Friends of Rye Nature Center (FRNC) raised over $160,000 at its annual Nature Access Fund (NAF) Benefit fundraiser last Friday evening. The Nature Access funds are used to provide equitable access to nature programming and advance FRNC belief that “everyone should have the opportunity to experience the healing and transformative power of nature”.
Held at American Yacht Club, the event brought together 150 of FRNC’s supporters, including Assemblyman Steve Otis, and the founding benefactors of FRNC’s Inner-City Scholarship Fund Camp, Mary and Tom Julian, and Martha Monserrate and Bart McDade. Since launching the free camp week in 2008 with just 50 students, FRNC has welcomed more than 1,500 children through the program.
Jill Lloyd, Executive Director of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF), shared a note from one camper: “My summer has been pretty dull, and you made it more exciting. I don’t get a chance to go out in nature, so thank you for giving me that opportunity!”
A panel discussion addressed the critical importance of nature experiences. Panelists included Henry Myers, FRNC’s Director of Forest Education; Carrie Donahue, therapist and educator; Amaya Conde, a former ICSF camper and counselor; and moderator Liz Woods, founder of Ryemarkable Moms. “I think more people deserve to feel the comfort and serenity that comes from being in nature,” said Conde. “I feel lucky to be able to come up so often from the Bronx…but I don’t think I should have to feel lucky. I think there should be access for everyone.”
In addition to the free summer camp week, donor-supported NAF initiatives provide more than 5,000 annual experiences, including nature-based workshops for low-income women and seniors, hands-on science education for children from under-resourced schools, and mobile classroom visits through FRNC’s NatureStation for those unable to visit the center’s 47-acre preserve.
Read: Giving Rye: Meet the Friends of Rye Nature Center
