Happy New Year! Thank you for the role you played in making 2021 such a successful year for protecting native landscapes and targeting invasive species. The Trail Conference and Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (LH-PRISM) are ringing in the new year with lots of changes for 2022.

The first announcement is that Linda Rohleder resigned effective at the end of 2021. Linda not only served as the Lower Hudson PRISM Coordinator but helped to cultivate and expand our Ecological Stewardship programs at the Trail Conference, which is now widely recognized as a leader in fighting invasive species through the engagement of citizen scientist volunteers, Invasives Strike Force crews, and our Conservation Dog program.  She pioneered the effort to convince hardened trail builders that the natural world surrounding our trails was equally important to the experience for those who used the trails that we protect. We will miss her passion and dedication tremendously.

We know it may be a bit of a shock to hear of the departure of one of our directors of 10 years, but we also want to assure everyone that the Trail Conference remains committed to its Ecological Stewardship program and has been working hard to pave the path forward for continued success and growth of our initiatives. First, we are excited to announce that Brent Boscarino, Ph.D. (the former Invasive Species Citizen Science Program Coordinator) has been appointed as the new Lower Hudson PRISM Coordinator by the Trail Conference. Brent’s email address remains the same: [email protected]. Please help us welcome Brent to his new position enthusiastically and thank him for taking on this new and challenging role.

Furthermore, we will take advantage of this transition opportunity by looking to continue the integration, assimilation, and synergies of the Ecological Stewardship program’s work throughout the Trail Conference. We remain committed to coordinating the efforts of the Lower Hudson PRISM, our Conservation Dog team, our outreach and education programs, and the work of our stewardship volunteers.

A transition plan is being developed to address the short-term needs of our program, staff, and volunteers. We kindly ask for your patience as we navigate this transition. Brent and the Ecological Stewardship team will be in touch within the next few months with updates on our programs, upcoming events, and other important announcements. 

Finally, we want to wish Linda the best of luck and a big thank you for all her hard work and dedication! We are excited to see how the Ecological Stewardship program grows and evolves in 2022 and beyond and look forward to continuing to work closely together with such an incredibly passionate volunteer network!