Explore every episode of the podcast Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast

In 1845, a feudal land system that had survived the American Revolution finally met its match in the hills above Andes, New York — and the clash left a county undersheriff dead and hundreds of farmers under arrest. The Anti-Rent War was a massive, organized uprising that had been building since the late 1830s and swept across upstate New York — yet it remains largely unknown outside this region.

Victoria Kupchinetsky and Misha Gutkin are Russian-born journalists who stumbled upon the story at an Andes community day parade — and couldn't let it go. The result is Calico Rebellion, a documentary that centers the voices of local descendants, historians, and storytellers to bring this "final chapter of the American Revolution" back to life.

We talk about the patroon system and its perpetual leases that kept tenant farmers from ever owning the land they cleared; the Calico Indians, disguised farmers who donned homemade masks and calico dresses to resist rent collectors; the dinner horns repurposed as an alarm network; and the fatal confrontation on Dingle Hill that set off a chain of trials, pardons, and ultimately, legislative reform.

Victoria and Misha also reflect on what it meant — as immigrants from the Soviet Union — to dig into this forgotten corner of American democracy, and what the Anti-Rent War says about the ongoing work of keeping a democratic system alive.

Visit calicorebellion.com for Calico Rebellion screenings, events, and info.

What did Beethoven's piano actually sound like? At the Catskill Mountain Foundation's Piano Performance Museum in Hunter, New York, you don't have to wonder — you can sit down and play one.

Brett Barry visits the museum at the Doctorow Center for the Arts with performing arts director Pam Weisberg and docent Stacey Bowers, who guide him through dozens of historic instruments spanning three centuries — from a mid-18th century French harpsichord to a nine-foot Baldwin concert grand that once traveled with Liberace.

Along the way: the difference between a harpsichord's pluck and a piano's strike, why Beethoven's piano had four strings per key, the short life of the American square piano, and what it means to let the instrument tell you what it can do.

The museum is open Saturdays 11 a.m.–3 p.m.; group tours available by arrangement. For performances, schedules, and more: catskillmtn.org/piano-performance-museum

Every spring, something remarkable happens in the tidal waters of Black Creek in Esopus, New York: tiny, translucent eels — just an inch and a half long and barely the weight of a postage stamp — swim in from the Atlantic Ocean, following a journey that began in the Sargasso Sea nearly a year before.

In this episode, guest host Sierra DeVito joins the Hudson River Eel Project at Black Creek Preserve, where Professor Susan Hereth of SUNY New Paltz leads a team of college and high school students in weekly data collection on the American eel — one of nature's most elusive and mysterious creatures. No one has ever witnessed eels spawning. No one knows exactly what draws them to the Hudson, or to Black Creek specifically. And yet, year after year, they return.

We wade in with the crew as they haul the fyke net, count and weigh glass eels, record field data, and release the eels upstream. We also hear from students about what it means to do real science in the real world — and why it matters.

In this episode:

• The remarkable (and still poorly understood) life cycle of the American eel, from the Sargasso Sea to the Catskill tributaries
• How community scientists collect data that feeds into long-term fisheries research
• The black market for glass eels — and why a single eel can be worth serious money
• Why getting students into the muck may be the best environmental education of all

For more information or to inquire about volunteering with the Hudson River Eel Project, visit the NYS DEC website — https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/oceans-estuaries/hudson-river-estuary-program/community-science-volunteer-opportunities

Kaatscast walks a stretch of the Finger Lakes Trail in Delaware Wild Forest with Heather Houskeeper — herbalist, long-distance hiker, author, and founder of the School of Plant and Place Connection — to talk about foraging, plant medicine, and what it means to truly belong in a landscape.

Along the trail, Heather identifies edible and medicinal plants including garlic mustard, jewelweed, and dandelion, and explains how to approach foraging safely, ethically, and with a spirit of reciprocity. She also shares how a post-thru-hike sense of helplessness in the woods sent her to herbal medicine school, how she built a career around botanical hiking, and why she believes our innate knowledge of the plant world isn't quite lost — maybe just dormant.

Find Heather at thebotanicalhiker.com and schoolofplantandplaceconnection.com.

The Catskill Park's most visited corridor — Kaaterskill Falls and the Kaaterskill Clove area along Route 23A — may be heading for a major management overhaul. In this extra edition, host Brett Barry sits down with Jeff Senterman, Executive Director of the Catskill Center, to dig into a newly released Visitor Use Management report that recommends capping daily visitors at 1,000, implementing timed entry and advance reservations, and evaluating a public shuttle service to replace the recently shuttered private one.

Senterman welcomes the framework while pushing back on its most restrictive proposals, arguing that limiting public access to the forest preserve should be a last resort — not a first response. He also reflects on what the report misses: the history of the place, the unresolved dangers of pedestrian and car traffic along 23A, and the years of groundwork that preceded this process.

The public comment period closes June 1st. To read the report, search "Kaaterskill Falls Visitor Use Management" at dec.ny.gov. NYSDEC is accepting public feedback on the report through June 1, 2026 at ForestPreserve@dec.ny.gov.

After nearly 30 years wading Catskill streams, Dany Davis has learned that rivers don't just carry water — they carry time, memory, and if you're paying close enough attention, a few life lessons too. Now retiring as Stream Studies Coordinator for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Dany is heading home to Alaska, and he sat down with us to reflect on what the streams gave back.

On the banks of Warner Creek in Chichester, the conversation turns to geology, glaciers, and the surprisingly personal lessons a river can teach you. We trace the story of the Catskills from ancient Devonian forests to the last ice age to today's turbidity monitoring network. Dany also reflects on a life shaped by curiosity, transition, and the concept of connectivity that runs through both rivers and human community.

In this episode:

• How streams literally carved the Catskill Mountains
• The 380-million-year-old river sand beneath your feet
• Why Stony Clove Creek became the focus of New York City's water quality research
• What turbidity has to do with glacial legacy sediment
• Dany's personal journey through gender transition — and finding equilibrium
• What yellow birch trees mean to a retiring geologist
• The "Rondout to Resurrection" road trip through seven river basins on the way home to Alaska

Want to dial in to your own neighborhood stream? Head over to the USGS Water Dashboard for real time data!

For a hamlet of just a few hundred people, Pine Hill punches well above its weight. This week, Brett Barry visits the Pine Hill Community Center to mark its 25th anniversary — and to find out what it actually takes to keep a place like this alive.

The center's origin story is equal parts heartbreak and generosity. In 2000, a tragedy in the community prompted founders Florence and Bernie Hamling to transform Bernie's research and development space into somewhere people could simply come together. Twenty-five years later, it offers pottery classes, concerts, art exhibitions, a wellness program, a farmers market, a thrift shop, youth programs, and a weekly social circle — all out of a former eyeglass factory that was once a gas station.

Director Colleen McMurray, who joined during the pandemic amid an ongoing renovation, walks us through the building and breaks down how the center sustains itself: a mix of private donations, grant funding (including a state grant secured in 2023), and a remarkably productive thrift shop managed by volunteer Berns Rothchild.

Also featured: how the community itself has shaped nearly every program the center offers, what's coming next (a dementia social program, a second-floor expansion, and an elevator), and why Florence thinks other small towns struggle to replicate what Pine Hill has built.

More info and program schedules: pinehillcommunitycenter.org

Recorded by production intern Sierra DeVito. Transcripts by Jerome Kazlauskas. Kaatscast is a production of Silver Hollow Audio.

Brett Barry visits Anna Plattner and Justin Wexler at their 95-acre forest farm in Cairo, New York, home base of Wild Hudson Valley — an educational organization dedicated to inspiring learning and building connection through shared experiences in nature, history, and wild foods.

