About
About Us
Think locally. Act locally.
We believe that the overlapping ecological crises are best addressed by the communities that are closest to them by using approaches that honor the uniqueness of each place. PCA was founded in 2019 with the goal to move multiple forms of capital to where they would be most relevant, efficient, and effective to catalyze local action. At our core, we are funders who support our grantees with the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to be successful.
Our priority areas are ecological restoration, with a focus on establishing community forests and cultivating native habitat, and the decarbonization of existing building stock in our region’s most underserved communities.
Our mission is to catalyze bioregional climate action
Where We Work
The Hudson Valley is not just a collection of towns and counties with political borders, but an inextricably connected natural system. We must acknowledge the interconnection and interdependence of our local communities, and recognize that the decisions made in one place impact the whole region. Furthermore, as each bioregion is unique, so too is the work needed to repair it. As an organization, we work to understand the particularities of our bioregion, the estuary watershed of the Hudson River, and, using resources that exist locally, support the emergence of local solutions from and for local communities.
We are proud of the work we and our grant partners do. The interactive map below illustrates the some of the projects we have supported in the bioregion. Learn more about the work we are planning.
Grant Making:
Since 2020, we have deployed $3,000,000 into our bioregion. Most recently, we launched our Ecological Restoration Grants program, rallying and distributing $365,000 from contributors into concrete ecosystem renewal projects. These grant partners and projects are displayed on the map.
Developing Sustainability Hubs in Libraries:
The Library of Local is a partnership between PCA and the Mid-Hudson Library System that offers library patrons a collection of books, tools, seeds, AV equipment, and other resources that equip them to take action on the climate crisis and advance ecological repair. The program has also developed partnerships with grassroots environmental organizations needing meeting and program space, tools, and increased capacity building. Additionally, the project provides a robust monthly schedule of in-person and virtual educational events and community meetings. You can view all participating libraries and learn more on the map.
Supporting Municipal Climate Action:
Our Local Champions program assists under-resourced, Hudson Valley municipalities with funding, training, peer support, interns, catalyst grants, grant writing coaching, and consultations with engineers as they strive for bronze certification and beyond in New York State’s Climate Smart Communities Program. Learn more about the work accomplished and ongoing in our 16 Local Champion towns by exploring the map.
Addressing Pollinator Decline:
Pollinate Now! is a bioregional habitat restoration initiative in support of threatened native pollinators. Four pilot site plantings are underway, and resources to help homeowners and land managers implement their own restoration plantings will be released in 2024. As part of this project, PCA is also working with Hudson Valley Seed Company to produce local-origin native wildflower seed to feed the Hudson Valley’s threatened pollinators. Sign up for our mailing list to hear about volunteer opportunities at our pilot sites and receive updates on our upcoming restoration toolkit. The four pilot sites are on the map.
