CATSKILLS AMERICA’S FIRST WILDERNESS
SPRING INTO ACTION TRACKING PLANTS
+ POLLINATORS IN YOUR BACKYARD
DON’T GET STUCK IN THE MUD CATSKILL MOUNTAIN PUDDING GREAT BLUE HERON COLORING PAGE
CATSKILLCENTER 1969 -2019
ISSUE 1 2019
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AT THE ERPF GALLERY
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CONTRIBUTORS
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SPRING INTO ACTION
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NATURAL RESOURCES: A NEW BOOK
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GREAT BLUE HERONS
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HERON MAMMA
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SNAPSHOT
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NEW KIDS AT THE CABIN
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DON’T GET STUCK IN THE MUD
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CATSKILL MOUNTAIN PUDDING
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A POETIC SUGGESTION
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ENDNOTE
Cover Photo: Kerissa Battle
Catskill Steward Michael DiBenedetto / Photo: Heather Phelps-Lipton
CONTENTS
June 14-July 19 ERPF GALLERY 43355 Route 28 Arkville, NY Mon-Fri 9:30am - 4:30pm
THE QUILTS OF LESLEY GREY
AT THE
ERPF GALLERY CATSKILL CENTER
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CONTRIBUTORS 2019 ISSUE 1
JEFF SENTERMAN Jeff is a Catskill native and when he’s not steering the ship that is the Catskill Center, can often be found atop a local peak. Jeff contributed his regular column, "Endnote" and is the Executive Director of the Catskill Center.
HEATHER PHELPS-LIPTON Heather edits and contributes to the magazine. She’s also the Catskill Center’s Director of Communications.
KELLI HUGGINS Visitor Experience Coordinator, Catskills Visitor Center Kelli is an historian, educator and native Catskillite. She experimented with and contemporized a 19th century recipe — Catskill Mountain Pudding.
WILL LYTLE aka Thorneater Comics Will is a Catskills-born and raised comic artist and illustrator. Deeply influenced by the natural environment of the Catskills, Will tries to capture the form of magic they inspire.
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KATIE PALM Katie Palm is the Catskill Center’s Director of Programs and spends many sun-filled days in Catskill streams talking to students about macroinvertebrates.
ANDY MOSSEY Andy has a knack and a passion for speaking up for public lands without a voice. Andy is the Stewardship and Advocacy Coordinator at the Catskill Center.
KERISSA BATTLE Kerissa Battle is a research ecologist and entrepreneur whose work is focused on social-ecological connectivity, network resilience, community science and plant-pollinator conservation. She founded the New York Phenology Project and works as a strategic advisor for organizations seeking to build capacity in the fields of conservation and education. Kerissa is a member of the Catskill Center’s Board of DIrectors.
MICHAEL DRILLINGER Michael enjoys the great outdoors and watching the many birds of the Catskills.
ABOUT US: Since 1969, the Catskill Center has protected and
CCCD can be reached at:
fostered the environmental, cultural and economic well-being of
43355 State Highway 28
the Catskill region.Our mission is to ensure a bright future for
Arkville, NY 12406
the Catskills by preserving our environment, expanding our economy
845.586.2611
and celebrating our culture. Become a member at: catskillcenter.
cccd@catskillcenter.org
org/membership
CATSKILL CENTER
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BY KERISSA BA T T L E
SPRING INTO ACTION TRACKING PLANTS AND POLLINATORS IN YOUR BACKYARD
AMIDST GROWING CONCERN OVER THE RAPID DECLINE OF POLLINATORS AND NATIVE PLANTS, A VIBRANT NETWORK OF OBSERVERS, HABITAT MAKERS AND CONSERVATION-MINDED GARDENERS ARE APPEARING ON THE SCENE TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 6 
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Unlike some environmental restoration efforts which require equipment or expensive instruments, building native pollinator habitats and tracking the timing of life cycle events in the natural world (known as "phenology monitoring") can be done by almost anyone with the interest and gumption. The idea of phenology isn’t complicated: observe the same plants in the same area over time and note how they change: when do they bud? When do they flower? Track the appearance or activities of particular animals: when do the Monarch butterflies arrive? When do the bluebirds nest? Whether you have volumes of experience with plants and/or animals or none, you can create a monitoring site that is connected to both regional and national efforts through the power of community science. More people collecting equals more relevant data.
