Hudson Valley Heroes

Hudson Valley Heroes are neighbors, local businesses and public officials taking responsibility for the Hudson River Valley.

We deserve clean water. Our children deserve parks where they can explore nature. And we all need to protect the breathtaking vistas that lift the soul.

Each year, Scenic Hudson recognizes a number of Hudson Valley Heroes -- special individuals who are making extraordinary efforts to protect the river, landscapes and communities that we love.

Here are some of their stories:

  • Linda Houlihan: Hudson Valley Hero

    In Beacon, South Avenue Elementary School’s Linda Houlihan worked with Scenic Hudson experts to develop a hands-on environmental education curriculum centered upon visits to our nearby parks.

  • Ray Fusco: Hudson Valley Hero

    Kayaker extraordinaire Ray Fusco has used his talents to connect thousands of people to the Hudson-

  • Max Friedman: Hudson Valley Hero

    Attorney Max Friedman, a partner in the New York office of Goulston & Storrs, specializes in real estate development, with a particular emphasis on projects with a substantial public or non-profit component.

  • Camilla Calhoun: Hudson Valley Hero

    Founder of the Great Hudson River Paddle, Camilla Calhoun started a tradition that has introduced hundreds of kayakers to the river's majesty.

  • Susan Bolitzer: Hudson Valley Hero

    Susan Bolitzer helped found and is president of the Esopus Creek Conservancy, a new land trust in Saugerties, Ulster County.

  • Robert McKeon: Hudson Valley Hero

    Red Hook's Robert McKeon spearheaded the town's $3.5 million bond act of farmland preservation in 2003.

  • Gerald Morgan, Jr.: Hudson Valley Hero

    By making a legacy donation to Scenic Hudson of 86 scenic acres in Hyde Park, Gerald Morgan, Jr. has ensured that this important landscape adjacent to the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Hisotric Site will be permanently protected.

  • Clara Lou Gould: Hudson Valley Hero

    During Clara Lou Gould's tenure (1990-2007) as mayor of Beacon, Dutchess County, the city passed a $1-million open-space bond.

  • Andy and Tracy Mauer: Hudson Valley Heroes

    Both founding board members of Poughkeepsie's Hudson River Rowing Association, Andy and Tracy Wright Mauer were guiding forces behind construction of the organization's spectacular new Community Boathouse.

  • Huck Hill: Hudson Valley Hero

    Huck Hill, a resident of Red Hook, Dutchess County, and owner/broker of H.H. Hill Realty, supports land conservation and smart economic growth. In a land-saving campaign launched in his hometown, Huck worked with Scenic Hudson to make it successful.

  • Herman Keith: Hudson Valley Hero

    Former Westchester County legislator and president of the Yonkers branch of the NAACP, Herman Keith has been a staunch ally in Scenic Hudson's campaign for waterfront development in this Westchester County city that provides additional opportunities for all residents to enjoy the river and Palisades views.

  • Teri Barr: Hudson Valley Hero

    Each year, Hudson Valley Outfitter owner Teri Barr helps hundreds of people experience the majesty of the Hudson River firsthand.

  • Barry Hopkins: Hudson Valley Hero

    Barry Hopkins of Catskill was a devoted art teacher and naturalist who helped create "A Greater Sense of Place," an innovative program that helped students appreciate and understand the world in which they lived.

  • Ken Migliorelli: Hudson Valley Hero

    Ken Migliorelli of Tivoli protected his family farm through a Scenic Hudson conservation easement.

  • Jo and Peter Baer: Hudson Valley Heroes

    Longtime Scenic Hudson supporters Jo and Peter Baer have played a vital role in our efforts to protect Clausland Mountain as the centerpiece of their beloved Rockland County landscape.

  • Anne Marie Palefsky: Hudson Valley Hero

    Ann Marie Palefsky always finds herself doing small things to keep the river clean. She recalls the tremendous gratification her son and fellow 4-H Club members felt when they rescued a bird tangled in fishing line and successfully petitioned the town to install riverside garbage cans.

  • Jane Heidgerd: Hudson Valley Hero

    Writer Jane Heidgerd lives in Rhinebeck and has been organizing poetry readings at Scenic Hudson's Poets' Walk Park since the park first opened in 1995.

  • Deborah Mack: Hudson Valley Hero

    As a 15 year-old girl, Dutchess County resident Deborah Mack joined up with Landmark Volunteers and dedicated weeks of hard labor to performing trail maintenance at Scenic Hudson's Mount Beacon Park.

  • Matt Smith: Hudson Valley Hero

    Astonished that the Town of Lloyd, Ulster County, where he lives, is the only community along the Hudson that doesn’t offer residents a place to connect with the river, Matt Smith did something about it.