Auction Committee Chair Laurel Sweeney. “So many of our attendees look forward to the auction each year and we plan to welcome many new area residents who will hopefully make this part of their fall activities in the Hudson Valley.”

The Preserve’s auction fills to capacity each year, so reserve your seats now to avoid disappointment. For more information or to order tickets or tables, visit https://www.mohonkpreserve.org/auction/.

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Ready and Willing

At Mohonk Preserve, we know that the future is crafted by the actions we take right now. As National Make-A-Will Month winds up, it is great time to ensure that your estate plans are in place and current. With our partner, FreeWill, you can create a will at no cost, providing you with the confidence that all of your wishes for your loved ones and valued causes are honored.

Your legacy plays a crucial role in protecting the people and places you love most. Including a legacy gift to Mohonk Preserve in your estate plan ensures that your commitment to conservation and access to nature endures. Please click the button above to get started protecting the people and places you love.

P.S. If you’ve already created an estate plan and included a legacy gift, but haven’t let us know yet, please fill out this form.

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