Justin and Anna trace the origins of Wild Hudson Valley back to 2013, when Justin, freshly burned out from a master's in teaching at Bard College, found his way back to the woods and a fledgling idea for an environmental education business. A serendipitous encounter at a master naturalist training program brought Anna into the picture, and the two have been growing Wild Hudson Valley together — personally and professionally — ever since. In 2021, they took the leap to pursue it full-time, greatly expanding their offerings to include eco camping, foraging workshops, and the Wild Harvest Box, a monthly subscription of wild-harvested ingredients for adventurous home cooks.

The conversation covers a rich range of topics: the history and cultivation of American ginseng (the plant that first brought them together), the ecology of forest farming and why it requires so much more than just planting things and walking away, the role of invasive species and deer in disrupting native plant communities, and the concept of ecoliteracy — the ability to truly read a landscape. We also draw some fascinating connections between the work of 18th-century botanist John Bartram and what Wild Hudson Valley does today, from "boxes" of natural specimens to a deep respect for indigenous plant knowledge.

Brett, Justin, and Anna also dig into some of the surprising edibles hiding in plain sight — stinging nettles more nutritious than spinach, common milkweed with more uses than most people imagine, and sumac cones their kids lick like lollipops. And they share the quiet but meaningful work of hosting Lenape and Mohican people on ancestral homeland visits to the Catskills and Hudson Valley — a practice rooted in gratitude and reciprocity. 

For information about Wild Hudson Valley's eco camp, foraging workshops, the Wild Harvest Box, and property consultations, visit wildhudsonvalley.com.

And to hear a fun podcast about the life of John Bartram, check out Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, episode 115: John Bartram. 

Kaatscast is a production of Silver Hollow Audio. Find us at kaatscast.com and on Instagram @kaatscast.

Production intern: Sierra DeVito. Transcriptionist: Jerome Kazlauskas.

In this episode, host Brett Barry joins Jan Jaffe, board president of Wellington Blueberry LLC, outside the shuttered Wellington Hotel on Main Street in Pine Hill, New York — a 12,000-square-foot, 19th-century landmark and one of the few remaining intact Catskill hotels that survived the era's notorious fires.

Jan shares the origin story of this ambitious community-driven project: how roughly 20 neighbors pooled resources in the fall of 2022 to purchase the long-vacant building. Their goal: rehabilitate the historic structure into 10 units of workforce housing (studios and one-bedrooms targeted at residents earning 60–80% of area median income) and a much-needed community grocery store.

Four years in, Wellington Blueberry has made remarkable pre-construction progress — clearing 60 dumpsters of debris, completing environmental review, obtaining all necessary permits, securing a letter of intent from Bank of America for historic tax credits, and earning a 2025 designation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Their developer and construction manager is RUPCO, the region's leading nonprofit housing developer, and their architects are Albany preservation firm Thaler Riley Wilson.

But they're still at "the last mile" — approximately $1 million short of the full funding needed to break ground.

Topics covered:

• What workforce housing means and who it's designed to help
• How historic tax credits work and why they matter for this project
• The "Dagwood sandwich" of layered funding sources (grants from Restore NY, Ulster County, anonymous donors, and more)
• What the community has already accomplished — including two volunteer clean-up events with 40 people each
• Plans for a local grocery store serving both residents and visitors
• How prospective tenants will eventually apply via lottery

To learn more or donate, visit pinehillwellington.com. Donations can currently be made through RUPCO's website.

Hoppy Quick has been chainsaw carving bears in the Catskills since 1979 — but he'll tell you he's not an artist. He's a spiritual being who found himself through the bear.

In this wide-ranging conversation, we visit Hoppy at his home in Samsonville — a converted 1951 school bus, a canvas teepee workshop, a crackling fire ring, and a horse named Ginny — and quickly discover that a conversation about whittling wood leads somewhere much deeper.

We talk about his 47-year search for the perfect bear face, carving as meditation, and what it means to live in grace. Hoppy shares the story behind the Heart Tribe, his COVID-era community of tens of thousands, and reflects on ego, fear, the divine feminine, AI, and why he believes the path forward is exactly 16 inches — from your head to your heart.

As the world seems to be straining at its seams, Hoppy emerges like a bear from the tree line — unexpected, unhurried, and offering a wise and grounding call to our higher selves.

Singer‑songwriter Steve Koester, the creative force behind Two Dark Birds, joins Brett in the Kaatscast studio for a deep, generous conversation about songwriting, place, and the long arc of making music in the Catskills. With the band’s fifth studio album, Dreamers of the Golden Dream, Vol. 1, arriving February 27, Steve reflects on the evolution of his sound—from full‑band records to quiet, introspective work and back again—and how living in the mountains continues to shape his writing.

Steve shares the origin story of Two Dark Birds, the move from New York City to the Catskills, the band’s shifting lineup, and the role of analog recording in a digital world. He talks about the emotional terrain behind songs like “Born to Fall,” “Good Boy Good,” and “Kid, I’m Fried,” and performs several tracks live in the studio.

The conversation also explores the realities of releasing music in 2026, the joys and limits of streaming platforms, the resurgence of vinyl, and the creation of Steve’s independent label, Vfib Records. 

Music Featured

• “Born to Fall” — live in studio

• “Good Boy Good” — from Dreamers of the Golden Dream, Vol. 1

• “Kid, I’m Fried” — live in studio

• “Girl of Summer” — album track (closing)

Links & Resources

• Two Dark Birds — ⁠⁠https://twodarkbirds.com⁠⁠

• Vfib Recordings — ⁠⁠https://www.vfibrecordings.com⁠⁠

• The Woods Studio (Todd Adelman) — ⁠⁠https://thewoods.studio⁠⁠

• Bearsville Theater — ⁠⁠https://bearsvilletheater.com⁠⁠

Photo credit: Sam Erickson

In this episode, we visit Pogliani Select, purveyors of artisanal, estate‑grown olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars sourced directly from small family farms across Italy and Croatia. From the hills of Tuscany and the groves along the Adriatic to a tasting room in the Catskills, we explore how these Old‑World traditions travel across continents — and why the craft behind them matters.

This conversation is part tasting, part education, and part journey into the people, places, and practices that shape truly exceptional oils and balsamics.

What We Cover

🫒 The origins of Pogliani Select and how they curate estate‑grown oils and balsamics

🫒 What “estate‑grown” and “small‑batch” actually mean — and why they matter

🫒 How to taste olive oil and balsamic like a pro

🫒 Why the Catskills are a natural home for a Mediterranean tasting experience

🫒 Stories from the Italian and Croatian producers behind the bottles

🫒 How education shapes Pogliani Select’s mission as purveyors

🫒 Tips for choosing and using high‑quality oils and balsamics at home

About Pogliani Select

Pogliani Select partners directly with multi‑generation family farms, importing oils and balsamics that reflect place, tradition, and meticulous craft. Their mission blends purveying with educating — helping people understand not just what they’re tasting, but the heritage behind it.

Takeaway

This episode is an invitation to slow down, taste with intention, and appreciate the craftsmanship behind oils and balsamics that carry centuries of tradition — now poured and shared in the Catskills.

Cover image credit: Meigan Arnone

In this special long‑form conversation, Brett Barry sits down with legendary angler‑writer and publisher Nick Lyons, now 93, whose life has been shaped by water, words, and the Catskills. From a childhood spent catching frogs for pocket money to founding one of the most influential fishing imprints in America, Nick’s story is a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and literary devotion.

Recorded in Nick’s home in Woodstock, this episode traces his journey from the Bronx to the Beaverkill, from boarding school loneliness to the rhythms of trout streams, from early rejections to a flourishing writing and publishing career. Along the way, Nick reflects on family, loss, love, teaching, and the deep satisfactions of a life lived close to rivers.

