The Open Space Institute (OSI) has announced the 2026 recipients of its Malcolm Gordon Fund Awards, an initiative supporting environmental education programs, experiences that connect people to the land, and efforts to inspire the next generation of nature lovers in New York’s Hudson Valley.
For its 32nd annual round, awards were given to programs including a gardening tool-lending library in Rosendale, free guided river exploration for young people and families in Newburgh, and more.
Since the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund was established in 1994, OSI has distributed more than $1.28 million in grants to 59 organizations.
Each year, the award process begins with OSI identifying Hudson Valley organizations that develop and lead environmental programs that align with the Fund’s mission.
These organizations are then invited to submit full applications, which are reviewed by a selection committee. Individual grants range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on organizational need and the scope of the proposed project.
The 2026 recipients of the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Awards are:
Arm-of-the-Sea Theatre: $7,000 to support environmental education through theater. The grant will fund live performances of four theatrical works presented with community partners across five Mid-Hudson communities. Planned productions include: “Estuary Tales,” “Riparian Rhapsody,” “Dirt: The Secret Life of Soil,” and “City that Drinks the Mountain Sky.”
Bannerman’s Castle Trust: $4,000 for outreach and hands-on educational experiences on the Hudson River and at Pollepel (Bannerman) Island through community cruises and curriculum-connected field trips for middle school students. The program uses experiential learning, storytelling, and local history to deepen understanding of river science, geography, and the Hudson Valley’s cultural landscape, while fostering welcoming outdoor learning opportunities and a sense of responsibility for the environment.
Ecological Citizen’s Project: $6,000 to support the transition of two long-standing community food gardens in Peekskill and Newburgh to locally-led nonprofit stewardship. Building on five years of successful operation, the initiative will help emerging organizations assume leadership of these sites, ensuring they will continue to grow fresh food, provide educational programs, and serve as welcoming spaces that strengthen connection among residents and bolster food security.
Fly the COOP: $5,000 to deliver hands-on environmental education and food-growing opportunities through vocational training for 40 youth ages 14-18; school-based gardens in Kingston; and a gardening tool-lending library in Rosendale. Serving towns that have not traditionally had environmental education programs or places to grow fruits and vegetables, the program builds practical skills, environmental understanding, and youth leadership while expanding access to fresh food and supporting community-led stewardship.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater: $5,000 for a river exploration program that connects youth and families to the Hudson River through a free day of guided paddling and hands-on ecological learning in Newburgh. The pilot program intends to remove barriers to river access by providing equipment, instruction, and multilingual support, creating a welcoming, community-centered program that builds environmental understanding and a sense of belonging on the waterfront.
Land to Learn: $7,500 to expand the SproutEd garden-based environmental education program with a new school in Kingston and increased programming for third-grade classes. Partnering with eleven schools through monthly hands-on lessons, students take on the roles of “garden scientists” and “garden chefs,” exploring ecosystems, supporting pollinators, and learning how fresh food is grown, harvested, and prepared.
Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum: $5,000 to launch the Hudson River Lab, a hands-on environmental education program that helps children ages 5-12 learn about the Hudson River through real science activities like testing water quality and observing wildlife. Designed to serve under-resourced communities, the program builds environmental literacy and helps children understand how they can care for their local environment.
Outdoor Promise: $6,000 to introduce the OP Adventure Bus, a regional transportation equity program that removes one of the largest barriers preventing Newburgh families from accessing outdoor spaces and participating in environmental education: transportation. By providing free, reliable transportation, the project ensures families feel genuinely welcomed in parks and natural spaces that have long been out of reach.
Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP): $6,000 to develop the Cultivate Poughkeepsie Learning Initiative, an open-source training curriculum that prepares young farmers and Green Jobs for Youth program participants for leadership in regenerative agriculture. The project will formalize PFP’s place-based farming knowledge into a free, publicly available curriculum that builds practical skills, supports workforce development, and fosters a sense of belonging for youth and others historically excluded from land stewardship.
Stony Kill Farm: $5,000 to expand scholarship funding for school field trips and summer camp to Stony Kill Farm for children from Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Peekskill and Newburgh to participate in hands-on environmental and agricultural education.
Wild Earth Wilderness School: $4,000 to sustain the Nature Connection & Experiential Education program for students in the Kingston City School District during the school year, ensuring that guided, mentored outdoor recess and staff coaching remain available to the more than 3,000 students who rely on these experiences for social and emotional support.
About Open Space Institute
The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S.
OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the impacts of extreme weather.
Learn more about the Open Space Institute’s work in New York State.
Photo: Cherry Tomatoes with Land-to-learn, provided.
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