CATSKILL CENTER
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Even if you have only a container garden
entire national dataset (the national
outside your house, or you tag one
platform is run by the USA National
red maple in your yard, or you (with
Phenology
permission from your town) mark
org). Some of the most beloved nature
plants on your favorite local trail and
preserves and institutions in the region
gather a group of friends to collectively observe — you can become a meaningful part of the larger effort. High-quality pollinator habitats (which are capable of increasing connectivity across a landscape) can be created in small backyard gardens or nature preserves — or even abandoned lots — by planting high-resource pollinator plants
that
bloom
sequentially
throughout the season. Create nesting sites for native pollinators by leaving parts of your yard or garden un-mowed or un-raked and leaving grasses long until early spring. It’s really that simple. Creativity and ecology have always converged in the Catskills and larger Hudson Valley area, so it’s no surprise that the region from NYC to the Catskills is currently submitting the most plant and pollinator phenology data in all of
PHOTOS: KARISSA BATTLE
New York State. The New York Phenology Project (NYPP), a networked community science initiative focused on climate change
impacts
on
plants
and
pollinators, began in 2012 and has since rapidly spread across the state. In 2018, NYPP contributed more than 10% of the
Network:
www.usa-npn.
PHENOPHASE’ REFERS TO THE DISTINCT LIFE CYCLE PHASES; I.E. BUDDING, FLOWERING, FRUITING, MIGRATING, HATCHING, ETC. are now involved and new monitoring sites pop up every year. The Catskills Visitor Center is currently setting up a plant and pollinator monitoring site and is looking for volunteers to aid the efforts of staff and board members. Monitoring
sites
are
created
for
various purposes: education, research, community engagement, and even for the development of a meditative practice.
Some
are
focused
on
monitoring plants (native or invasive), while others build pollinator gardens or other associated stewardship activities. Whatever their focus, they all contribute data to help understand the impact of climate change on organisms. These monitoring and habitat development sites are a potential game-changer for the plant-pollinator conservation movement; the dynamic interplay between data collection and restoration CATSKILL CENTER
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creates opportunities for adaptive management on a larger geographic scale. Big shifts in policy and procedures can come from the aggregation of small initiatives. Gardeners
are
naturally
intuitive
phenologists. When gardeners start, plant, cut back, harvest, or collect seeds, they are essentially tracking phenophases. (The term phenophase refers to the distinct life cycle phases: i.e. budding, flowering, fruiting, migrating, hatching, etc.) Phenology monitoring is the tracking of phenophases with no outcome in mind – like gardening with a zen mind— simple observation of what is with a patience for the next phase to manifest. Paying close attention to seasonal changes and a recording of when the changes occur is the essence of tracking phenology. There are a few practical reasons why a gardener might benefit from tracking phenology as part of an organized effort. To begin, it’s a chance to interact with plants and with other plant-lovers in a broader context. It’s also an opportunity to bring one’s skills to the aid of climate change mitigation efforts as well as join a movement of folks who are capturing important ecological data (regionally, nationally and globally) for future generations. 10
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Beyond the pure pleasure of phenology monitoring, you can also craft your garden or yard within the larger context of the surrounding ecosystem. You might begin to notice that the pollinators on your tomatoes are the same as those you see on the milkweed in the field. Perhaps you note that the red maples in your yard flower later than the red maples in town. You might wonder if the heavy fruit set on the mountain laurel near your garden happened due to your garden’s deep lushness which caused native pollinators to nest nearby. Which insects are arriving and when?
