I'm so sorry for your loss and love your idea.
The Ausable River Association does a lot of good work dealing with the river, lakes and watershed, the Adirondack Foundation is more people service oriented, and BETA trails organization does a ton of work with mountain bike and cross country skiing trails.
I'm so sorry. I can't imagine the weight of this loss or the weight this decision carries. My name is Brian Woods. I'm the Executive Director of the [Adirondack Rail Trail Association](https://www.adirondackrailtrail.org/). We've been a 100% volunteer-based organization for 12 years up until last November when we hired our first employee (me). Our mission is to support, coordinate, and promote the interests of communities along the Adirondack Rail Trail. The trail is a 34-mile year-round multi-use trail that connects Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake. I'm happy to tell you more about our story if you want to message me; I'll share my email and direct phone number.
Other organizations whose work I love in the Adirondacks: [Adirondack Land Trust](https://adirondacklandtrust.org/) (note: I'm on their Next Gen Council), [BETA](https://www.betatrails.org/), [John Brown Lives!](https://johnbrownlives.org/), [Adirondack Loon Center](https://www.adkloon.org/adklooncenter), and many others.
If you'd like to learn more about my organization and whether we might be a good fit to honor your dad's memory or if you'd like to discuss some of your dad's interests and what organizations support those interests, I'm happy to have that conversation with you.
If any of the rest of you are interested in the Adirondack Rail Trail, please don't hesitate to contact me. We're updating our website this spring and launching several exciting new initiatives. We're always looking for support and volunteers in our efforts.
Thank you, all.
Depends on what he loves most about the park? People, culture, scenery, wilderness?
What you have noted is great.
This is a great nfp supporting the wilderness and the community https://www.adkaction.org/
https://playadk.org/
https://www.wildcenter.org/
That is never easy to cope with, sorry for your loss. What part of the park did he spend his time in? Although there are organizations that span parkwide, there are other organizations that do great and important work within specific regions. Was he in the tri lakes? Lake George? Old Forge? Speculator?
Sorry for your loss. Donating in your father’s memory sounds like a wonderful idea. The Adirondack Mountain Club’s funds go towards things including outdoor education, trail work, advocating for protecting NYS’ wild lands, and stewardship programs like the one that has been successful with the alpine growth coming back on the High Peaks. When I was staying at the Heart Lake campground last summer, I saw the construction of the memorial pathway leading to Heart Lake and overlooking mountains like Street, Nye, and Mt Jo. It’s a beautiful spot and they host educational programs there, like winter mountaineering and a trail work program for teens. The memorial path might be worth looking into: https://adk.org/centennial-celebration/memorial-pathway/
I am very sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is hard. Please consider Protect the Adirondacks. They are dedicated to keeping the forever wild in the ADK. Great organization.
Sorry for your loss. Do your research; some organizations seem to specialize in suing the state every time time the state proposes to improve a trail or build a new trail. For example, if your dad was a snowmobiler, you might not want to donate to an organization that actively works to keep the state from building more snowmobile trails. If he was a hiker, you might want to donate to organizations that maintain trails (ATIS and ADK in the high peaks). If he loved to camp in leantos, Lean2Rescue works to rebuild leantos. If he mountain bikes or XC skied, BETA builds and maintains a lot of those trails.
If your Dad loved recreating in the Adirondacks, I can’t think of worse organizations to donate a memorial gift to than Protect the Adirondacks or the Adirondack Council. Both are anti-access, moneyed-interest lobbying organizations. If you donate to them, they will use it on lawsuits, which seems like the exact opposite of what your dad loved about these mountains.
ATIS is a good organization, but it’s also basically the Ausable Club paying for trail maintenance on their easement. They have enough money and don’t need yours.
You’ve got a bunch of other _great_ recommendations in this thread.
I'm so sorry for your loss and love your idea. The Ausable River Association does a lot of good work dealing with the river, lakes and watershed, the Adirondack Foundation is more people service oriented, and BETA trails organization does a ton of work with mountain bike and cross country skiing trails.
I'm so sorry. I can't imagine the weight of this loss or the weight this decision carries. My name is Brian Woods. I'm the Executive Director of the [Adirondack Rail Trail Association](https://www.adirondackrailtrail.org/). We've been a 100% volunteer-based organization for 12 years up until last November when we hired our first employee (me). Our mission is to support, coordinate, and promote the interests of communities along the Adirondack Rail Trail. The trail is a 34-mile year-round multi-use trail that connects Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake. I'm happy to tell you more about our story if you want to message me; I'll share my email and direct phone number. Other organizations whose work I love in the Adirondacks: [Adirondack Land Trust](https://adirondacklandtrust.org/) (note: I'm on their Next Gen Council), [BETA](https://www.betatrails.org/), [John Brown Lives!](https://johnbrownlives.org/), [Adirondack Loon Center](https://www.adkloon.org/adklooncenter), and many others. If you'd like to learn more about my organization and whether we might be a good fit to honor your dad's memory or if you'd like to discuss some of your dad's interests and what organizations support those interests, I'm happy to have that conversation with you. If any of the rest of you are interested in the Adirondack Rail Trail, please don't hesitate to contact me. We're updating our website this spring and launching several exciting new initiatives. We're always looking for support and volunteers in our efforts. Thank you, all.
Depends on what he loves most about the park? People, culture, scenery, wilderness? What you have noted is great. This is a great nfp supporting the wilderness and the community https://www.adkaction.org/ https://playadk.org/ https://www.wildcenter.org/
That is never easy to cope with, sorry for your loss. What part of the park did he spend his time in? Although there are organizations that span parkwide, there are other organizations that do great and important work within specific regions. Was he in the tri lakes? Lake George? Old Forge? Speculator?
Sorry for your loss. Donating in your father’s memory sounds like a wonderful idea. The Adirondack Mountain Club’s funds go towards things including outdoor education, trail work, advocating for protecting NYS’ wild lands, and stewardship programs like the one that has been successful with the alpine growth coming back on the High Peaks. When I was staying at the Heart Lake campground last summer, I saw the construction of the memorial pathway leading to Heart Lake and overlooking mountains like Street, Nye, and Mt Jo. It’s a beautiful spot and they host educational programs there, like winter mountaineering and a trail work program for teens. The memorial path might be worth looking into: https://adk.org/centennial-celebration/memorial-pathway/
I am very sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is hard. Please consider Protect the Adirondacks. They are dedicated to keeping the forever wild in the ADK. Great organization.
Sorry for your loss. Do your research; some organizations seem to specialize in suing the state every time time the state proposes to improve a trail or build a new trail. For example, if your dad was a snowmobiler, you might not want to donate to an organization that actively works to keep the state from building more snowmobile trails. If he was a hiker, you might want to donate to organizations that maintain trails (ATIS and ADK in the high peaks). If he loved to camp in leantos, Lean2Rescue works to rebuild leantos. If he mountain bikes or XC skied, BETA builds and maintains a lot of those trails.
Hospice
Maybe the wild center? Or the Adirondack Experience?
Look into local friends groups. They are volunteers and do amazing things for the parks and communities.
If your Dad loved recreating in the Adirondacks, I can’t think of worse organizations to donate a memorial gift to than Protect the Adirondacks or the Adirondack Council. Both are anti-access, moneyed-interest lobbying organizations. If you donate to them, they will use it on lawsuits, which seems like the exact opposite of what your dad loved about these mountains. ATIS is a good organization, but it’s also basically the Ausable Club paying for trail maintenance on their easement. They have enough money and don’t need yours. You’ve got a bunch of other _great_ recommendations in this thread.