Mianus River Gorge Inc

“Form 990 is prepared by an outside accounting firm. It is reviewed by management and the audit committee. Any questions or recommendations are addressed by the accountant and executive director. The final 990 is then reviewed by the treasurer and chairman. A completed copy is distributed electronically to the board before filing.”

“The organization has a conflict of interest policy in place which it annually monitors and enforces. All members of management and the governing body annually sign a conflict of interest policy and disclose any potential or actual conflicts that may exist. If an actual conflict exists, that member does not participate in the consideration nor vote on the matter and may be required to leave that portion of the meeting during the discussion. The minutes will disclose such matters.”

“The board determines compensation by reviewing appropriate and adequate data to determine the reasonableness of the compensation being considered. A performance evaluation is conducted annually and the compensation is adjusted periodically. The approval of the compensation is documented in the meeting minutes.”

“The organization makes its 990 available for public inspections on guidestar.org. Form 990 and financial statements are also available on charitiesnys.com and the organizations website. In addition, the policies of the organization, form 1023, bylaws, financial statements and form 990 are available upon request.”

“Mianus river gorge, inc.'s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote appreciation of the natural heritage of the mianus river watershed through land acquisition and conservation, scientific research and public education throughout the region.”

“Land protection: in 2024 mrg continued to work on land projects that we hope will lead to more protected land in the future. Mrg also continued habitat restoration work on many of the lands acquired in previous years including invasive species removal, replanting of native species, and protection of rare plant communities. Research & education: research assistantship program (rap) offers funding for graduate-level research in the fields of ecology and conservation. Each rap recipient receives a yearly stipend of 5000 for three years toward a specific project addressing an ecological question that affects mrg. Rap recipients also mentor high school students in our wtp program. In 2024, mrg hosted the rap student from cornell university, who is in the second year of his study, and also co-authored three scholarly papers. College intern program in suburban ecology (cise) offers internships to undergraduate students to study a variety of issues facing suburban preserves. Students work with staff and rap and wtp students. Mrg hosted four undergraduate interns in 2024. Our wildlife technician program (wtp) offers high school students from the region the opportunity to conduct a 2.5-year (from 10th grade to 12th grade) research study under the mentorship of our staff and rap students. The program was designed to complement the state university of new york science research in the high school (srhs) curriculum and provides access to scientific mentors, hands-on field experience, and immersion into real- world conservation problems facing suburban ecosystems. In 2024, mrg mentored 12 wtp students across 10th to 12th grade. Public programs & outreach: in 2024, mrg staff presented numerous public programs across the region about co-existing with bears, consulted with community members about invasive species biology and management, and lead general education programs / nature walks for approx. 100 people. Specific topics included vernal pools in spring landscapes; the old-growth forest; birding; owl biology; and winter tree id. Stewardship: we worked on stewarding the trail system by designing an easy loop trail and restoring the iconic havemeyer falls trail in 2024. Mrg successfully completed a forest restoration project that included removing invasive species and erecting deer exclosures to protect the forest floor from hungry deer. Mianus river gorge systematically follows a land management plan that divides protected land into management units, each with a specific strategy based on phenology and habitat type.”

“Direct fundraising costs 23,388 direct fundraising costs -23,388”