What birds are hanging around your
Voila!! An open flower appears where
gardens? What else is in bloom near
there once was a dormant bud.
your garden that might be attracting pollinators? You begin to realize that the
My husband and I set up a phenology
pollinators are not just servicing your
trail
garden, but you understand that your
includes our garden and intentional
plantings are actually feeding them.
pollinator patches. We check our plants
Maybe you will observe them move
nearly every day when taking our
from your garden to the patch of wild
dogs and babies on a walk. We get our
bergamot down the road (which you
exercise and slow down while taking
are also observing). Perhaps the birds
everything in. It is meditative and
are also feeding on the fertilized seeds
enlivening at the same time. At first this
of the wild bergamot at the end of the
noticing was a revelation for us. Then it
summer. Suddenly you’ve gone from
became a skill, which progressed into
intentionally observing your garden
an art and now it is our practice. When
participating in the performance of
we followed our passion for phenology
nature, a bustling play with you as both
monitoring, we came to a joyful and
actor and audience.
spiritual place: a place of noticing, of
OBSERVING THE YEAR-ROUND PHENOLOGY OF EVEN JUST A FEW PLANTS OR ANIMALS PUTS YOU IN CONTACT WITH THE WHOLE OF LIFE — EVERY PHENOPHASE ECHOES THE PHASES OF PERSONAL EXISTENCE
around
our
property,
which
presence, and of acceptance of what is. What could be better than practicing presence while contributing valuable ecological data in service of the land you love? - KB
As you watch, the seemingly glacial pace of change is suddenly punctuated by rapid transformation. INTERESTED IN CREATING BACKYARD POLLINATOR HABITAT? Resources are available at communitygreenways.org . If you’re interested in setting up an NYPP site, visit (nyphenologyproject.org) or contact Kerissa Battle at kerissabattle@gmail.com CATSKILL CENTER
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JAY UNGAR + MOLLY MASON / PHOTO: HEATHER PHELPS-LIPTON
50TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK HIGHLIGHTS 50 STEWARDS OF THE CATSKILLS The Catskill Center continues its
and some farmers, authors and
50th anniversary celebration this
musicians,
year with the publication of a book,
and civic leaders, retired school
Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of
teachers and a minister." Members
the Catskills, that celebrates 50
of the group share, "A singular
individuals in the region for their
commitment to the Catskills region
contributions
of New York State, where they all live".
to
the
Catskills’
policy
advocates
environment, economy and culture. Those
profiled
include,
Michael
Featuring photo portraits by Heather
Kudish, a student of Catskill forests
Phelps-Lipton
and
who notes that it took him 30 years
interviews by Jessie Koester, the
to understand why the summits
publication shines a spotlight on
of the Catskills high peaks are all
local residents with a wide range
different. ‘It was such a puzzle,’
of backgrounds. According to the
he says. Hiker Heather Rolland
introduction,
includes
tries to explain how reaching the
"..a hiker and a birder, a historian
summit of a Catskill mountain can
and
the
writing
book
CATSKILL CENTER
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be ‘visceral, almost mystical.’ And
individuals and their passion for the
publisher Geddy Sveikauskas, of
region are inspirations for all of us
the Woodstock Times and Ulster
that love these mountains."
Publishing,
says
that
reporting
news and telling the stories of multiple Catskills communities is ‘just endlessly fascinating, a kind of anthropology’" . "The Catskill Center could not do the work we do without people like this," said Markey Boyer, chair of the Catskill Center’s board, in announcing the publication. "Our communities
are
our
strength,
and the dedicated work of these 14
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NATURAL RESOURCES: 50 STEWARDS OF THE CATSKILLS CAN BE FOUND AT • CATSKILLCENTER.ORG/SHOP • CATSKILLS VISITOR CENTER • KAATERSKILL GALLERY & STORE
DIANE GALUSHA / PHOTO: HEATHER PHELPS-LIPTON
GREAT BLUE HERONS Great Blue Herons are the largest
mammals, insects, and even small
and most widespread heron in North
birds. They stand very still and wait
America. They range from Maine
for some unsuspecting prey to come
to Cuba, Washington State to Baja,
by. They then stab their prey with their
California, and all states in between.
sharp, dagger-like bill. Herons usually breed in colonies
Great Blue Heron body feathers are
between the months of February and
slate-gray with chestnut and black
May. They most often set up their
accents. Herons have very long necks
nests, which are made of sticks,
and very long legs. When they fly they
in trees close to wetlands. They lay
fold their necks into an "S" shape as
clutches of between 3 and 6 eggs that
their long legs trail behind. Full-grown
incubate for 28 days before they begin
herons stand 3 to 4’ feet high and
to hatch. If you find a Heron nesting
have up to 6 feet of wingspan.
ground, it is best to back away slowly and leave them alone. Herons are wary
They live in wetlands that include
of humans and will abandon their
lakes, streams, swamps, marshes,
nests if humans intrude.
and
- MD
ocean
shorelines—any
wet
place they can catch fish. They will also snack on amphibians, small
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HERON MAMMA - A COLORING PAGE — CREATED BY WILL LYTLE
Your tax-deductible donation supports healthy ecosystems and vibrant communities throughout the Catskill region.
