An $18,000 grant to the Columbia Land Conservancy has spearheaded improvements to the much-used and much-loved Greenport Conservation Area, which provides year-round access for walking, running, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The site receives an estimated 25,000 visits a year.
Funds from HRBT Foundation have been used specifically to repair and rebuild the Gazebo that sits on an overlook of the main trail, and which has fallen into disrepair due to age and insect damage. One notable aspect of the repair was replacing outworn cedar posts and rafters with durable Black Locust harvested on site, taking 3 or 4 trees from a stand of locusts within a few hundred yards of the Gazebo. Another notable aspect was that the repair work was conducted by Build Hudson, a local carpentry services company that operates an on-site apprenticeship program training youth and young adults to become professional builders, project managers, and contractors.
An additional grant from the Hudson River Estuary Program funded other improvements at the Greenport site including refurbishing the kiosk and signage and installing a new river-themed Art Trail. The artist selected for this work is Austen Camille.
The Columbia Land Conservancy website is www.clctrust.org. For additional information, contact Rebecca.Walker@clctrust.org.