In This Episode

• Growing up in the Bronx with Yiddish‑speaking grandparents and bachelor uncles

• Boarding school memories and discovering fishing at Ice Pond

• Summers at the Laurel House in Haines Falls — frogs, creeks, and Catskills lore

• Seeing the Hindenburg fly overhead as a child

• A difficult stepfather and moves from Mount Vernon to Brooklyn

• The Army years and the beginnings of serious reading

• Falling in love with literature at the New School, Bard, and the University of Michigan

• Meeting Mari — art, shyness, and a life partnership

• Early writing struggles and a breakthrough with Field & Stream

• Finding his voice: earthy, nimble, wry, and rooted in lived experience

• Fishing the Catskills — rhythms, hatches, freestone rivers, and memory

• Why salmon fishing never clicked

• Teaching for decades while building a parallel career in publishing

• Reviving classic fishing literature and launching The Lyons Press

• The rise of Sportsman’s Classics and the explosion of modern fly‑fishing writing

• Why he eventually stopped fishing and what he misses most

Nick Lyons is one of the most influential figures in American angling literature — but his story is far larger than fishing. It’s about reinvention, persistence, and the way a life can be shaped by curiosity and attention. This episode captures a voice that is warm, reflective, and still sharp with humor and insight.

Links & References

• Nick Lyons’s memoir Fire in the Straw

• The Seasonable Angler

• Nick's presentation at the Jerry Bartlett Angling Collection

• Mari Lyons Studio

New York State Historic Newspapers Project with Chuck Henry

Episode Overview

Dive into the largest state newspaper archive in the country! Chuck Henry, Project Lead for New York State Historic Newspapers, takes us through this incredible digital repository containing over 1,200 newspaper titles, 1.5 million editions, and more than 15 million pages—all available free of charge.

Guest

Chuck Henry

IT Coordinator, Northern New York Library Network

Project Lead, New York State Historic Newspapers

What You'll Learn

🗞️ How the project transformed microfilm archives into a searchable digital collection

🗞️ The breadth of the collection: from 1725 to 2025, covering all 62 New York counties

🗞️ Tips and tricks for searching the database effectively

🗞️ Why this matters for genealogists, historians, students, and curious locals

🗞️ The difference between this free public resource and commercial databases

🗞️ How libraries and historical societies can get their collections digitized

Key Topics Discussed

📰 The Problem with Microfilm

📰 Chuck explains why libraries desperately needed a better solution than basement microfilm readers and hours of manual searching.

📰 Building the Archive

📰 Started in 2004 as Northern New York Historic Newspapers

📰 Expanded statewide in 2014

📰 Now adds approximately 500,000 new pages every year

📰 Second largest freely available newspaper archive in the U.S. (behind Library of Congress)

What's in the Collection

⌨️ 1,200+ newspaper titles from across New York State

⌨️ Earliest: New York Gazette (February 1725)

⌨️ Most recent: Freeport High School newspaper (June 2025)

⌨️ Includes Catskills papers like the Catskill Mountain News, Delaware County Dairyman, Gilboa Monitor, and Callicoon Local Record

⌨️ Multiple languages: English, German, Spanish, Italian, Gaelic, and Native languages

Search Tips from the Expert

🖱️Start with county-based browsing using the interactive map

🖱️Use Boolean search operators and quotation marks for precise results

🖱️Try alternative spellings for older papers with imperfect OCR

🖱️Browse by specific dates to see multiple newspapers' coverage of historical events

🖱️Create a free account to save searches and make notes

Who Uses It

👉 Genealogists researching births, deaths, marriages, and property transfers

👉 Amateur and professional historians

👉 Students from K-12 through university level

👉 Authors and journalists

👉 Local communities preserving their heritage

The Process

Libraries and historical societies can submit their collections

Funding often available through Empire State Library Network councils

Scanning done in-house in Potsdam, NY

OCR technology makes everything searchable

Original microfilm preserved as permanent backup

Notable Finds Mentioned

Desperate fight with a bear (Stanford Mirror, 1876)

Bootleg liquor tragedy (Delaware Republican, 1926)

Restaurant ads from the 1970s

The "Spiedie Sandwich" historical marker project

Copyright and Access

Content pre-1920s is public domain

1920s-1960s content varies by copyright status

Post-1960s content requires written permission

Everything available free of charge—no paywalls or subscriptions

Resources

New York State Historic Newspapers

New York Heritage

Get Involved

Libraries and historical societies can contact the Northern New York Library Network about digitization services

Create a free account to save searches and research

Optional monthly newsletter available

🎙️ Production Credits

Kaatscast is a biweekly production of Silver Hollow Audio

Host, producer: Brett Barry

Transcription: Jerome Kazlauskas

More at kaatscast.com

Sponsored by The Mountain Eagle

🫆 Mystery Bonus

Do you know where the Mountain Eagle's missing archives are? Previous owners either destroyed them or the microfilm is languishing in an undisclosed ... basement? Contact the show if you have leads!

Prescribed Fire in the Catskills: Restoring a Lost Tool

In this episode, Brett sits down once again with Ryan Trapani, Director of Forest Services at the Catskill Forest Association, to explore the surprising ecological value of prescribed fire in the Northeast.

Recorded fireside at the Kaatscast studio, this conversation digs into the science, history, and cultural memory of fire in the Catskills, and why small, carefully managed burns may be key to healthier forests, richer wildlife habitat, and a more resilient landscape.

Key Topics

• Why fire disappeared from Northeastern land management — and why that’s a problem

• How Indigenous communities shaped ecosystems with fire

• What “pyrogenic species” like oak and chestnut need to thrive

• The Catskill Forest Association’s new prescribed burn program

• How controlled burns can improve wildlife habitat and biodiversity

• The challenges of permits, insurance, and public perception

• What early‑successional habitat is — and why we’re losing it

• Lessons from the Albany Pine Bush and Shawangunk Ridge

About the CFA Prescribed Burn Program

Ryan outlines CFA’s cautious, incremental approach to reintroducing fire on private lands — starting with low‑complexity field burns, building community familiarity, and navigating the regulatory and insurance landscape. The goal: restore a long‑missing tool to the Catskills’ silvicultural toolbox.

In this episode of Kaatscast, Brett visits Sleepover Trading Company in Catskill, New York—a new video rental shop rebuffing the algorithmic grip of streaming platforms by reviving the analog joy of VHS tapes, comic books, and sleepover culture. Owners Rob Ribar and Guido Sanchez share how their passion for collecting movies, comics, and memorabilia evolved into a retro storefront in the historic Catskill Community Theater.

Together, they explore the legacy of Video Visions, a beloved Chatham video store whose 20,000‑title collection now lives on at Sleepover Trading. Along the way, they reflect on the lost art of browsing shelves, the freedom of discovery beyond algorithms, and the nostalgia of sleepovers filled with horror flicks, trading cards, and late‑night laughter.

Highlights:

• The VHS revival: Why physical tapes still matter in an era of disappearing streaming titles.

• Video Visions legacy: Preserving Steve Campbell’s 20,000‑movie collection as a living library.

• Sleepover culture: Comics, toys, trading cards, and the perfect mix of nostalgia.

• Analog over algorithms: How human curation fosters true discovery.

• Community connections: From flea markets to local artists, building Catskill’s movie hub.

• Lost media preservation: Taped‑off‑TV VHS archives, commercials, and forgotten gems.

• Membership perks: Rentals without late fees, access to rare titles, and even VCR equipment.

Links:

Sleepover Trading Company: https://linktr.ee/sleepovertradingco

Video Visions (documentary): https://youtu.be/6h3VvS5N8g0

In this episode of Kaatscast, host Brett Barry visits Catskill Collectibles, a unique shop in Catskill, NY, curated by Tom Illari. The shop specializes in Catskills memorabilia, blending new creations with rare vintage items going back to the 19th century. Tom shares his journey from a finance career to running the shop and his lifelong passion for the Catskills, highlighted by his extensive personal collection of historical items. Brett and Tom chat about the nuanced relationship between the village of Catskill and the broader Catskills region, the resurgence of the area as a vacation destination, and the evolving interests of collectors and tourists alike.