CATSKILLCENTER 1969 -2019
Become a Member Individual ($35) Dual / Family ($50) Senior/Student ($25)
Catskillcenter.org/membership Or complete this form and mail to: CATSKILL CENTER P.O. BOX 504 ARKVILLE, NY 12406 NAME
SUBSCRIPTION to the Catskill Center’s quarterly newsletter with news from the Catskill Center and across the Catskill Region.
ADDRESS
10% DISCOUNT on purchases at the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center, all Catskill Center facilities and Campmor in Paramus, NJ with presentation of member card.
MEMBER ONLY INVITATIONS to the Annual Gathering, lectures and special events. ACCESS TO THE CATSKILL CENTER ARCHIVES at the Erpf Center in Arkville. Please contact the Catskill Center to schedule an appointment. MEMBER PACKAGE Members receive a membership package in the mail, including a member card and Catskill Center cling sticker.
CITY STATE
MEMBERSHIP LEVEL $35 — Individual $50 — Dual / Family $25 — Senior/Student $100 — Partnering member $250 — Benefactor $500 — Leadership Circle $1000 — President’s Circle
AMOUNT CARD # EXPIRATION SECURITY #
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ZIP
PHONE
Member Snapshot ANDREW DICLEMENTE "I was ten years old my Uncle Robert took me on my first camping trip to the Beaverkill River & Campground in Roscoe, NY. ...this wonderful outdoors experience changed my life and began a lifelong love of not only an outdoors lifestyle but also of the Catskills. Since then, I have been fortunate to participate in many activities throughout this region. One such special moment was back in 2012 when I participated as a volunteer interpreter for the Catskills Fire Tower Project—a fire tower volunteer program run by the Catskill Center. A few times throughout the summer and early fall season I would leave New Jersey early in the morning, park in the lot by Mount Tremper and hike up the 3 miles of trail to open the tower up so that visitors from all around had an opportunity to relish in the exhilarating beauty of nature and views from atop the tower."
Read more at bit.ly/adiclemente
Wifi. Guidance. Garb. Maps. Snacks. Restrooms. Events. Books. Hikes. Treasures.
5096 Route 28 Mount Tremper, NY 12457 845-688-3369 catskillsvisitorcenter.org CATSKILL CENTER
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KATIE PALM
NEW KIDS AT THE PLATTE CLOVE ARTISTS’ CABIN THE CATSKILL CENTER HAS HOSTED RESIDENCIES AT THE PLATTE CLOVE ARTISTS’ CABIN IN GREENE COUNTY SINCE 1997. SCIENTISTS, WRITERS, PAINTERS, FILM MAKERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND MANY OTHERS HAVE HONED THEIR CRAFT DEEP WITHIN THE 208 ACRES OF FORESTS AND VIEWS THAT INSPIRED THE HUDSON VALLEY SCHOOL OF PAINTERS.
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’
I
n early May, a four-person jury completed their review of over 40 applications to select 13 artists to spend a week at the Platte Clove Artists’ cabin.
The jury was comprised of Wijnanda Deroo, a Catskills-based photographer whose works have been in exhibits around the world; Beatrice Georgalidis, CATSKILL CENTER
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Writer and Executive Director at
art, industry, indigenous people, and
Bright Hill Press & Literary Center;
environmentalism."
