About FrOGS

Friends of the Great Swamp (FrOGS)

Friends of the Great Swamp is a community group comprised of concerned citizens, public agencies, and local businesses and organizations. Since 1990, it has been an active voice for protection of the functions, values and integrity of the Great Swamp. FrOGS is organized into three committees -- scenic and research, education and tourism, and steering -- all of which work together to collect and share information, promote education programs, encourage wise land-use decisions, and assist in watershed protection planning.

The mission of the organization is to undertake activities "to conserve, protect, and promote the functions, values and integrity of the Great Swamp wetland and its watersheds in Putnam and Dutchess Counties, New York". FrOGS' mission is pursued through:

environmental education in both formal and non-formal settings
fostering scientific research
working towards conservation land use planning with land owners and local governments
supporting sustainable use of the Swamp and its watershed for recreation and other life enhancing values.

The strength of FrOGS is the active, dedicated volunteers who organize and run the activities and events.

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Educational programs

How you can help

Ian Barnes of "The Nature of Things" educating children about wildlife at a FrOGS sponsored program



scenes from the annual FrOGS-sponsored canoe trip on the Great Swamp

FrOGS educational programs include programs for children and the very popular, annual canoe trips on the Great Swamp. These programs teach participants about nature and the importance of a clean environment, with an emphasis on the importance of the Great Swamp.

FrOGS works through building partnerships with other local and national organizations, both governmental and private, which pursue the same type of goals; we try to focus their activities on the Great Swamp. We are currently working with New York State DEC, NYS Office of Parks, RecreationA YEAR IN THE LIFE OF FrOGS: 2009 and Historic Preservation, Putnam and Dutchess Counties, Towns of Patterson, Pawling, and Dover, New York City DEP, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Putnam County Land Trust, Oblong Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Open Space Institute, Purchase College -SUNY, Bedford Audubon Society, Audubon New York, Wildlife Conservation Society, Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition, Trout Unlimited, the Highlands Coalition, Putnam Highlands Audubon Society, Pawling Fish and Game Association, and others.

In 2003 FrOGS and a coalition of Fourteen partners received a North American Wetlands Conservation Act ( NAWCA) Grant to acquire lands and conservation easements in the widest and most vulnerable part of the Great Swamp-the "Heart". Working against time and skyrocketing land Prices, FrOGS, the Nature Conservancy, The State of New York DEC, The Town of Patterson and the Putnam County Land Trust have acquired 471 new acres and easements on additional 112 acres more. NAWCA partners are moving forward to work to preserve addition acreage.

A Year in the Life of FrOGS: 2009
Published three issues of the FrOGS Newsletter with another issue in the works. Four full days of public canoe trips (four/day) that brought about 200 people into the Great Swamp to see and understand the beauty and importance of this special place. Held a winter hike to Pine Island on snowshoes, skiis, or foot, attended by over 50 people. Two-day Keeping Track program for the public with Susan Morse presenting powerpoint lecture Friday night and two field trips on Saturday. Annual meeting with presentation by Michael Musnick on his wood turtle research in the Great Swamp. Conducted one all-day canoe excursion through the Swamp between Patterson Environmental Park and Green Chimneys. Hosted 20 students from Beardsley Zoo's Junior Nature Explorers program with a canoe trip into the Swamp followed by a Community-service project of trail-clearing at Slocum-Mostachetti Preserve in preparation for the Opening Day. Participated in the Oblong Land Conservancy's Opening Day program at Slocum-Mostachetti Preserve. Held 2-day program observing International Migratory Bird Day. Hosted Norman McGrath's workshop Photographing in Nature. Promoted the values of the Great Swamp at Putnam County 4-H Fair, Green Chimneys' Birds of Prey Day, Patterson Day, Earth Day observance at Dover High School. Participated in Dutchess County Watershed Awareness Month with program on water quality and benthic invertebrates at Murrow Park, Pawling. Produced the thirteenth Annual Great Swamp Art Show and Celebration with initiation of a Plein Air paint-out artist event followed by an auction of their work. Developed the partnership network and proposal for a second phase of our NAWCA project to protect the Great Swamp. Submitted comments on the impacts of three development projects before local Boards. Continued sponsorship of Michael Musnick's wood turtle study. Participated in an episode of National Public Radio's (NPR) Science Friday focused on Michael Musnick's turtle ramps that allow turtles to escape from entrapment between the rails of a railroad line. Worked with Housatonic Valley Association to plan water quality assessment of the Swamp River. Participated in Highlands Coalition meetings of New York State committee. Conducted two roadside clean-up events along 1 mile of Route 22 and 1 mile Birch Hill Road with a third planned for November. In this final year of our grant, Friends of the Great Swamp and its partners in the NAWCA (North American Wetlands Conservation Act) Consortium have purchased/protected the 22 acre Cifu parcel on Farm-to-Market Road, center of a large wood duck roost each fall, and now the Putnam County Land Trust's Cifu Preserve. In November, closed on a 15 acre parcel across the river from Patterson Environmental Park donated by Tom Raveson. NYS DEC is in the final stages of accepting a 200 acre set of parcels from Putnam County, which will be the last purchase with Federal NAWCA Grant money. This will bring the total to 1100 acres of land protected through the NAWCA Grant project; land that is now part of DEC's Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area, Putnam County Land Trust's preserve system, Oblong Land Conservancy's preserve system, or Town of Patterson's Environmental Park.

