The Living Legacy Campaign
Protecting Our Roots. Building Our Future.
The Living Legacy Capital Campaign protects what makes Rye Nature Center special while preparing for the future. Through strategic investments in a new visitor and education center, a reliable entrance, and long-term stewardship of the park, we will expand access, deepen learning, and secure our impact well into the future.
A message from our leadership:
In 1959, a group of visionary neighbors led by Edith Read made a remarkable decision to secure the Parsons’ estate as a natural park. Their grassroots determination created something extraordinary for the community: 47 acres of forest, wetlands, and open space that are now woven into the fabric of Rye.
Nearly seven decades later, the Rye Nature Center remains a place where connection to nature takes root and grows. Children roam oak-lined trails, climb the Bread Loaf rocks, and splash along the banks of Nanderwhere Pond. Families gather beneath brilliant fall foliage, listening to the steady song of chickadees while volunteers restore habitats, witnessing firsthand how stewardship strengthens biodiversity. These are not just moments outdoors. They are experiences that shape how we see the world.
It is a privilege to care for this land. We see the way our community embraces it every day in the children who return year after year, families who build traditions on our trails, and local groups who transform corners of the park into pollinator paradises.
Today, we find ourselves at an important moment in the Nature Center’s history. Program participation has soared, and the demand for environmental and conservation education continues to rise. The facilities that have served us for decades were never designed to support the level of access, accessibility, and year-round learning our community now seeks.
To sustain this momentum and ensure that future generations experience the same sense of wonder, we must invest thoughtfully in the infrastructure that makes this work possible.
The Living Legacy Capital Campaign reflects that commitment. With a goal of $5.9 million, we will build a new Nature Learning and Visitor Center to expand capacity and improve accessibility, enhance the Carriage House to better serve programming, and design an entrance to provide safe, long-term access to the park.
These investments are not simply about buildings. They are about protecting a place that inspires stewardship, strengthens community, and instills a lifelong love of nature.
In 1959, our community acted to preserve what mattered most. Today, we carry that same promise forward. We invite you to join us in shaping the next chapter of Rye Nature Center and ensuring that this living legacy continues to thrive for generations to come.
Christine Siller
Executive Director
James Engerman
Board President
Why Now
Growing With Our Community
Over the past decade, Rye Nature Center has experienced significant growth in participation across educational programs, visitor engagement, and conservation efforts. We see a steady increase in the number of community members seeking meaningful connection with nature each year.
Educational programs have grown by 60% over the past five years.
FRNC now provides over 50,000 nature-based experiences annually.
This momentum is a testament to the strength of our mission and our ability to deliver it. But without strategic investment, our ability to serve the community and extend our impact will be constrained.
The Opportunity
Securing the Future of a Beloved Place
We have the opportunity to thoughtfully reimagine how our campus supports our mission, enhancing safety, accessibility, and learning while preserving the site’s natural character.
Through The Living Legacy Campaign, we will:
Expand programming in a new 4,500-square-foot Visitor and Education Center with a surrounding courtyard, garden, and patio.
Enable full-day and simultaneous programs for multiple group types.
Provide restrooms and welcoming community gathering spaces.
Manage safe vehicle and pedestrian access by constructing a new entry driveway that secures reliable passage into the Center.
Strengthen our ability to steward and protect our 47-acre park.
This is an investment in the future of environmental education, conservation in our community, and the future of stewardship.
At a Glance
Explore Our New Visitor Center and Education Facility
Naming Opportunities
Be a part of this historic moment as we redevelop our Nature Center for a sustainable future. Make a gift in your name, your company or family foundation’s name, or in honor of a loved one’s memory. Your generous support of this campaign will be recognized for years to come.
Leave Your Legacy on a Place That Has Shaped This Community for Nearly 70 Years
Large Meeting Space
A retractable wall allows the two learning labs to become one large room, equipped for presentations, seminars, and speaker events.
Learning Labs
Enough flexible space to run a variety of concurrent programs, adult workshops, school groups, and meetings.
Community Garden and Entrance Courtyard
Permanent outdoor areas that serve as meeting and resting spaces for visitors and programs, connecting the indoor spaces with the forest.
Visitor Center and Reception Area
A welcoming public space for any age and any group, designed to ensure visitors have a positive user experience.
Become Part of Our Living Legacy
We invite you to help build the next chapter of Rye Nature Center with us.
Contact Christine Siller, Executive Director, at christine@ryenaturecenter.org to learn more.
Campaign gifts can be pledged over multiple years and may be made via check, wire transfer, stock, mutual fund, donor-advised fund, or company matching gifts.