Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic

March 2020 Update

At this time all Kingston Land Trust in-person activities and events have been postponed until further notice. The KLT office is closed but our staff is still working and available virtually! Contact us at staff@kingstonlandtrust.org or 845-877-5263. 

Check back here for the latest on how the Kingston Land Trust is staying engaged and supporting the community during this time. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @kingstonlandtrust for more opportunities to engage virtually!

Food security has quickly emerged as a priority for our community during this challenging pandemic. The Kingston Land Trust has always taken a holistic approach to creating access to land that has included engaging residents in local food production. With your help, we will deepen and expand our efforts to support food access in the following ways:

  1. Make more land available for community members to grow their own food (through land matching and protection)

  2. Continue to support affordable food being grown for the community at our land-matched South Pine Street Farm

  3. Plant public fruit trees and medicinal plants in and around Kingston

  4. Start native flower gardens to support pollinators like bees and butterflies that are crucial to food production

  5. Continue to offer free meals and support local restaurants and farms through Comida y tierra

  6. Offer instruction through our new Land Resilience series on how to grow food and steward the land

  7. Expand and steward our nursery of edible and medicinal plants for trades with community members

  8. Provide seeds, starts and other support to folks who want to grow their own food

  9. Partner with and support local food and farming organizations including the Kingston YMCA Farm Project, Seed Shed, Soul Fire Farm, Hudson Valley Bee Habitat, Hudson Valley Farm Hub, Kingston Food Coop, The Edge Project, Seed Song Farm and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County

  10. Explore a new role in farmland access and protection

You can support our efforts to enhance long-term resiliency in Kingston by making a tax-deductible gift to our Land For Food fund!

Looking to provide immediate relief to community members in need? Join us in supporting the Radio Kingston Community Fund, which provides one time financial support to those who need it within the City of Kingston's School District.

As many of us look to the outdoors to reduce stress and stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety of our community continues to be our top priority. Please follow these precautions while you enjoy our area's trails, parks and other open spaces:
  • Check local, state and federal guidance related to the COVID-19 before you go, as the situation and recommendations can evolve quickly. For the most up to date federal guidance, see the CDC and NYS Dept of Health websites.
  • Stay home if you are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Enjoy the outdoors alone or with other household members only. Avoid games and activities that require close contact or shared equipment.
  • Avoid touching your face and shared public surfaces. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol:
    • When you return indoors,
    • before and after eating,
    • after using the restroom,
    • after coughing or sneezing, and
    • after touching surfaces or items that may be contaminated.
  • Consider wearing a mask or other covering for your nose and mouth.
  • Practice social/physical distancing (maintain 6 ft of space between yourself and others, 10ft if windy).
  • Dogs should practice social distancing too! Please leash dogs in public and avoid situtations in which they can come into contact with people or other animals.

social distancing

 

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