Susan Mayr, Former Platte Clove AIR, Painter and Platte Clove Cabin
Victoria van der Laan is a true folk
Steward; and Jenny Rosenzweig,
artist who learned textile arts from
Executive Director at the Roxbury
her grandmother. During her first
Arts Group.
residency, Victoria’s goal was to
T
discover the possibilities of fabric
he
artists
and thread beyond the traditions
hail from New York, Texas,
2019
selected
taught by her grandmother. Her time
Michigan, and Nevada and
at the cabin in 2018 resulted in a
will each spend a week at the Platte
collection that intuitively explored
Clove cabin this coming summer.
curves in nature and focused on
The intention for this retreat is for
systems of repeated forms. This was
selected artists to relocate from their
a major departure from the strict
daily routine, and allow the beauty of
linear method formerly employed.
the Catskills to inspire new sparks of
During her residency this summer,
creativity. Every year, two spots are
Victoria is looking forward to using
reserved for returning artists. This
the natural areas of Platte Clove as
year, the Catskill Center is thrilled
inspiration to continue expanding
to welcome back filmmaker David
her art.
Becker and Textile Artist Victoria van der Laan.
The newly selected residents for this summer include three painters,
David Becker worked on the film To
two novelists, a poet, a botanical
Be Forever Wild about the Catskills
illustrator,
during his first residency in 2010.
playwright, and two mixed media
This summer he is traveling from
artists. The Catskill Center is thrilled
his new home in Nevada to work
to have such a diverse group of
on a second film about the Catskill
artists at the Platte Clove cabin for
region. He says he "envisions a film
the summer of 2019. -KP
that tells the history of American
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a
photographer,
a
WORKS BY VICTORIA VAN DER LAAN / PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY THE ARTIST
THE NEWLY SELECTED 2019 RESIDENTS INCLUDE THREE PAINTERS, TWO NOVELISTS, A POET, A BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATOR, A PHOTOGRAPHER, A PLAYWRIGHT, AND TWO MIXED MEDIA ARTISTS.
Leave No Trace
DON’T GET STUCK IN THE MUD ANDY MOSS E Y
SQUELCH, SQUISH, OR SQUERCH!
to get too dirty, is there anything I could
Nope, it’s not goo or a baking experiment.
wear to beat the dirt?
We’re talking about muddy trails and tips on how to best hike them.
Prepare for anything + everything. Before any outdoor adventure, consider any
Spring is the ultimate transition season
worst case scenarios and be honest
in the Catskills — winter wonderlands
with your skill and fitness level. Spring
defrost into overwhelmingly saturated
conditions may mean your favorite trail
wetlands: a transition that confronts
is now a lagoon of soupy sludge, which
hikers with all sorts of interesting
not only makes the hiking harder but
conditions and makes a heck of a
also increases the amount of energy and
confusing time to hit the trails. Will I find
time required to get through. Choose an
mud? How much? Should I go around
objective that meets the physical needs
it? Should I go through it? What about
of your party and offers a reward—the
ice and snow in the spring? I don’t want
goal of a view or other point of interest.
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Fortunately, there is something for
problem: trail braiding. When one
all levels of walkers and hikers in the
person walks off trail, others are likely
Catskills.
to see the impacts and follow your lead; after a few people have gone around
Once you’ve chosen your trail and
the mud puddle, the trail widens. The
mapped your route, it’s time to head to
puddle becomes muddier and muddier
the gear closet. Start with the standard
and new trails start to form beyond the
pieces necessary when hiking trails
freshly widened trail. Now, the whole
with a higher difficulty level: pack,
area looks less like a hiking trail and
water bottles, snacks, first aid kit, repair
more like a choose-your-own-adventure
kit, map and compass, GPS/phone,
through muddy obstacles.
rain gear, headlamp, multitool, hat, sunscreen, lip balm, reusable trash bag,
To avoid creating a complete mud bath
and your favorite gear.
and the braiding of trails, hikers need to get a little dirty. When you get to that
You know your boots are going to get
muddy section of trail, revel in your pre-
muddy; better pack the tall ones. When
trip planning and hike straight through
the mud is really thick, break out the
the mud (and straight into hiker glory). By
gaiters. No need for the huge winter
sticking to the middle of the trail, hikers
versions (unless this is all you have);
minimize impacts, which reduces the
go for ankle or mid-calf height. Gaiters
amount of trail maintenance necessary.
