Menu ≡

Alumni
Profile

Paul “Pete” Keller ’49

At the age of 91, Pete Keller ’49 has overseen decades of conservation efforts within the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

 A Conservationist for

Many Generations

by John Keller with Beth Bailey

Around the turn of the 20th century, NYS forests had been cut thin as people cleared areas for settling, timber, and agriculture. In fact, the state was warned it would run out of timber within 50 years. Luckily, the idea of sustainable forestry, managing forests for long-term productivity rather than short term profitability, was put into action in 1929 and New York was the first to plant seedlings to replace trees that had been cut. Hundreds of millions of seedlings of Norway spruce, white pine, red pine, and Scotch pine were planted in State Forests as windbreaks and forest plantations.

The State Reforestation Areas were the beginning of today’s State Forest system. Many of the early reforestation areas were established on some of the least productive land in the state, such as abandoned farm lands with depleted soils and significant erosion issues. The Conservation Department began a massive tree planting program to restore these lands for watershed protection, flood prevention and future timber production. Today, these areas are covered with healthy forests. 
Learn more: History of State Forest Program

Pete held many roles within the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. In the 1960s, he started with conservation services at the Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne, New York. As the Forest General Foreman, he put crews together to work marking timber for cutting. His job was to check to make sure these cuts were completed—and done well. He put together a team with a fantastic work ethic that was reflective in their respect for the work at hand. 

After four years in Sherburne, he moved to the Albany office and worked under Vick Glider who had been a colonel under George Patton. Pete learned a great deal from him about how to get things done. The boss’ mantra (just like General Patton’s) was, “Just get it done. I don’t need the details as long as it is done and done right.” 

In 1971 he was promoted to Regional Forester for Region 3 in the Hudson Valley, overseeing seven counties: Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. During his twelve years of service there, he was promoted to Regional Director and worked under Commissioner Peter Berle. One legacy project Pete led was the environmental clean-up of the Hudson River. He created the Hudson River Estuary Program, a committee of local citizens who work with DEC to lead the continuing clean up and restoration of habitat along the Hudson, while providing multiple types of public access to the River. A major success of this program is the return of our national symbol, the bald eagle, to the Hudson Valley. 

As Regional Director he created the Heritage Task Force for the Hudson River Valley, which became the Hudson River Valley Greenway after his retirement. His son, Scott, now runs the Greenway, which has been instrumental in creating the Empire State Trail and Empire State Water Trail across the state. Together, they provide over two thousand miles of land and water based trails for the public to enjoy. 

Pete worked for Governors Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo, and built a great environmental constituency in the Hudson Valley. Pete would reach out to newly elected officials and invite them to visit and learn about the land and forestry in New York. His legacy was to keep politics out of protecting the environment (as much as possible) without shutting down people and their rights; to use resources responsibly; and to offer plenty of opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors across the state. 

In 1986, his staff nominated him for the Ernest F. Trad Award, the DEC’s highest honor awarded to an individual employee. In their seven-page(!) letter of recommendation, they mentioned his “very serious and long-standing commitment to affirmative action,” his “interest in the development of each person,” and his “lifelong commitment to public service.”

Pete created a lasting legacy, not only for the forests and people of NYS, but also for those he worked with along the way.

Photos of Pete from top to bottom:

— with his wife at his retirement dinner
— as a young man
— with classmate Russ Knope ’49 on a camping trip
— in his natural environment
— with a young man who grew up in the Keller house while his father was in Iraq

Editor’s note: Sadly we learned of Pete’s passing on June 11, 2022.

Letter from the Head of School

Letter from the Editor

Features

Central Work that Matters: DEI

Harley Black Alumni Network

Climate Crisis Curriculum

Citizen Scientists

Joy Moss: Storytelling Roots

In Every Issue

Class Notes

Diane Donniger Award

By the Numbers

From the Archives

What’s (Who’s) New at Harley

Divisional Highlights

Alumni Profile: Vandebroek

Alumni Profiles: Keller

HAC Athletics

2021 Lives of Great Purpose Awards

1000 Words

Commencement 2022

Reunion 2022

In Memoriam

Retirements and Fond Farewells

Letter from the Head of School

Letter from the Editor

Features

Central Work that Matters

Affinity Group Forms

Climate Crisis Curriculum

Citizen Scientists

Joy Moss: Storytelling Roots

In Every Issue

Class Notes

Diane Donniger Award

By the Numbers

From the Archives

What’s (Who’s) New at Harley

Divisional Highlights

Alumni Profile: Vandebroek

Alumni Profiles: Keller

HAC Athletics

2021 Lives of Great Purpose Awards

1000 Words

Commencement 2022

Reunion 2022

In Memoriam

Retirements and Fond Farewells

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes. 

  • Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.
  • Serving on student council: 
  • STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

About

Academics

Key Programming

Enrollment