00:00 Introduction to Catskill Collectibles

01:21 Tom Illari's Journey to Catskill

03:01 The Origins of Catskill Collectibles

04:57 From Personal Collection to Business

07:53 Expanding the Shop's Offerings

09:03 Showcasing Unique Vintage Items

15:38 The Community and Local Collaborations

16:56 Tom's Lifelong Connection to the Catskills

18:27 The Resurgence of the Catskills

19:22 Challenges and Future of Vintage Collecting

20:15 Customer Demographics and Shop Dynamics

21:46 Reflections and Future Plans

22:46 Holiday Shopping and Popular Items

23:35 Local Pronunciations and Community Insights

24:46 Catskill's Vibrant Main Street

26:42 Tom's Favorite Memories and Nature's Draw

28:19 How to Visit Catskill Collectibles

29:55 Conclusion and Podcast Information

Measuring Snow: Citizen Science in the Catskills

Summary: Winter in the Catskills isn’t just about skiing, sledding, or shoveling. Snowpack plays a critical role in our water resources, local economies, and even global climate regulation. In this episode, Brett Barry speaks with Dr. Marco Tedesco of Columbia University’s Lamont‑Doherty Earth Observatory, about the NASA‑funded X‑Snow Project — a citizen science initiative inviting volunteers to measure, photograph, and collect snow data across the region.

Together, they explore how local observations help validate satellite models, improve climate predictions, and build community engagement around environmental stewardship.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

• Snow as a climate regulator: Why reflective snowpack matters for Earth’s energy balance.

• Citizen science superheroes: How everyday volunteers contribute to NASA‑funded research.

• Snowpack vs. snow depth: Understanding SWE (snow water equivalent) and why density matters.

• Local impacts: Shorter winters, more rain events, and what that means for Catskills tourism, groundwater, and flood risk.

• Microplastics in snow: Emerging research on contaminants entering our water systems.

• Community partnerships: The Catskill Center’s role in training and outreach.

• How to get involved: Simple Tier‑1 measurements with nothing more than a ruler, or level up to advanced lab sampling.

📌 Resources & Links

• Learn more or volunteer: x‑snow.us

• Resources and supplies: catskillsvisitorcenter.org

• Full episode archive: kaatscast.com

  
  

Did you know the Catskill region was once tropical—and south of the equator?! In this episode, Brett Barry visits the Gilboa Museum and Juried History Center to explore one of the oldest fossilized forests on Earth. Education Chair Kristen Wyckoff shares her decades-long passion for paleobotany, the story behind Gilboa’s world-famous Devonian tree stumps, and discoveries unearthed during the Schoharie Reservoir construction, dam restoration, and creek bed fossil hunts.

From lungfish and sea scorpions to the mysterious “snake tree,” we dig into the prehistoric past of upstate New York and learn how mud, minerals, and mural magic preserve a forest that predates the Catskills themselves.

🪨 Highlights

• 🌴 Gilboa’s tropical past—when the region was south of the equator

• 🦴 Fossil discoveries during Schoharie Reservoir construction

• 🎨 Kristen’s murals and museum exhibits

• 📚 A children’s book adventure through the Devonian

• 🐟 Sea creatures, spore trees, and sedimentary surprises

• 🏛️ How a generous hometown alum helped build a fossil-focused museum complex

🔗 Resources

• Visit the museum: ⁠gilboafossils.org⁠

• Kristen Wyckoff’s children’s book: ⁠Dennis’s Devonian Adventure⁠

• Learn more: ⁠The Catskill Fossil Forest⁠ by Stein, Hernick, and Mannolini

📍 Broadcast Info

Kaatscast is now broadcasting a public radio edition! Saturdays at 11 AM on WJFF Radio Catskill (90.5 FM). Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on Instagram @kaatscast.

🎙️ Neighbors on the Front Lines: Margaretville FD and the Spirit of Catskills Volunteerism

Episode Description: In this episode of Kaatscast, we head to Margaretville, New York, where volunteer firefighters train for blitz attacks—a high-volume water technique used to knock down fires fast. But this story goes beyond the hose line. It’s about community, commitment, and declining volunteerism nationwide.

With over 90% of New York’s fire departments staffed by volunteers, towns like Margaretville rely on neighbors—teachers, shopkeepers, reporters, and retirees—to respond when disaster strikes. Hear from training officer Jon Schebesta and longtime volunteers like Nate Hendricks, Lissa Harris, and others, as they share personal stories, challenges in recruitment, and the evolving role of fire departments in rural life.

From floods to flames, prop windows to real emergencies, this episode honors the people who show up—when the siren sounds in the middle of dinner.

Topics Covered:

• Blitz attack training and deck gun drills

• Declining volunteerism in rural communities

• Personal stories from Margaretville FD members

• Emergency response beyond firefighting

• Roles for volunteers of all backgrounds

• Funding and equipment in rural departments

Location: Margaretville Fire Department, Catskills, NY

Listen & Subscribe: Stream anytime at kaatscast.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @kaatscast.

Watch the short documentary, Growing Up Catskills, featuring Phoenicia's Gene Gormley: https://vimeo.com/224535275

In 1985, Bob Steuding published The Last of the Handmade Dams: The Story of the Ashokan Reservoir, a historically rich account of the building of the Ashokan Reservoir—and the lives displaced in its wake. Forty years later, the book remains a cornerstone of Catskills regional history and the inaugural title from Purple Mountain Press.

In this episode, we visit Bob and Martha Steuding at their 18th-century stone farmhouse near the reservoir. Literary correspondent Rebecca Rego Barry sits down with Bob to reflect on a life rooted in place, the founding of Purple Mountain Press, and the emotional legacy of a dam that reshaped a landscape—and the lives within it.

Ken Posner is an ultrarunner, barefoot hiker, and challenge-seeker whose latest book, Chasing the Grid, chronicles his quest to summit 35 Catskill high peaks in every month—a challenge known as “The Grid.” That’s 420 climbs, through every season, in pursuit of something deeper than endurance.

In this episode, Ken shares how the experience became a spiritual journey, shaped by minimalism, transcendentalist thinking, and a deep connection to the land.

Available now 📚 Chasing the Grid: An Ultrarunner's Physical and Spiritual Journey in Pursuit of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge

⌨️ Barefoot Ken on the web

In this episode, Brett hits the trail with longtime Catskill 3500 Club member (and current president) Michael Bongar for a hike to Southwest Hunter Mountain—one of the club’s required peaks and a rite of passage for aspiring members.

Founded in 1962, the Catskill 3500 Club encourages hikers to summit 33 peaks over 3,500 feet—plus four of them again in winter. But it’s more than a checklist. Through trail maintenance, education, and conservation advocacy, the club fosters a deep connection to the Catskills.

Michael shares stories from decades of hiking, reflects on the club’s evolution, and—yes—recounts his time as a professional clown, offering a surprisingly poignant parallel between performance and trail camaraderie. From herd paths to canisters, elevation gain to ethics, this episode is a love letter to the mountains and the community that keeps them wild.

Catskill 3500 Club: https://www.catskill3500club.org

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Trail-A-Thon 2025: http://bit.ly/gotrailathon

🎙 Platte Clove Preserve: A Small Parcel with Big Impact  Presented by Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast

Host Brett Barry visits the Platte Clove Preserve with Jeff Senterman and Kali Bird of the Catskill Center to explore the surprising significance of a newly acquired 3.6-acre parcel. Though small in size, this land plays a vital role in preserving wilderness access, ecological integrity, and the scenic character of the Catskills. The episode also reflects on Jeff and Kali’s 10-year journey with the Catskill Center and its evolving role in advocacy, stewardship, and community engagement.

🔗 Resources & Mentions 

• Catskill Center – catskillcenter.org 

• Hanford Mills Museum – hanfordmills.org 

• Briars & Brambles Books – briarsandbramblesbooks.com 

• Mountain Eagle News – mountaineaglenews@gmail.com

🎧 Credits 

Producer/Host: Brett Barry

Guests: Jeff Senterman & Kali Bird

Transcript: Jerome Kazlauskas

Announcements: Campbell Brown

Production: Silver Hollow Audio

More info: kaatscast.com | Instagram: @kaatscast

Adjacent to the Willowemoc Wild Forest, in the Sullivan Catskills, a 3100-acre parcel once eyed for development is now safeguarded for future generations. In this episode, we chronicle the Open Space Institute’s landmark deal, and potentially the largest acquisition for the Catskills in nearly 25 years.

From the quiet negotiations with landowners to the sweeping implications for climate resilience and watershed health, this episode dives deep into what makes Blue Hill so important to the region.

Key highlights include:

• Behind-the-scenes details on how OSI’s team identified and secured the property

• The role of Blue Hill in protecting coldwater streams critical to downstream communities

• A look back at Blue Hill’s brushes with development, including a ski resort derailed by liquor restrictions

• What the public can expect in terms of access, trails, and community engagement

• Reflections on regional conservation wins and what they signal for the future

Hear from Tom Gravel, OSI's Northeast Project Manager, and Charlie Burgess, OSI’s Northern NY Stewardship Manager about OSI's strategic land acquisitions—and how they are advancing New York’s commitment to conserve 30% of its lands and waters by 2030 under the state’s 30x30 initiative.

How does the botanical elegance of a 19th-century artist find new life in contemporary design?

In this episode of Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast, host Brett Barry follows the enduring influence of Emily Cole—daughter of Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole—whose delicate hand-painted ceramics helped define her artistic legacy. Cole was a founding member of the New York Society of Ceramic Arts in 1892, and she advocated for china painting to be recognized as fine art. Her floral porcelain was “highly prized and much sought after,” admired for its lifelike detail and expressive form.

In a special pop-up collaboration, tattoo artist Kelsey Lue brought Cole’s botanical watercolors—on exhibit at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site—into a new medium. Clients at Hummingbird Tattoo were invited to choose from Emily Cole–inspired designs, bridging past and present through artistic interpretation.

The exhibit, titled EMILY COLE: Ceramics, Flora & Contemporary Responses, is on view at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site from May 3 to November 2, 2025.

Featuring insights from curator Amanda Malmstrom and moments from the tattoo chair, this episode celebrates Emily Cole’s creative spirit and the artists who continue her legacy through reimagined design.

Guests:

• Kelsey Lue – Tattoo artist, Hummingbird Tattoo

• Amanda Malmstrom – Associate Curator, Thomas Cole National Historic Site

• Jaime Pedersen – Tattoo client

Links:

• Hummingbird Tattoo: https://www.hummingbirdtattoo.com

• Thomas Cole National Historic Site (Emily Cole exhibit): https://thomascole.org

  
  

Follow Kaatscast: Instagram: @kaatscast Newsletter & archives: https://kaatscast.com

Is leaving the woods alone really the best way to preserve them? According to forester Ryan Trapani of the Catskill Forest Association, “doing nothing” comes with hidden costs—and a whole lot of shade-loving trees. In this immersive forest consultation, Ryan pays a visit to host Brett Barry's property to explore hands-on stewardship, the limits of laissez-faire ecology, and the surprising power of sunlight in shaping forest health.

In this episode:

• How to spot hazard trees before they fall (and cost you)

• Why “doing nothing” might be the worst forest strategy

• Tree-for-tree advice on pruning, spacing, and crop tree management

• Sunlight as a limiting factor in Catskill forest health

• Tips for invasive pest management: ash decline & hemlock woolly adelgid

• CFA’s hands-on services, from mushroom inoculation to apple grafting

Plus, hear Ryan’s reflections on 700+ episodes of From the Forest radio—and learn how CFA’s independent, community-driven model helps landowners steward their properties with purpose.

More info: 🌿 catskillforest.org 📡 CFA’s radio show: fromtheforest.podbean.com

Please keep in touch at kaatscast.com, rate and review on the podcast app of your choice, and follow us on Instagram.

Sure, you can drive from NYC to the Catskills in just under 3 hours. But as "Doobby," the taxi driver in Planes, Trains and Automobiles says, "You don't see nothing on the interstate but interstate." In this episode, host Brett Barry walks with ⁠Casey Kelbaugh⁠ on a stretch of the "Long Path," a 358-mile trail from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to the edge of the Adirondack Park. Casey recounts his 27-day hike from East 4th Street in Manhattan to his cabin in the Catskills via the Long Path, an experience he then ⁠shared in the travel section of the New York Times⁠.

00:00 Introduction to the Catskills Voyage

00:15 Discovering the Long Path

00:52 Sponsors and Supporters

01:30 Casey's Journey Begins

02:18 Hiking the Long Path

05:40 Challenges and Reflections

13:16 Community and Connections

26:02 The Final Stretch

29:19 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview

Exploring Howes Cave: History, Tragedy, and Tourism

Historian and author Dana Cudmore, a former tour guide and current chronicler of Howes Cave, Howe Caverns, and Schoharie County's "Cave Country," gives us a lay of the land and recalls the oft-repeated question, " Anybody ever die down here?"

Cudmore recounts in his 2024 book, The Cave Electrician’s Widow: The Tragedy at Howe Caverns & Dramatic Courtroom Fight for Justice, the story of two Howe Caverns employees who tragically asphyxiated in response to a nearby dynamite blast on April 24, 1930. The conversation describes the events of that tragic day, as well as the continuing allure and industrial significance of the caves and surrounding area.

Buy a copy of The Cave Electrician's Widow here, and use code KAATSCAST for 25% off plus free shipping!

Enter here for a chance to win a signed copy!

00:00 Introduction: The Popular Question

00:16 History of Howe Caverns

02:04 Touring Cave Country

03:18 Lester Howe's Discovery of Howe Caverns

06:20 Secret Caverns and Fraternal Rivalries

11:17 The 1930 Tragedy

21:56 Modern-Day Mining in Howes Cave

22:52 Conclusion and Author's Reflections

This episode of Kaatscast features an interview with Don Dales, a key figure in transforming Hobart, New York, into Hobart Book Village. The journey began with a single bookstore in a declining village and expanded into a book lovers' destination with seven bookstores, the Book Village Inn & Bar, and annual events, attracting visitors from far and wide. Dales discusses the initial challenges, community resistance, and the eventual success that turned Hobart into a thriving literary hub in The Catskills' Delaware County.

00:00 Introduction to Hobart Book Village

00:24 The History of Hobart and Its Bookstores

01:58 Interview with Don Dales

06:21 The Decline and Revival of Hobart

10:18 The Book Village Concept Takes Shape

17:19 The Impact of Media and Future Prospects

23:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode, Captain Drewski of the Delhi Polecats, formerly known as the Delhi Vintage Baseball Club, joins us to discuss the revival of vintage baseball in Delaware County, New York.

Drewski shares the historical significance of a 200-year-old baseball challenge documented in an 1825 edition of the Delaware Gazette, marking the earliest recorded organized game of baseball in the United States. The Hamden 9, as part of the town's bicentennial celebrations, continue the tradition of playing baseball by 1800s rules using period-accurate attire and equipment. For more on Hamden, NY's bicentennial celebration, head over to hamden1825.org.

Tune in to learn more about the history, teams, and events that honor this unique variation of America's pastime; plus, an investigation into the claim that a Catskills paper was the very first to put a baseball game in print!

For even more, check out an episode we produced in 2021 with the M.A.C.'s Collin "Stumpy" Miller during spring practice on Creamery Field in Bovina, NY.

