Join Us!

Staff and Board Member at Rogers Env Education Center

The Gateway is Decades in the Making!

For nearly 40 years, Parks & Trails New York has been supporting Friends groups of state Parks and public lands by offering best-practice trainings, technical assistance, conferences, events, and statewide advocacy efforts. With the launch of the Gateway, the wealth of resources we have for Friends will be easily accessible and organizations will be able to collaborate with and access resources, tools and insights from other groups across New York.

The Gateway includes an array of integrated tools for supporting your Friends group, including a member database and directory, event management and e-communication tools, a resource library (reports, recordings, templates, etc.), discussion forums for you to collaborate with other groups on specific topics, plus a number of other services.

Most importantly, the Gateway is designed to help every aspect of your Friends group, which is why memberships are packaged by group - meaning member benefits and access to the online community can be extended to as many of your members as you like. The Gateway is centered on collaboration and the more people participating and sharing their insights, the better! So no matter your position or role in your organization - president, volunteer coordinator, membership chair - there is a discussion forum and resources waiting for you. Come join the conversation!

Become a Member

Membership Benefits

We know that each Friends group is different and that your needs vary based on the mission and makeup of your organization, which is why Parks & Trails New York is offering groups more benefits than those that are included with access to the Gateway alone.

Friends Group Memberships Include:

  • Complete access to the Friends Group Gateway and robust Resource Library
  • A quarterly, members-only newsletter with key updates and opportunities (coming Feb. 2022)
  • Corporate volunteer group event registration and facilitation (coming late-Spring 2022)
  • Events:
    • Early registration access to events
    • Discount to paid events
    • Invitation to a “members-only” cocktail hour at each Statewide Conference
    • Two invitations to Park Advocacy Day for your Friends group
  • Trainings & Workshops:
    • VIP access to 2, one-hour workshops focused on fundraising and development each year, hosted by PTNY’s Development Director. (In 2022, they will be held in July and November)
  • Digital Marketing & Promotion:
    • One custom online advocacy campaign per year, through our Legislative+ subscription 
    • Share 3 member events on PTNY’s primary social media platforms, per year (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

Outdoor Recreation Professional Membership for Individuals includes:

  • Complete access to the Friends Group Gateway
  • Invitation to all Friends-to-Friends workshops
  • Invitation to the Statewide Conference
  • Invitation to Park Advocacy Day
  • Access to 2, one-hour workshops focused on fundraising and development each year, hosted by PTNY’s Development Director

Membership Dues

Memberships are designed to allow access to the Gateway and other listed benefits, for all members of your group. Memberships are active for 12 months and are concurrent with the calendar year.  If you want to register your Friends group as a member, you will have the ability to add as many of your group members as you would like, either during your registration process or through your Key Contact's account. Please feel free to contact a member of PTNY’s Parks Team if you have any questions! 

Membership Type

Membership Level

Membership Fee


Group

Leaders, with annual budgets under $10,000

$50.00

Champions, with annual budgets between $10,001 and $99,999

$100.00

Ambassadors, with annual budgets over $100,000

$150.00

Individual

Outdoor Recreation Professionals

$75.00

 

Become a Member

What Friends groups have to say about PTNY’s membership benefits and the Gateway

"The opportunities for information sharing are amazing. When renewing our MOA with State Parks, resource sharing through the Leadership Council saved me a week's worth of work. I also have been loving the Friends-to-Friends workshops! I have learned so much more than during my previous position on the board."- President of MAC Nature Center at Wellesley Island State Park

"I have found every encounter with your organization to be filled with useful suggestions, open-mindedness, and a very positive attitude. I've particularly learned much from the webinars I've attended over the past year, and have used a lot of the information gained from them to improve some internal practices in our association and successfully apply for a few small PTNY grants."- President of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance