Jul 4, 2022
Canandaigua, NY - Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park was awarded a $12,568.00 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund's Park and Trail Partnership Grants program to Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion's non-profit goal is to digitize our archives and collection to fulfill this goal, we will utilize this grant to upgrade our website, computers, camera and our Past Perfect software. Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park will have to raise an additional $1,257.00 in matching funds, for a total of $13,825.
The grant is one of 27 awards totaling $900,000 for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York's state parks and historic sites, trails and public lands. The grants will be matched with private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen Friends groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.
Friends groups—nonprofit organizations often made up entirely of volunteers—are essential to the stewardship and promotion of our state park system. These dedicated groups raise private funds for capital projects, perform maintenance tasks, provide educational programming, and promote public use through hosting special events.
The Park and Trail Partnership Grants are administered by Parks & Trails New York, a statewide non-profit organization, in partnership with the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
Parks & trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin said, "With more and more people discovering the outdoors, and visitation to our parks, trails, and public lands soaring, the need for strong public/public partnerships has never been greater. The Park and Trail Partnership Grants help bolster the role of Friends groups in these vital partnerships. This project will help enhance preservation of our archives which includes maps, photographs and flat files that developed the original Thompson Estate."
The digitized presentation from 1863-1923 will give people a look into the original family's life and inspire people with the nine historic gardens of the Thompsons and look back on how they came into manifestation for us to enjoy today. David Hutchings, Executive Director.
Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion preserves and interprets the living collection of nine historic gardens and interprets and promotes the lifetime and legacy of Canandaigua's Thompson family estate.
To view a list of all Round 7 awardees, please visit: https://www.ptny.org/our-work/support/park-trail-partnership-program/awardees
More information on Park and Trail Partnership Grants can be found at www.ptny.org or by calling 518-434-1583.