00:00 Introduction to Vintage Baseball in Delaware County

01:00 Meet the Hamden 9: A New Vintage Baseball Team

01:32 The Historical Significance of 1825 in Hamden

02:03 Sponsorship and Support for Vintage Baseball

02:40 Formation and Growth of the Delhi Polecats

06:10 The Unique Charm of Vintage Baseball

06:51 Debating the Origins of Baseball

07:57 The 1825 Baseball Challenge in Hamden

09:12 Celebrating Hamden's Bicentennial

13:24 The Rise of Vintage Baseball in the Catskills

18:22 Upcoming Events and Invitations

19:14 Listener Feedback and Conclusion

This episode explores an overnight camping trip led by Melissa Goodwin, a licensed guide and founder of 'Girl Gotta Hike,' aimed at encouraging women to connect with the outdoors. Olivia Sippel, our production intern, shares her first camping experience in the Catskills, guided by Melissa, also known by her trail name 'Click.' The story delves into how Melissa's passion for hiking evolved, and the creation of her hiking service, with a focus on women and accessibility. The episode highlights their journey, history and insights from the Appalachian Trail, and the impact of outdoor adventures on personal growth.

00:00 Introduction to Public Transit Hiking

00:44 Olivia's First Camping Experience

01:23 Melissa's Trail Name and Appalachian Trail Journey

04:38 Signing In and Exploring the Trail

07:56 Trail Lunch and Devil's Path

10:53 The Birth of Girl Gotta Hike

24:36 Conclusion and Reflections

For stories about trailblazing women of the 19th century, check out Purple Mountain Press's new edition of Breaking Trail: Remarkable Women of the Adirondacks. Enter code KAATSCAST for 25% off + free shipping through 5/31/2025.

Kaatscast spoke with Cornell University researchers about their latest investigations into New York State bobcat population abundance and the discovery of avian influenza (bird flu) in these wild felines.

Featuring Jenny Bloodgood, a wildlife veterinarian, and Haley Turner, a Cornell graduate student, the podcast explores their collaborative efforts to assess bobcat abundance and health using GPS collar tagging and camera trap stations. The discussion highlights various diseases affecting bobcats, including avian influenza, which has been detected in several sampled animals. The conversation also touches on historical challenges faced by bobcats, conservation efforts, and the implications of their findings for wildlife management.

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00:00 Introduction to Bobcat Research

01:41 Meet the Researchers

04:35 Bobcat Population History

05:41 Research Methods and Findings

12:43 Health and Disease in Bobcats

17:09 Impact of Avian Influenza

29:30 Human Influence and Conservation

37:21 Conclusion and Future Research

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Cover photo courtesy of Joshua Twining

Exploring the Magical World of Mushrooms with Catskill Fungi's John Michelotti

In this episode of Kaatscast, host Brett Barry interviews John Michelotti, mushroom maven and founder of Catskill Fungi. John draws listeners into the enchanting and complex world of fungi, sharing his journey from an outdoor guide to becoming an enthusiastic mycology educator. Recorded at Catskill Fungi's commercial kitchen in Pine Hill, the episode delves into the life cycle of mushrooms, their ecological roles, cultivation methods, and the mysteries of mycelium. John discusses the various types of mushrooms found in the Catskills, including edible, poisonous, and even mind-altering varieties. The episode also highlights the health benefits of mushroom extracts from varieties like Reishi, Lion's Mane, and Chaga. John is one one of the Catskill Center's "50 Stewards of the Catskills." Oh, and he's a super "fun-guy." Mwah-ha-ha!

00:00 Introduction to Seasonal Mushrooms

00:26 Meet John Michelotti: The Mushroom Maven

01:37 The Journey to Mushroom Mastery

05:55 Understanding Fungi and Mycelium

08:43 The Ecological Role of Fungi

16:51 Mushroom Cultivation Techniques

18:58 Edible and Toxic Mushrooms

23:57 Mushroom Identification and Walks

24:41 Mushroom Foraging Adventures

25:17 Fungi Cultivation Workshops

25:57 Diversity of Edible Mushrooms

26:19 Mushroom Production in the US

27:36 Identifying Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms

29:14 Psychedelic Mushrooms in the Catskills

32:03 Processing Mushrooms into Extracts

38:26 Health Benefits of Mushroom Extracts

44:23 Conclusion and Contact Information

Newly appointed Ulster County historian Eddie Moran discusses the role of a municipal historian and emphasizes the importance of presenting a complete and accurate history that includes all groups, with one such focus on the indigenous Lenape people. Moran, a SUNY New Paltz graduate and descendant of the region's Huguenot and Dutch colonists, shares his experiences working with various local organizations to expand the historical narrative. The episode also features a tour of the Ulster County Hall of Records led by archivist Jonathan Palmer, exploring the extensive archival collections and discussing the preservation and digitization efforts.

00:00 Introduction and Context

00:27 Meet Eddie Moran: Ulster County's New Historian

01:38 Eddie's Journey and Passion for History

06:55 The Role and Responsibilities of a County Historian

10:54 Challenges and Goals in Historical Narratives

16:50 Exploring the Ulster County Hall of Records

19:34 Preserving History: Techniques and Challenges

27:38 Significant Historical Documents and Their Stories

38:55 Conclusion and Credits

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Audio recording by Izzy Schuyler

Behind-the-scenes video by Ruby Zuckerman

The Overlook, a new nonprofit newspaper, describes itself as "community journalism serving Hunter, Hurley, Olive, Saugerties, Shandaken and Woodstock."

At a time when newspapers in America are disappearing at a rate of about 2.5 per week, The Overlook is attempting to buck that trend with community coverage and investigative reporting, served up weekly, in a free subscription model.

Join us for a conversation with its inaugural Editor-in-chief, Noah Eckstein, who's taking the lead in shaping a promising new publication in a part of the Catskills where news coverage is sparse.

Listen to the end, where we hear from 3 Kaatscast listeners who called in with reaction to our last show, "Wireless Watershed," about major communications gaps in the region.

Please keep in touch, at kaatscast.com, and on Instagram: @kaatscast

In a new effort to enhance communications in the Catskills, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is partnering with New York's ConnectALL initiative to expand wireless and broadband access throughout the New York City watershed.

The initiative was motivated by operational challenges faced by DEP staff due to poor cell coverage, and a recent Request for Information (RFI) seeks input from telecommunications providers and other stakeholders on how to eliminate cell phone dead zones.

In this episode, DEP Commissioner Rohit "Rit" Aggarwala and Water Supply Deputy Commissioner Paul Rush join host Brett Barry for a discussion about the RFI; why a robust communications network is increasingly crucial; and how a network could be built to benefit everyone in the region.

To put the complicated NYC/Catskills relationship into context, we check in with Lize Mogel––producer of the podcast series, Views from the Watershed––for a fascinating historical perspective.

We also hear from local Town Clerk Joyce Grant, whose anecdotal evidence illustrates just how dangerous cellular dead zones can be in the remote Catskills, where land lines and cable internet can also be scarce. Grant is frustrated by what she characterizes as a minority of residents who are opposed to cell towers marring the mountain landscape.

Referring to a proposal for a tower to be built in Shandaken, she says, "It's going to be a pole that's 85 feet tall, and it may be viewable above the trees... but it's a pole... that could save lives. We have to look at it like that."

For more than a century, the Catskills have provided New York City with billions of gallons of clean drinking water. Will NYC be the unlikely partner that –– finally –– brings wireless coverage to the Catskills?