PHOTOS: HEATHER PHELPS-LIPTON
will absolutely keep the mud, dirt, and insects out of the tops of your boots and
This year we had a wet winter that lead to
make for a much more enjoyable walk in
a wet spring. The trails are quite muddy,
the woods. Let’s round out that packing
but there are certain places that are
list with tall boots or gaiters, and hiking
going to be less wet than others. Where
poles (for keeping upright on slippery
are the driest conditions? To avoid
trails).
serious mud, find a hiking trail that has a south facing aspect. South facing
IT MAY SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO GO
trails get more sun during daylight
AROUND THE MUD and bushwhack across
hours, which optimizes drying time.
the surrounding, uneven ground and
Another note when searching out a
sensitive flora to the dry trail beyond.
“drier” spring hike: trails that have been
While this might keep your boots clean,
recently maintained or built will have
such a hiking style creates a major
better rain shedding characteristics. CATSKILL CENTER
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Do your best to avoid naturally forming wetlands and lowlands; these areas pool water and are always wet. For those who don’t particularly like to hike in muddy conditions, steeper trails with higher elevations and sunny aspects will always be your best bet. Do your homework and hit the trails! Get outside and enjoy the adventure. Hello Catskills—excellent in all four seasons! - AM
SPRING HIKING KIT ESSENTIALS A multi-tool (or multitool) is any one of a range of portable, versatile hand tools that combines several individual functions in a single unit.
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PACK WATER BOTTLES SNACKS FIRST AID KIT, REPAIR KIT MAP AND COMPASS GPS/PHONE RAIN GEAR, HEADLAMP MULTITOOL HAT GAITERS SUNSCREEN LIP BALM REUSABLE TRASH BAG
For those who don’t particularly like to hike in muddy conditions, steeper trails with higher elevations and sunny aspects will always be your best bet.
Vintage Recipe
CATSKILL MOUNTAIN PUDDING Catskill Mountain Pudding is a simple, silky custard that derives all of its sweetness from a sauce that’s spooned over the baked pudding. K ELLI HUG G I N S In 1886, New York City’s Royal Baking
company was clearly hoping that
Powder Company published a book
by publishing as many recipes as
of recipes called, My Favorite Receipt.
they could stuff into their book,
It was a clever bit of marketing;
they would convert those who were
recipes
submitted
buying the book just to see their
from bakers across the country were
name and recipe in print into new
collected in a book that touted the
customers.
(or
receipts)
PHOTOS: HEATHER PHELPS-LIPTON
benefits of baking powder. This may sound odd today, but in the latter
Catskill Mountain Pudding (Original
half of the 1800s the invention of
Recipe)
baking powder was recent and many
4 eggs; 1 cup flour; 1 qt. milk; ½
home cooks still favored traditional
teaspoon salt; beat well together, and
(if less reliable) leaveners, such as
bake 1/2 hour. Sauce: 1 tablespoon
yeast.
cornstarch, wet with cold milk; stir in 1 pt. boiling milk, add a lump of
Interestingly, not every recipe in
butter half as large as a hen’s egg. ½
the book includes baking powder or
cup sugar; flavor to taste.
any leavener at all. Such is the case for the Catskill Mountain Pudding
Catskill Mountain Pudding’s lack of
submitted by a M.H. Whitson. The
baking powder in a baking powder CATSKILL CENTER
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book isn’t its only curiosity. The
Preheat the oven to 350.
recipe also calls for “a lump of butter half as large as a hen’s egg.” When
Butter a dozen small ramekins or one
printed in 1886, American baking
9x13” pan and set aside.
was undergoing significant changes. The introduction of baking powder
Combine the flour and salt in a small
was one such change, as was the
bowl and set aside. Whisk together eggs
standardization of measurements
and milk. Slowly add the dry ingredients
like cups and tablespoons. This
into the egg and milk mixture, whisking
recipe contains both modern and
thoroughly until smooth.
traditional measurements, giving us a glimpse of this transition.
Pour into the ramekins or pan, place into a larger pan filled with boiling water (to create a water bath) and place in oven.
Pudding
Bake for 30 minutes or until they have
4 eggs
a slight giggle in the center. To prevent
1 cup flour
overcooking, remove cooked puddings
4 cups whole milk
from water bath.