A Year in the Life of FrOGS: 2009

Published three issues of the FrOGS Newsletter with another issue in the works.
Four full days of public canoe trips (four/day) that brought about 200 people into the Great Swamp to see and understand the beauty and importance of this special place.
Held a winter hike to Pine Island on snowshoes, skiis, or foot, attended by over 50 people.
Two-day Keeping Track program for the public with Susan Morse presenting powerpoint lecture Friday night and two field trips on Saturday.
Annual meeting with presentation by Michael Musnick on his wood turtle research in the Great Swamp.
Conducted one all-day canoe excursion through the Swamp between Patterson Environmental Park and Green Chimneys.
Hosted 20 students from Beardsley Zoo's Junior Nature Explorers program with a canoe trip into the Swamp followed by a Community-service project of trail-clearing at Slocum-Mostachetti Preserve in preparation for the Opening Day.
Participated in the Oblong Land Conservancy's Opening Day program at Slocum-Mostachetti Preserve.
Held 2-day program observing International Migratory Bird Day.
Hosted Norman McGrath's workshop Photographing in Nature.
Promoted the values of the Great Swamp at Putnam County 4-H Fair, Green Chimneys' Birds of Prey Day, Patterson Day, Earth Day observance at Dover High School.
Participated in Dutchess County Watershed Awareness Month with program on water quality and benthic invertebrates at Murrow Park, Pawling.
Produced the thirteenth Annual Great Swamp Art Show and Celebration with initiation of a Plein Air paint-out artist event followed by an auction of their work.
Developed the partnership network and proposal for a second phase of our NAWCA project to protect the Great Swamp.
Submitted comments on the impacts of three development projects before local Boards.
Continued sponsorship of Michael Musnick's wood turtle study.
Participated in an episode of National Public Radio's (NPR) Science Friday focused on Michael Musnick's turtle ramps that allow turtles to escape from entrapment between the rails of a railroad line.
Worked with Housatonic Valley Association to plan water quality assessment of the Swamp River.
Participated in Highlands Coalition meetings of New York State committee.
Conducted two roadside clean-up events along 1 mile of Route 22 and 1 mile Birch Hill Road with a third planned for November.
In this final year of our grant, Friends of the Great Swamp and its partners in the NAWCA (North American Wetlands Conservation Act) Consortium have purchased/protected the 22 acre Cifu parcel on Farm-to-Market Road, center of a large wood duck roost each fall, and now the Putnam County Land Trust's Cifu Preserve.
In November, closed on a 15 acre parcel across the river from Patterson Environmental Park donated by Tom Raveson.
NYS DEC is in the final stages of accepting a 200 acre set of parcels from Putnam County, which will be the last purchase with Federal NAWCA Grant money. This will bring the total to 1100 acres of land protected through the NAWCA Grant project; land that is now part of DEC's Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area, Putnam County Land Trust's preserve system, Oblong Land Conservancy's preserve system, or Town of Patterson's Environmental Park.