00:00 Intro

00:26 NYC DEP's Wireless Communication Initiative

01:44 Joyce Grant's Pursuit for Better Communication

07:17 Challenges of Cell Service in the Catskills

10:34 Community Efforts and Future Plans

15:12 The Catskills and NYC Water Connection

16:15 The "Takings" and Eminent Domain

19:06 The 1990s MOA and Water Quality

23:29 Controversial Land Acquisition Program

24:24 City's Land Ownership and Broadband Infrastructure

24:56 New York City's Evolving Relationship with the Catskills

25:37 DEP's Land Purchase Strategy

27:46 Recreation and Utility Easements on City Land

29:11 Challenges and Opportunities for Broadband Expansion

32:06 Future of Wireless Communications in the Catskills

34:41 Funding and Implementation of Broadband Project

36:22 Historical Context and Technological Evolution

38:50 Public Engagement and Relationship Building

43:42 Climate Change and Water Supply

45:36 Personal Reflections and Memories of the Catskills

49:37 Conclusion and Podcast Information

Exploring the Legacy of Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates: The One-Legged Dancing Legend

In this live episode of Kaatscast, recorded at theEmerson Resort & Spa on November 8, 2024, host Brett Barry engages in a detailed discussion with Elinor Levy,Folk Arts Program Manager at Arts Mid Hudson, about the life and legacy of Clayton 'Peg Leg' Bates.

The show explores Bates' inspiring journey from losing a leg in a cotton gin accident at the age of 12 to becoming one of the most celebrated tap dancers, performing on Broadway and appearing on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' at least 21 times.

Elinor shares insights from her research, Bates' entrepreneurial venture in establishing an interracial resort in the Catskills, and his impact on the Black community. The episode includes personal anecdotes, clips from a documentary about Bates, and audience Q&A, enriching the narrative of Bates' remarkable resilience and contribution to the arts.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:38 Discovering Peg Leg Bates

01:36 Clayton Bates' Early Life and Career

03:07 Elinor Levy's Journey with Peg Leg Bates

04:53 The Peg Leg Bates Exhibit

06:45 Peg Leg Bates' Performances and Legacy

13:11 The Peg Leg Bates Resort

18:32 Community Impact and Personal Stories

24:56 The Decline of the Resort

30:44 Audience Q&A

41:06 Closing Remarks and Credits

Links:

⁠The Dancing Man documentary⁠

⁠Arts Mid-Hudson Folk Collection on Peg Leg Bates⁠

⁠Saints of Swing with David Winograd and Miss Rene Bailey⁠

Justin Kolb is an accomplished pianist who began playing at the age of four. Now 82, Justin continues to practice almost daily and performs intimate house concerts called "From the Bench," showcasing music "by living American composers as well as music that lives in undeserved obscurity."

Justin shares vivid memories from his early competitions to his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and recounts his time in the military where he balanced service with a budding concert career. After a successful stint in the business world, Justin returned to his passion for music, performing globally and conducting house concerts that are always a sellout. Tune in to hear about Justin’s extraordinary journey and his deep connection to the piano, culminating in a life dedicated to evoking emotion through music.

00:00 Introduction to Justin Kolb

01:04 Early Life and First Piano Lessons

02:19 Competitions and Early Success

05:04 Military Service and European Debut

08:54 Post-Military Career and Business Ventures

10:44 Return to Music and Retirement

13:10 From the Bench Concert Series

17:54 Reflections on Music and Practice

22:16 Conclusion and Contact Information

Grilled Cheese with a Twist: Lunch and Jam with New York First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer

Join us for a delightful culinary and conversational journey with Silda Wall Spitzer in her Hudson Valley home. In this episode, we explore Silda's gourmet jam business and taste a unique grilled cheese featuring brie and blueberry elderflower jam. Silda shares memories of how her jam-making journey began, her experiences as the former First Lady of New York, and her ongoing passion for sustainability and community service. Discover the blend of flavors in Silda's Jam, the ethos behind her entrepreneurship, and the stories that continue to inspire her work.

00:00 Introduction to a Gourmet Grilled Cheese

01:06 Meet Silda Wall Spitzer

01:42 The Origins of Silda's Jam

05:43 From First Lady to Jam Entrepreneur

06:29 Balancing Public and Private Life

10:05 Sustainability Initiatives in the Executive Mansion

13:18 A Diverse Career Beyond Albany

15:29 Innovations in Jam Making

17:53 Local Ingredients and Community Impact

19:19 Conclusion and Tasting the Grilled Cheese

21:44 Final Thoughts and Farewell

The episode explores a long-standing tradition of square dancing at the Chase (now Sparer) family home and barn, in Ashokan.

Host Brett Barry and production intern Olivia Sippel put on their dancing shoes and joined the fun, recording tales of traditional Catskills square dancing, and the musicians who are passing it down to a new generation of enthusiasts.

Fiddler and caller Earl Pardini leads the festivities at this particular event, which goes back to the 1970s. The barn where it's held has all the warmth and joviality of a Charles Dickens scene, and we felt very much welcomed into a mostly friends-and-family affair.

Featuring conversations with the Chase and Sparer families, the episode highlights deep-rooted Catskills traditions and includes insights from folklorist Ginny Shear and square dance caller Dane Scudder, who learned to "call" from a legend.

The episode is sponsored by Ulster Savings Bank, the Mountain Eagle, and Briars & Brambles Books. And if you're interested in joining our new member-listener program, we'd love to welcome you!

00:00 The Thanksgiving Square Dance Tradition

00:31 A Warm Welcome to the Chase Family Barn

01:37 The Origins of the Square Dance Tradition

02:55 The Sparer Family Continues the Legacy

03:48 Generational Memories of Square Dancing

05:24 Earl Pardini: The Fiddler and Caller

08:19 The Cultural Significance of Square Dancing

09:43 Fostering Traditional Catskills Square Dancing

11:55 The Future of Square Dancing

15:06 Concluding Thoughts and Future Adventures

15:37 Support and Sponsors

Unveiling the Mysteries of the North American Porcupine

In this episode of 'Kaatscast,' host Brett Barry delves into the fascinating world of the North American porcupine with Uldis Roze, the world's foremost expert on this mysterious and lovable Catskills rodent.

Hear about the porcupine's habitat preferences, diet, mating behaviors, and unique defense mechanisms. Roze addresses common misconceptions, shares personal encounters, and reveals insights from his decades-long research, including the discovery of the molecule responsible for the porcupine's distinctive smell.

The episode is sponsored by Ulster Savings Bank, the Mountain Eagle, and Briars & Brambles Books, where you might consider requesting a copy of Uldis's book, The North American Porcupine!

00:00 Introduction to Porcupines in the Catskills

00:43 Meet Uldis Roze: Porcupine Expert

01:41 Porcupine Basics and Misconceptions

03:18 From Chemistry to Mammalogy

04:53 First Encounters with Porcupines

06:04 The Lifelong Study of Porcupines

07:00 Porcupine Defense Mechanisms

12:22 Capturing and Studying Porcupines

20:39 Porcupine Classification and Evolution

24:11 Porcupine Mating and Reproduction

27:04 Winter Survival Strategies

30:34 Threats to Porcupine Population

33:25 Personal Stories and Reflections

39:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Image of "Musa" courtesy of Uldis Roze

Click here for a bonus clip of the "porcupine house."

This episode of "Katz"cast delves into the fascinating life and career of Morris Katz, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor and acclaimed painter known for his lightning-fast painting technique using a palette knife and toilet paper! Recognized by the Guinness World Records, Katz captivated audiences with his vibrant performance art in the Catskills, creating over 280,000 pieces.

Learn about his unique method, his impact on Jewish cultural history, and recent exhibitions celebrating his work. Listen for an in-depth story about this charismatic and prolific artist, and discover how one host's bid on a Katz painting sparked a journey of discovery.

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Clips provided by George Schlatter Productions.

Thanks to Eddy Portnoy at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

Memories of Morris Katz

Geoff Rogers Picture Framing

Real People TV report with Skip Stephenson

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00:00 Introduction to Morris Katz

01:48 Discovering Morris Katz

02:28 Morris Katz's Artistic Journey

03:14 YIVO Institute Exhibition

04:53 Eddie Portnoy's Encounter with Katz

06:00 Morris Katz's Unique Art Style

08:08 Katz in New York

09:28 Borscht Belt Museum Exhibit

11:08 Katz's Legacy

19:16 Conclusion and Personal Connection

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Kaatscast visits the unique International Museum of Dinnerware Design in Kingston, New York. Founded by Margaret Carney in 2012, the museum recently found its new home, offering dedicated exhibitions that celebrate the art and history of dining.

