Winnakee’s Stewardship Internship Program offers students and early-career professionals valuable, hands-on experience in conservation, land management, and field research. Interns gain practical skills while working alongside staff at an accredited land trust, making meaningful contributions to the protection and stewardship of natural landscapes. In return, interns provide vital support during our busiest season, allowing us... Read More

Winnakee opened an important local forest in Hyde Park—donated to Winnakee in 2022, but not yet open to public—for a hands-on forest management workshop with landowners to learn about silviculture practices that can enhance their conservation goals. At Robert’s Refuge, attendees learned about the regeneration challenges faced by most regional forests due to overabundant deer... Read More

Now in its second year, Winnakee’s turtle monitoring program—led by Director of Land Stewardship Jen Adams in partnership with The Wetland Trust—expanded this summer in both scope and reach, extending to additional wetlands across Winnakee’s preserves. The program’s primary goal is to assess current turtle populations and implement targeted habitat management strategies to support their... Read More

Winnakee is conducting a comprehensive oak monitoring effort on our properties in response to significant oak mortality observed across Dutchess County. Field assessments on Winnakee properties—along with reports from concerned landowners—point to a significant die-off driven by repeated defoliation from spongy moth outbreaks and two consecutive years of drought. Early evaluations suggest oak loss may be as high as... Read More

Winnakee has just 24 hours to raise $5,000—and the birds need our help! Bird watching at Burger Hill is a joy—but native birds like the American Kestrel are disappearing from our region. Your support will allow us to create and support habitat for the American Kestrel at Burger Hill. We’re raising funds during Hudson Valley... Read More