Hugh Neil Zimmerman
Neil Zimmerman, 77, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Accord, NY on February 28. Neil had a special talent for making friends and bringing people together. An avid hiker, he was president of the NY/NJ Trail Conference from 1987 to 1999, where he was instrumental in developing their excellent hiking maps, which […]
OSI Acquires Over a Thousand Acres in the Town of Wawarsing
Protection of the property part of a long-term goal to connect the Shawangunk Ridge and Catskill Park for recreation and wildlife. The Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced the permanent protection of land in the Town of Wawarsing. Completion of the project marks a critical step in establishing a green corridor between the Catskill Park […]
History of Friends of the Shawangunks & The Shawangunk Conservancy
Throughout its history, Friends of the Shawangunks (Friends) and its affiliate, The Shawangunk Conservancy (TSC), have faced down threats to the Shawangunk Ridge. In the Beginning In 1963, the first recorded threat in Friends’ history, senators from New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania proposed a bill to study the feasibility of creating a skyline […]
Newsletters
Who We Work With
Basha Kill Area Association https://thebashakill.org Minnewaska State Park Preserve https://parks.ny.gov/parks/127 New York New Jersey Trail Conference https://www.nynjtc.org Mohonk Preserve https://www.mohonkpreserve.org Open Space Institute https://www.openspaceinstitute.org Palisades Interstate Park Commission https://www.njpalisades.org/pipc.html
Board of Directors
John Hayes, President John Hayes has deep roots in the Shawangunks. In the 1950s and 1960s, His family “summered” on Rock Hill Road in the view shed of Skytop and Copes. He grew up alongside the Gunks, exploring and hiking the land from an early age. It was only as an adult that John came to […]
Why We Love The Shawangunks
Robi Josephson and Ted Reiss – Members since 1990: “Ancient bedrock, white cliffs, sky lakes. Huckleberries, mountain laurels, hemlocks. Chipmunks, deer, bears. Hermit thrushes, peregrine falcons, bald eagles. Vistas extend to the horizon. Protected lands stretching thousands of acres. It’s a mountain range that has called to people for thousands of years and calls to […]
FOS Member Meeting and Hike—June 2021
On Sunday, June 13, Friends had its annual member meeting. This year it took place at the Slingerland Pavilion at the Mohonk Preserve. The main topic was the acquisition of the 70 acre parcel known as The Shawangunk Conglomerate located adjacent to the northern portion of the Preserve. Afterwards we hiked down into the parcel, […]
FOS to Purchase 70 Acres!
What an opportunity! The Shawangunk Conservancy (TSC) has embarked on a new land acquisition project in the Northern Shawangunks. The approximately 77-acre parcel is part of a much larger holding owned by a group called The Shawangunk Conglomerate. It is situated near the very northern reaches of the Mohonk Preserve. An adjacent 10 acres of […]
FOS Has Celebratory Member Meeting
On Sunday, May 22 FOS members gathered to celebrate the purchase of the Shawangunk Conglomerate parcel and its conveyance to the Mohonk Preserve (see accompanying article on the parcel purchase). FOS wanted to say “Thanks” to our members who helped make it happen. Mohonk Preserve provided the Slingerland Pavilion at Spring Farm for the location. […]