A part of the USDA Forest Service Children's Forest Network
An update on Rensselaer Youth Outdoors
Hello! This is Michala Hendrick, director of Rensselaer Youth Outdoors (RYO). Some of you may know me from attending one of my programs, seeing our programming on social media, or maybe you’re a former, long-time, or new supporter of RYO. No matter how you’ve been involved, thank you for supporting and participating in Rensselaer Youth Outdoors programming throughout the years.
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RYO was founded in 2015 as a partnership between Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, Grafton Lakes State Park, and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (now Hudson Taconic Lands). RYO was created with a mission to support the programming of individual partners and create new youth-centered educational programs in our county.
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Over the years, it has become clear that the household name recognition of RYO is not as strong as Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, Grafton Lakes State Park and Hudson Taconic Lands. Maintaining a separate RYO website and organizational structure became an unsustainable duplication of efforts.
We realized that we could accomplish more for young people without maintaining the RYO brand.  This important acknowledgement has led us to re-evaluate our collective approach to youth programming in Rensselaer County.
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Starting in 2025, Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, Grafton Lakes State Park, and Hudson Taconic Lands will continue collaborating on programming without the title of ‘Rensselaer Youth Outdoors’. Together, we will carry the vision of RYO into the future and develop meaningful new program areas, as individual organizations and as partners.
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Important RYO programs like our Schoolyard Naturalist Teacher Kits, the Dyken Pond-led 3rd grade program, and our Forest Conservation Corps Program for teens will continue, getting youth and classrooms in Rensselaer County outdoors and engaged in nature.
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As we step away from the brand of ‘Rensselaer Youth Outdoors,’ we will phase out communications on this website, and the RYO Facebook and Instagram. You can still find information on programming, including the Forest Conservation Corps program, by following our partner organizations online using this link.
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As my role shifts from Director of Rensselaer Youth Outdoors to Hudson Taconic Lands Director of Youth Programming, you can follow my work developing youth programming at HTL across social media platforms at ‘Hudson Taconic Lands’ or by visiting hudsontaconic.org. I encourage you to follow Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center and Grafton Lakes State Park on social media, attend programing, and support them.
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I look forward to continued collaboration with our partners at Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center and Grafton Lakes State Park, and I hope you’ll join us on this exciting journey. These changes will both simplify and strengthen local youth programming offerings, better serving the youth of Rensselaer County. As a former Rensselaer County youth myself, I am grateful for the unique opportunity to grow youth programming at Hudson Taconic Lands and collaborate with Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center and Grafton Lake State Park. If you have questions about this transition, please reach out to Michala at michala@rensselaerplateau.org or by calling (518)707-0772.
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With gratitude and shared purpose,
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Michala Hendrick
Hudson Taconic Lands Director of Youth Programming
Signed in support:
Josh Pulito
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center Director
Savannah Wilson
Environmental Educator 1- Grafton Lakes State Park
New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
​Schoolyard Naturalist Teacher Kits
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Thanks to a generous grant from the USDA Forest Service, the following classroom kits are available for loan to all Rensselaer County teachers. The kits are geared towards K-8 students. Please contact us to borrow one today!
TREES
The trees we walk by every day can transform into fascinating, year-round outdoor labs! This kit includes lesson plan ideas, class sets of tree identification guides, hand lenses, tree cross sections and measuring tapes. We’ve also included a few non-fiction books to inspire further investigation.
BIRDS
This kit encourages students to focus on the fascinating ‘backyard birds’ that share our schoolyard and neighborhood habitats. In addition to a variety of lesson plan ideas, we’ve included class sets of kid friendly bird guides, feathers, binoculars plus a few fiction and non-fiction books.
INSECTS
From the tiniest sidewalk crack to the slightly overgrown lawn, it’s hard to find a place where insect life doesn’t abound! This kit includes lesson plan ideas, class sets of bug boxes, sweep nets and common insect identification guides, plus a few fiction and non-fiction read aloud books.
THE PRIVATE EYE CURRICULUM
From the Private Eye Website: The Private Eye is a program about the drama and wonder of looking closely at the world, thinking by analogy, changing scale and theorizing. This kit includes the 'Private Eye' curriculum guide, activity sheets and a class set of jeweler's loupes.
Congratulations to our Forest Conservation Corps Alumni!
Thank you to the youth who participated in the 2024 Forest Conservation Corps. Your dedication and enthusiasm have made a huge difference to our partners and the Rensselaer County community. Our youth crews worked at Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve, Grafton Lakes State Park, Poestenkill Community Forest, Valentino Family Community Forest, and Albert Family Community Forest.
