The Hudson Estuary Resilience Effort
H.E.R.E. is dedicated to building social and ecological solutions in partnership with local communities in the Hudson Valley. Through three interconnected initiatives (guilds of local experts, place-based philanthropic funds, and a storytelling journal), H.E.R.E. brings together community knowledge, targeted capital, and a deep love of place to address the region's most pressing needs.
The Guilds
Guilds are cohorts of local subject-matter experts and practitioners who contribute their insights and experiences to identifying what is most needed on the ground in the Hudson Valley. Together, we are developing strategic approaches to problem-solving and identifying regional funding priorities.
There are four Guilds in the pilot: Culture, Ecology, Food, and Shelter
Regional Resilience Grants
So much good work is already being funded across the Hudson Valley. But what if we pooled our resources and targeted them toward the places where they would matter most? Over the last year, we have been convening regional funders and collaborating to create a place-based philanthropic fund. This fund will be distributed this year through our soon-to-launch Regional Resilience Grants.
These grants will range from $10,000 to $200,000 and aim to foster social and ecological resilience in the Hudson Valley by supporting initiatives in the areas of Culture, Ecology, Food/Farming, and Shelter.
Grant applications open on July 15, 2026.
H.E.R.E. Journal
In his wonderful essay, "It All Turns On Affection," Wendell Berry enjoins us:
To have a place, to live and belong in a place, to live from a place without destroying it, we must imagine it. By imagination we see it illuminated by its own unique character and by our love for it.”
With contributions from renowned writers, photographers, and illustrators, H.E.R.E. Journal aims to deepen our connection to and love for the Hudson Valley, and hopefully, inspire us to get involved in shaping a future here where all life thrives. In short, it is an invitation to imagine this place — to know, love, and care for it.
Issue 1 will be released on July 18, 2026