Catskill Country Walks

02/09/2024

This is an easy walk that is less than 2 miles.

14/08/2024

04/08/2024

12/07/2024

For some history of the Bluestone Wild Forest check out this article by Paul Rubin:
https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2023/06/25/forest-history-seen-through-the-eyes-of-a-geologist/

24/06/2024

Don't miss the next walk - July 20th - Bluestone Wild Forest

17/06/2024

This is an easy two mile walk on a flat rail trail. The forest is lovely and there are signs of beaver to see, along with turtles and flowers.

11/06/2024

I hope you will join me on a walk this year.

The 2024 schedule for Walking in Nature is here. As always, the walks are free and include transportation. Four of the field trips are with the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County. To register, go to ymcaulster.org and click on Register. Look for Walking in Nature.

The August field trip is with Kingston Parks and Recreation. To register, go to kingstonparksandrec.org, click on Programs and then Adult Nature Hike.

You can always contact me directly at speaktotheearth.org.

15/05/2024

Birding by Ear with Peter Schoenberger

Sunday, May 26, 2024
7:45 AM 12:00 PM
https://www.woodstockdems.org/events/birding-by-ear-with-peter-schoenberger
$40 donation to the Woodstock Democratic Committee to Attend

11/02/2024

Beavers felled and stripped this maple on the shore of North South Lake. The twin lodges are nearby. The twigs and bark provide food stores for the winter when the lakes are frozen over.

06/12/2023

Wednesday, December 13th5:00 - 8:00pmat the Senate Garage4 N Front St. Kingston NYJoin us for a spectacular year-end celebration hosted by the Kingston Land Trust and indulge in a delightful evening filled with exquisite food, refreshing drinks, a...

28/11/2023

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in our land-based approach to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable community by making a gift to sustain our organization in a crucial moment of growth. In support of our goals to safeguard and create access to environmentally and socially significant land, your donation, no matter the size, is a vital step in magnifying the impact of our dedication to land access, solidarity, and stewardship.

🌳👨🏼‍🌾 Land Access
Your contribution goes beyond traditional land conservation, creating opportunities to build connections between community and land through initiatives like public access to the Forest Sanctuary and preserved Wilbur uplands, the Land Matching portal, supporting urban agriculture projects, and advancing the development of the Kingston Greenline trail network and other open space initiatives.

🌱🤝 Solidarity
Solidarity: Your contribution empowers collaborative programs and projects designed to cultivate land sovereignty with a focus on identities that are underrepresented and have been historically denied access to land and quality, affordable housing. This ensures spaces for our diverse community to cultivate meaningful relationships with the land and one another. Current priorities include securing a land base for the Land in Black Hands program, stewarding the grassroots development of the Taproot Community Land Trust to provide permanently affordable housing in partnership with RUPCO, and continuing to strengthen our relationships with the Lenape and other Native communities.

🌿⛏️ Stewardship
Your generosity propels our innovative stewardship work, encouraging sustainable and healthy relationships with the land and all living beings. From facilitating community-led design and trail building to nurturing native, edible and pollinator-friendly plantings, we're actively shaping a future where stewardship is co-created with our community and in relationship with the land.

Let's grow a future where everyone thrives in harmony with the land!

11/10/2023

This is going to be a great night - amazing talent is turning out for the Historical Society

Date: Saturday, October 21, 7 p.m.
Location: First Church of Christ, Scientist, 89 Tinker St., Woodstock NY 12498
Admission: $20 at the door, $18 in advance at www.historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org

On Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 7 p.m. the Historical Society of Woodstock will present a Catskill Mountain Folk Concert featuring a stellar lineup of musicians donating their time to a benefit concert for the HSW. Headliners include Molly Mason and Jay Ungar, Happy Traum, Tim Kapeluck, Steve Charney, Jeff Keithline, and Pat Lamanna. The concert is a tie-in to the Woodstock’s Farming Story exhibit, which runs through November 12. The set list will include songs about farming, bluestone quarrying, ice harvesting and shipping on the Hudson River, and a mix of old favorites like “Ashokan Farewell.” The concert will take place at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 85 Tinker Street, Woodstock NY 12498. Admission is $20 at the door or $18 in advance at www.historicalsocietyofwoodstock.org.
for performer bios

22/09/2023

A view of Louisa Pond. This preserve is maintained by NY DEC, Scenic Hudson, and the West Esopus Land Owners Assn.

14/09/2023

The Sojourner Truth Trail at Scenic Hudson's Shaupeneak Ridge offers a glimpse into the life of this remarkable woman, mother, abolitionist, and suffragette. As part of the Hudson Valley Ramble and Speak to the Earth's partnership with the YMCA of Kingston, the Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy, the Catskill Mountain Club, and others, there will be free walk around Louisa Pond at Shaupeneak Ridge on Saturday, September 23rd. Among other stops, we will be on part of the Sojourner Truth Trail.

https://www.scenichudson.org/explore-the-valley/our-parks/sjttrail/

For free bus transportation sign up with the Kingston YMCA at: https://ymcaulster.org/
Click on Register, then Walking in Nature, then Louisa Pond. The bus will leave the YMCA main entrance at 9 AM and will return by 12 Noon.

You may also meet us at the Louisa Pond parking area off Poppletown Road at about 9:30 when the bus arrives.

https://www.hudsonrivervalleyramble.com/ramble/events/ev-detail/walk-around-louisa-pond

04/09/2023

The 23rd Annual Hudson River Valley Ramble! is coming and Catskill Country Walks and Speak to the Earth are participating.
https://www.hudsonrivervalleyramble.com/ramble
Check out all of the events!

Catskill Country Walks and Speak to the Earth will be hosting a walk in nature around Louisa Pond on Shaupeneak Ridge on Saturday, September 23rd. You can get more info here:
https://www.hudsonrivervalleyramble.com/ramble/events/ev-detail/walk-around-louisa-pond

08/08/2023

Sloan Gorge features a bluestone quarry, a woodland pond, a gorge, and bridge over nothing. We hope you can join us on August 26th.

03/08/2023

A grey tree frog (yes, this one’s green) hanging out along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. This one, and dozens of others were seen during our last Walking In Nature. Our next walk will be Saturday, August 26th. We are walking at the Sloan Gorge Preserve in Woodstock. Free bus transportation is provided. We will leave from the Kingston YMCA at 9 AM and return there by noon. Please register at ymcaulster.org

02/08/2023

I often walk the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail and it’s always different and fun. This section is from Hickory Bush Rd to the Women’s Studio Workshop. It goes past 4th Lake and Williams Lake. Beyond this section is the Rosendale Trestle. It was, when constructed, the highest train trestle in the world. In the other direction the connector to Kingston and the O&W Rail Trail is being completed now.

24/06/2023

Speak to the Earth in partnership with the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster offers Walking in Nature.

13/06/2023

The first Walking in Nature field trip is June 24th to the Falling Waters Preserve. Register at https://ymcaulster.org/
If you have questions or concerns about walking in nature watch this video.

Speak to the Earth is a project to give people who have never walked in nature an easy introduction. The program partners are Catskill Country Walks, the YMC...

01/06/2023

Good Thursday friends! Today at La Voz with Mariel Fiori is entertainment and environment day.

20/05/2023

There will be an info session on June 7th - live at the Kingston YMCA and virtual on Facebook. Check out the We Speak to the Earth page.