1 teaspoon salt While the puddings are in the oven, make Sauce
a paste of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon cornstarch
of milk in a saucepan. Whisk in
3 tablespoons + 2 cups whole milk,
remaining milk, butter, and vanilla
separated
and cook over a low heat, continuing to
2 tablespoons butter
whisk until the mixture has thickened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
slightly. Vanilla is lovely, but you can also use another preferred flavoring, such as
Catskill Mountain Pudding 30
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almond extract. Spoon sauce over cooked pudding(s). Best consumed soon after baking, the puddings are perfectly delicious after a couple of days in the fridge too.
SOMETHING DELICIOUS FOR THE HAMMOCK DAYS as suggested by the Golden Notebook’s Gretchen Primack
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YOUR LEGACY
THE FUTURE OF THE CATSKILLS
Planned Giving. Secure the health of the Catskills for generations.
catskillcenter.org/plannedgiving
Endnote
I
’ve been hiking a lot over the
for college in New England: where the
past year. Of course, much of
mountains are bigger, summits rise
my exploring has been in the
above treeline and there is a knife edge
Catskills, including my completion
in Maine so narrow that my knees
of the Catskill 3500 peaks earlier in
were left shaking at the top--amazing,
2019.
breathtaking, and challenging.
My
time spent out West to see the Sierras, In part, I have my husband, a thru-
the Cascades and many more can
hiker of the Appalachian Trail and
also be perfectly described by any
overall outdoor lover and guide,
adjective of wonder.
to thank for being my constant cheerleader and inspiring me to get
However, no matter what beautiful
outside. The other reason being that
place I found myself, I was always
I wanted to see the Catskills and
happy to come home to the Catskills
really know them. Having grown up
throughout those two decades away
hiking in the region, I found myself
from them. Even if I was just back
often relying on my recollection of
for a weekend, it was energizing and
an area when having conversations
refreshing--special in a way that no
with stakeholders instead of more
other place could be. When asked
recently knowing the place intimately.
what my favorite place was, I’d always
A year of hiking on more than 460
respond with “The Catskills.” Once you
miles of trail (and bushwhacks) has
experience the Catskills, they infuse
strengthened in me a sense of place
into your bones, becoming a part of
and a reconnection to the glory that is
you and leaving them unforgettable.
our Catskill Mountains. When I decided to lace up my hiking The Catskill Mountains were the first
boots and explore the Catskills once
mountains I grew up scrambling
again, it wasn’t for the physical
around,
and
challenge or to check peaks off a list
exploring with my dad. Next, he and I
(and definitely not for the bugs and
took to the Adirondacks which would
wet weather we had last year), but it
eventually prepare me for when I left
was to reconnect with the mountains
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cutting
my
2019 ISSUE 1.
teeth
ONCE YOU EXPERIENCE THE CATSKILLS, THEY INFUSE INTO YOUR BONES, BECOMING A PART OF YOU AND LEAVING THEM UNFORGETTABLE that first defined me and have always
that the Catskills are worth protecting
held a very special place in my heart.
and that our efforts to protect them
That I could do all that again with
are working, as we have tens of
someone I love was even better. After
thousands of acres of wilderness
21 years, we found new ways to bond:
just hours from one of the greatest
over grueling 19 mile hikes through
metropolitan regions in United States.
mud and nettles, fueling our hiker
The greatest lesson? The Catskills
hunger at a Chinese buffet, or just
inspire. They inspire awe, reverence
getting ourselves back home, sitting
and create a sense of place deep in
on our porch and treasuring the
your being that makes you realize you
fact that we live in one of the most
are right where you belong.
extraordinary places around. What did I learn after all those PHOTO: JEFF SENTERMAN
peaks, those trail miles and miles of relatively untouched wilderness we bushwhacked through? The Catskill Mountains are extraordinary and there is magic in these mountains. All this effort reinforced my strong belief
JEFF SENTERMAN is the Executive Director of the Catskill Center.
CATSKILL CENTER
35
2019 ISSUE 1.
Delivered directly to Catskill Center members.
A periodical celebrating New York’s State’s glorious Catskills.
PO Box 504 43355 State Highway 28 Arkville, NY 12406
The Catskill Center for Conservation & Development