Fall FUNdraisers were a hit!   

Two FUNdraisers were held this autumn which brought community members together to generate resources needed to continue the planned improvements at River Hook. The Manhattan Short Film Festival screenings were enjoyed by over 65 people over two days, after which the participants were able to vote for their favorite short film and actor. For those in attendance, you may be interested to know that the global voting resulted in “The Stupid Boy” winning best film and Aleks Mikic winning best actor for “Voice Activated.” 

The River Hook Roadshow Appraisal Day brought out over 200 of the most unique treasures that community members had. A highlight of this event was hearing all of the interesting stories each person told about their particular items, in addition to hearing some surprising appraisal values. Since both of these events were such a hit, we are adding them to our plans for 2024.

The projects continue to flourish

Work on the new parking lot and path through the preserve is in full swing. The parking lot is open and can fit 8 cars, one of which will be designated as a handicapped space, negating the need to park on North Midland Avenue. The path is made of Gravel Pave, which is a porous surface conducive to walking, running and bike-riding. We encourage everyone to check out the progress but be advised that you may need to step off the path in some areas while the construction takes place. This work has been supported by grants to the village of Upper Nyack.

The bottom floor of the stone carriage house has been cleared out with the support of our River Hook volunteers over a series of five weeks. Although there were some interesting old farm tools, there was a lot of debris and a tremendous number of walnut shells. We obviously stumbled upon a gathering place for the River Hook squirrels.  

The natural play area is also under construction. The old ice house, which is the centerpiece, has been repointed and a concrete floor added. The area has been leveled, a retaining wall constructed and birch trees planted.  Work will continue into the spring and summer.

These projects are made possible through volunteer efforts, grants and your donations. If you wish to contribute to these and future projects please consider making a gift through our donation page.

River Hook is now on the NY/NJ Trail Conference map!

We are delighted to announce that River Hook Preserve has been added to the NY/NJ Hudson Palisades Trail Map as part of the Boulder Loop! The Boulders Loop connects to the Long Path as well as the River Trail through Nyack Beach State Park which will expose additional nature lovers, hikers and bikers to our River Hook community. See the map here.