Environmental Monitoring and Management Alliance

The Environmental Monitoring and Management Alliance (EMMA) brings together organizations and individuals centered in the Hudson Valley region to develop a regionally- coordinated ecological monitoring network that informs sustainable management practices and natural resource conservation through scientific research while engaging the public in environmental protection.

Founded in 2013 by Teatown Lake Reservation, EMMA is comprised of ten member organizations. The Vassar Ecological Preserve is a core member site.  Each is located at a landholding, at least part of which is maintained as forests or fields. The ten EMMA sites represent a wide range of management strategies and vegetation types along rural-to-urban and latitudinal gradients. The sites range from the urban New York Botanical Garden in the metropolis of New York City to the 2000+ acre Huyck Preserve & Biological Research Station in the rural area southwest of Albany.

The collective research experience of EMMA’s member organizations allows us to investigate the Northeast US’s major conservation concerns on a regional scale. Geographic variability across member sites provides EMMA with the flexibility to both monitor current and emerging conservation threats and test multiple land management strategies to find the best solutions for reducing or eliminating those threats. Our diverse network similarly allows members to benefit from collaboration, exchange of expertise, and shareable resources.

Environmental Cooperative

The Environmental Cooperative brings together regional environmental organizations, community groups, educators, the Vassar College community, and residents to increase their impact and expand conservation efforts in the Hudson Valley. They aim to actively create and maintain natural areas to help people connect with the outdoors and their neighbors and to foster a community mindset of environmental stewardship.

Poughkeepsie Farm Project

The Poughkeepsie Farm Project is a non-profit organization that works toward a just and sustainable food system in the Mid-Hudson Valley by operating a member-supported farm, providing education about food and farming, and improving access to healthy locally-grown food. They also manage the community gardens where it is possible to rent a plot for a nominal fee.  Contact the Poughkeepsie Farm Project

Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club

The Ralph Waterman Bird Club of Dutchess County, New York, is a local group of about 400 members dedicated to the study and observation of birds and other wildlife, and to promoting research in the fields of ornithology and conservation.