This episode highlights the museum's two inaugural exhibits, 'Dining Grails,' featuring renowned designers like Eva Zeisel; and 'Dining Memories,' showcasing a diverse array of dinnerware in nostalgic vignettes.

And for an 'interactive' experience like no other, visitors can step into the Instagram-ready 'a la carte gallery' and try their hand at the famous tablecloth trick. See how host Brett fared, in this slow-mo video.

00:00 Introduction to the Museum of Dinnerware Design

01:14 The Museum's Origins and Evolution

03:59 Why Kingston? The Journey to a New Home

06:17 Exploring the Inaugural Exhibits

07:36 Interactive Experiences and Unique Art Pieces

16:18 Dining Memories: A Walk Through Time

25:05 The Future of Dining and Museum's Vision

27:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This episode of Kaatscast delves into the transformative period of the 1830s in the United States, marked by mass enfranchisement and significant demographic changes.

The focus narrows to New York's Anti-Rent War (1839-1845), a period of political violence rooted in immigration anxiety and financial distress. Rebecca Rego Barry, our new literary correspondent (!), interviews author Jennifer Kabat about her new book, The Eighth Moon, which explores the Anti-Rent War and its legacy in the Catskills and beyond.

Kabat shares her research process, the radical political history she uncovered, and personal anecdotes about moving from London to the Catskills. The conversation evaluates the parallels between past and present political climates, culminating in a discussion about belonging and rebellion in rural America.

00:00 The Radical 1830s: A Time of Change

00:27 Exploring New York's Anti-Rent War

01:34 Interview with Jennifer Kabat

03:34 Discovering Local History

08:33 The Anti-Rent War Unfolds

17:07 Modern Parallels and Reflections

21:42 Community Connections and Belonging

27:31 Upcoming Works and Final Thoughts

34:39 Conclusion and Credits

We sat down with historian Samantha Misa in the Frisbee family cemetery to uncover some witchy tales from our collective Catskills past.

Just in time for Halloween, Samantha shares some haunted encounters from Delaware County's Frisbee House and recounts tales from her book, Witches of the Catskills, including Molly Meyers, "witch cat," in Gilboa area's "Spook Woods."

Misa recounts the challenges of researching historical witchcraft, using old newspapers and archival records to reconstruct the tales.

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00:00 Introduction: Do You Believe in Witches?

00:20 Halloween Costumes and Modern Witches

00:56 Historical Witches in the Catskills

01:42 The Frisbee Family Legacy

03:45 Haunted Tales of the Frisbee House

04:55 Researching Witches of the Catskills

08:16 Challenges in Witchcraft Research

09:56 Witchcraft and Cats: A Historical Perspective

11:59 The Dark Mysteries of the Catskills

12:53 Chilling Tales and Skepticism

15:17 Molly Myers and Spook Woods

18:50 The Esperance Witch

19:48 Modern Beliefs and Halloween

20:46 Closing Remarks and Credits

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Thanks to this week's sponsors: Briars & Brambles Books and The Mountain Eagle.

This episode takes us to the Woodstock Film Festival's Youth Film Lab, a three-week intensive filmmaking program for teens in Kingston, NY.

Each summer, participants learn filmmaking from industry professionals like Gregg Bray, Megan Sperry, Saskia Madlener, and David Becker. The YFL provides a tuition-free launchpad for young filmmakers to produce documentaries and narrative films, which go on in the fall to be screened at the ⁠Woodstock Film Festival⁠.

00:00 Introduction to a Creative Journey

00:23 Youth Film Lab Overview

01:50 Inside the Filmmaking Process

04:03 Meet the Instructors

12:07 Student Experiences and Reflections

14:42 Program Impact and Future Prospects

18:37 Conclusion and Festival Information

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Thanks to this week's sponsors: ⁠Briars & Brambles Books⁠, Ulster Savings Bank⁠, and ⁠The Mountain Eagle⁠.

Please rate and review on the podcast app of your choice. Thank you!

(Photo courtesy of Megan Sperry)

More than Maps: Insights from the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

In this episode of Kaatscast, host Brett Barry interviews Melissa Cascini, Senior Program Coordinator for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, during a hike on the Upper Ridge Trail at the Catskills Visitor Center. Melissa shares her journey with the organization, highlighting the importance of their iconic, durable trail maps and the broader scope of the Trail Conference's activities, including trail maintenance, public land protection, and battling invasive species through innovative programs like the conservation dog team. The discussion also delves into the conference's collaborations with other entities such as the DEC and various local clubs to maintain trails and infrastructure, especially in the Catskills region.

Melissa reflects on her passion for trails, the rewarding experience of working with dedicated volunteers, and how she balances professional responsibilities with her personal love for hiking and the outdoors.

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00:00 Introduction to the Trail Conference

00:17 Iconic Trail Maps

00:53 Meet Melissa Cassini

02:18 History and Mission of the Trail Conference

04:15 Partnerships and Collaborations

05:53 Trail Maintenance and Volunteer Work

09:52 Lean-to Projects and Accessibility

13:19 Getting Involved and Volunteer Opportunities

14:26 Personal Insights and Hobbies

16:05 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

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Thanks to this week's sponsors: Briars & Brambles Books, Hanford Mills Museum, and The Mountain Eagle.

Kaatscast is made possible through a grant from the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation, and through the support of listeners like you!

In the early 20th century, ⁠Cauliflower Was King⁠ in the western Catskills, and –– especially in the good years –– farmers called it "white gold." Historian Diane Galusha describes the origins of cauliflower farming in Margaretville, the rise and fall of the industry from the 1890s to the 1950s (and beyond), and the notable contribution of the Van Benschoten family. Plus, voices from the annual ⁠Cauliflower Festival⁠, celebrating its 20th year on September 21, 2024.

00:00 Introduction to Cauliflower and Personal Stories

00:55 Margaretville Cauliflower Festival Announcement

01:14 Historical Significance of Cauliflower in the Catskills

02:28 Interview with Historian Diane Galusha

03:47 The Rise and Fall of Cauliflower Farming

10:39 Challenges and Decline of the Industry

14:58 Legacy and Memories of Cauliflower Farming

20:11 Modern-Day Celebrations and Personal Anecdotes

22:59 Conclusion and Podcast Information

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Thanks to this week's sponsors: ⁠Briars & Brambles Books⁠, ⁠Hanford Mills Museum⁠, ⁠Ulster Savings Bank⁠, and ⁠The Mountain Eagle⁠.

Kaatscast is made possible through a grant from the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation, and through the support of ⁠listeners like you⁠!

Please rate and review on the podcast app of your choice. Thank you!

(Photo courtesy of Diane Galusha)

In this episode of Kaatscast, we explore the journey of Emily Li Mandri, founder of the women's accessories brand MLE, based in Saugerties, New York. Emily shares insights into the challenges and rewards of running a fashion brand in Upstate New York, her commitment to eco-conscious materials and sustainable fashion, and the influence of her family's background in apparel. We also hear from her assistant, New Paltz theater grad Kiana Duggan-Haas, about the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry. Tune in for an inspiring discussion on ethical fashion practices, local craftsmanship, and a life/work balance in the Catskills.

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Thanks to this week's sponsors: Briars & Brambles Books, Hanford Mills Museum, and The Mountain Eagle.

Kaatscast is made possible through a grant from the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation, and through the support of listeners like you!

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00:00 Introduction to MLE

01:40 Meet the Founder: Emily Li Mandri

03:20 Sustainability in Fashion

05:58 Challenges and Innovations in Sustainable Fashion

12:51 Living and Working in the Catskills

14:44 Building a Local and National Brand

17:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts