Annual Update 2026
Nature At Your Doorstep
Dear Friend,
When residents share stories about their personal connection to the Rye Nature Center, the extraordinariness of what this place is and means is evident. Some share childhood memories of what they learned as campers. Others share how they supported park access, blazing what we now call the Bunny Trail or Deer Trail. And then there are the stories that make up Rye folklore, recollections of skating on Nanderwhere Pond or taking a zippy tractor ride at Old-Fashioned Winter’s Afternoon. Listening to these stories, a common theme emerges...
Rye Nature Center is far more than 47 acres of protected open space. It is a community treasure, shaped by generations of people who have cared for it, learned from it, and found a sense of belonging here.
This year, we continued to create new memories and connections. Our Square Dance brought neighbors together for an evening of music and laughter, Oktoberfest welcomed hundreds under the stars, and our first Fairy House Festival inspired creativity and wonder. From Forest Preschool and summer camp to family programs and adult workshops, our educators continue to inspire curiosity and a lifelong appreciation for nature.
Over the past five years, participation in our educational programs has grown by 60%, and we now provide more than 50,000 nature-based experiences annually. Through our Nature Access Fund, we are extending these opportunities to children and families who otherwise might not have access to them.
Behind every one of these experiences is a dedicated team caring for our land, protecting wildlife, maintaining trails, and creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect with nature. It is this daily work, made possible through your generosity, that gives Rye Nature Center its lasting value.
As we look ahead, our Living Legacy Campaign marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Thanks to the generosity of the Sue and Edgar Wachenheim Foundation, plans are underway for the new Wachenheim Center for Environmental Education, which will expand our ability to welcome and inspire future generations. While we prepare for these important improvements, our commitment to sustaining the people, programs, and conservation work that make Rye Nature Center special remains as important as ever.
As 2026 comes to a close, I hope you will consider making a generous year-end gift to Friends of Rye
Nature Center. Your annual support is essential to caring for our 47 acres, inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards, and keeping nature accessible to our entire community.
I am grateful for the stories shared with me this year and for the generations of people who have made Rye Nature Center what it is today. Thank you for being central to our story and for helping us carry it forward.
With warmest wishes and gratitude,
Christine Siller
Executive Director
Keep us growing!
As the sole operator of the Nature Center through a license agreement with the City of Rye, our nonprofit depends on your donations and contributions to support the conservation and care of our forest. By simply supporting FRNC, you are keeping the “forest on” and the ecosystem services going!
We appreciate donations made by check to ensure 100% of your gift goes to support FRNC. Simply mail your check to:
873 Boston Post Road
Rye, NY 10580
or stop by the Nature Center today. If you wishto make a donation online, please use the quick links below or donate a custom amount by clicking here.
Donations of securities can be made by contacting Nicole Pennucci, Development Director, at nicole@ryenaturecenter.org
How Can I Double My Donation?
Many employers offer matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees. All you need to do is complete your employer’s matching gift form and send it to:
873 Boston Post Road
Rye, NY 10580
We’ll take care of the rest!
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Conservation Corner
Essential Ecosystem Services
Rye Nature Center is a beautiful place for visitors to relax and explore, but the Nature Center itself is always hard at work providing crucial benefits to our local ecosystem. The 47 acres of upland and floodplain forest that we care for provide the following essential ecosystem services:
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Climate Regulation
Forests are “carbon sinks” removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere and helping reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
Biodiversity helps ensure that drought, floods, and other natural disturbances do not threaten the stability of the ecosystem.
Biodiversity & Habitat
Water Purification & Flood Mitigation
Our forest filters pollutants, slows runoff, stores flood water, helping to protect waterways and more.
Riparian Restoration
Erosion along Blind Brook has destabilized its banks, increased sedimentation, and diminished the surrounding floodplain’s ability to absorb and slow floodwaters. After several years of planning, FRNC’s Blind Brook Riparian Restoration is fully designed and permitted and set to be implemented in 2027. These improvements will reduce sediment entering the brook, improve water quality, restore critical habitat, and help manage stormwater during high flow events.
Informational workshops about the Blind Brook Riparian Restoration have been scheduled for the community to learn more about this exciting project. These sessions are free to attend and made possible through a grant from New York Community Trust-Westchester, which also helped support the project's earlier planning, design, and permitting phases.
Upcoming sessions are scheduled for:
Saturday, February 6, 2027 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, April 28, 2027 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Volunteer Support in Action
Wineberry Patch
Action: Volunteers removed more than half an acre of the invasive wineberry (Rubus phoeniculatus) that grows in dense thickets and crowds out native plants.
Outcome: This action resulted in a dramatic improvement in understory health and species diversity. Native sedges, grasses, and jumpseed (Persicaria virginiana) now have the resources they need to grow and expand.
Losing canopy to Beech Leaf Disease
Action: Beech leaf disease is pervasive in northeast forests. To regenerate our canopy, 43 scarlet oaks (Quercus coccinea) and 7 northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) were planted. The trees were donated by our partners at Volunteer New York.
Outcome: These 50 new trees are restoring the canopy gaps with natives while increasing species diversity and the forest’s resilence. Ensuring the next generation of trees for the Nature Center starts today.
Upcoming Project: Trail Standardization
This fall, our conservation team launched a new volunteer initiative to help us improve and maintain the Nature Center’s trail network. Volunteers will help us standardize our trails, a project that will ultimately enhance the visitor experience while reducing the environmental impact of foot traffic through the forest. By establishing clear trail boundaries, improving signage, and creating uniform trail widths, we can reduce soil compaction, minimize confusion, and reclaim approximately one acre of forest for restoration and reforestation.
Work will begin in late fall 2026 and continue over approximately three years. Volunteers of all experience levels are welcome to participate in activities such as trail shaping, grading, clean-up, weeding, adding materials, and implementing features that will help improve trail drainage. Our goal is to train volunteers who can not only work on the project but also help lead other volunteer teams in making these trail improvements.
To get involved, contact Conservation Director Steven Forte at steven.forte@ryenaturecenter.org
Our Financials
Fiscal Year 2025, which ended on December 31, 2025, marked the sixteenth consecutive year that FRNC has operated with a balanced budget. The year-end net income for 2025 was $702,744. This increase in net income includes $518,260 of restricted funds collected for various capital projects.
As fiduciary stewards of the organization's assets, FRNC’s board understands that prudent fiscal management is a critical obligation to the Nature Center, its donors, and the community. FRNC’s President, Treasurer, and Executive Director are committed to maintaining internal control over financial reporting. They have implemented controls to ensure that reporting is both accurate and reliable. This report was prepared after the FY 2025 annual audit process.
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Education
This year, Friends of Rye Nature Center increased our summer camp capacity, bringing nature education to a record number of children. From our preschool Explorers group to our high school-aged Paddle Adventure Camp, FRNC’s summer programming encouraged children to get outside, get active, and explore the world around them. To accommodate this growth, we hired additional camp counselors, providing local teenagers with employment opportunities and hands-on experience in environmental education.
Community
The community in and around Rye is the heart of Friends of Rye Nature Center. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to connect with the natural world, and through our partnerships with local schools and community organizations, we bring nature-based education beyond our 47 acres and directly to the children and families we serve.
This year, we were thrilled to expand that reach with the support of an Impact100 Westchester Core Mission grant, which allowed us to grow our after-school programming at the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck. Alongside our programs at the Carver Center, school partnerships, program scholarships, and other community outreach initiatives, these efforts help make nature accessible and provide more than 6,000 meaningful experiences in nature.
We are deeply grateful to Impact100 Westchester and our community partners for helping us share the beauty and wonder of nature with more students than ever.
Creating a Sustainable Future
As participation at Rye Nature Center continues to grow, Friends of Rye Nature Center launched The Living Legacy Campaign to invest in the Nature Center's long-term sustainability.
The campaign will fund three transformative projects: a safer two-way entrance driveway, a new visitor and education center, and renovations to the current Carriage House.
We're thrilled to share that the Wachenheim Center for Environmental Education will be made possible through a transformational $2 million gift from the Sue and Edgar Wachenheim Foundation. Together with support from other lead donors, this commitment has accelerated the campaign and put these projects on track to begin in 2027.
Donor Spotlight
Isobel Perry, a 70-year resident of Rye, was a dedicated supporter of FRNC and our mission. With deep compassion for others and a true humanitarian spirit, Isobel was particularly passionate about providing environmental education opportunities to children, especially those in underserved communities.
Isobel Perry loved Rye, nature, education, and helping those in need. Following her passing in 2025, Isobel’s family decided to honor her memory with a generous contribution in her name to support Rye Nature Center’s expansion of environmental education programs for children at the Carver Center in Port Chester, an organization to which Isobel gave time, energy, creativity, and financial support over the decades.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Isobel’s children Roy, Lisa, and Amy for this meaningful gift, which will enrich the lives of many children while carrying forward their mother’s legacy.
If you would like to make a gift in honor of a loved one, please contact Jeanne Ronan at jeanne@ryenaturecenter.org