For Release: Tuesday, September 21, 2004
DEC'S "Lark in the Park" Celebrates Catskill Park's 100th Anniversary
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today encouraged New Yorkers to participate in the 10-day "Lark in the Park" celebration of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Catskill Park. From October 2nd through 11th, 2004, the Lark in the Park will showcase the Catskill Park's storied history by paying homage to everything from fly-fishing and hiking to artistic movements.
"The Lark in the Park is a wonderful way for people to discover the wealth of history, culture, natural resources, and recreational opportunities offered by the Catskills," said DEC Commissioner Erin M. Crotty. "I encourage all New Yorkers and visitors to begin planning now to participate in the many educational activities and outdoor adventures that are a fitting way to celebrate the centennial of this unique Park."
The Lark in the Park agenda features more than 60 free guided hikes, walks, paddles, biking tours, and fly-fishing events, as well as exhibits and festivals. Numerous environmental, recreational, historical, and cultural organizations are joining DEC to sponsor and lead events including: The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Adirondack Mountain Club, Catskill 3500 Club, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
Tom Alworth, Executive Director of the Catskill Center, said, "The Catskill Park is an extraordinary example of how rural communities can coexist in harmony with wilderness. The Lark is a great opportunity to come and enjoy Catskill Park."
The Catskill Park was created by an act of the New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Benjamin Odell on April 4, 1904. The Park's 705,500 acres is an amalgam of both public and private lands in Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster Counties. The Catskill Forest Preserve comprises 41 percent of the Catskill Park, containing more than 300,000 acres of pristine land protected as "forever wild" in New York's Constitution.
DEC has just issued a Centennial edition of "The Catskill Park Official Map and Guide." This beautiful color brochure includes a useful map of the Park and a description of outdoor recreational opportunities available. It is available now at DEC's Region 3 offices in New Paltz and Tarrytown and Region 4 offices in Schenectady and Stamford.
Within the Park's boundaries are the scenic landscapes that inspired the rise of the first exclusively American art movement, the Hudson River School, and the waterways that gave birth to fly-fishing in America. Five hikes, ranging from easy to moderately challenging, will take place during the Lark in the Park. Hiking destinations include the favorite Hudson River School artist sites along the Escarpment Trail, in the Kaaterskill Clove, at North-South Lake and at the Kaaterskill Falls. A celebration of the reopening of the studio at Thomas Cole's home, Cedar Grove, in Catskill, New York, will be held on Sunday, October 3, 2004. Cole is the founding father of the Hudson River School and his home is now a National Historic Site.
To honor the Catskills as the birthplace of fly-fishing in America during the Lark, the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development (CCCD) is offering a lesson in fly-fishing at Pine Hill Lake and the Frost Valley YMCA is sponsoring a spin-casting fishing derby for children up to age 18 at Lake Cole in Claryville. The Winnesook Club, a private residential community founded in 1886 as a gentleman's fly-fishing club, will open its doors on Sunday, October 3, 2004, for an illustrated program about the club's history followed by a walk around the lake. DEC is sponsoring tours of the Catskill Fish Hatchery at Mongaup Pond in Sullivan County, and DEC's spawning beds at Trout Pond in Delaware County.
There will be 35 different walks and hikes for causal walkers to hardy striders. A gentle, one-mile nature walk led by Catskill Center staff around Alder Lake in Ulster County is well-suited for families and is followed by a story circle for young children and a scavenger hunt for older ones. Strenuous hikes of several of the 98 Catskill high peaks over 3,000 feet include Kaaterskill High Peak, West Kill Mountain and a triple header over Slide, Wittenberg and Cornell Mountains. Catskill Fire Tower Day on Sunday, October 10, 2004, will feature hikes sponsored by the Catskill Center to all five of the recently restored historic fire towers in the Catskill Park on the summits of Overlook, Tremper, Hunter, Red Hill and Balsam Lake Mountain.
Several Lark activities offer opportunities to discover lesser known nooks and crannies in the Park such as DEC's Sundown Wild Forest, which includes the recently acquired Lundy estate of nearly 5,000 acres, and Cathedral Gorge on the Esopus Creek near Ashokan. Carved out by the creek's waters, the dramatic rock formation offers a fascinating study in Catskills geology. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) is offering three walks on Catskill watershed lands not normally accessible to the public. In addition, a stream tracking hike along the West Kill led by NYCDEP will illustrate the role streams play in the evolution and ecology of the Catskill landscape.
Three biking events include a 10-mile ride through the web of undulating trails in the DEC Bluestone Wild Forest led by Fats in the Cats, and a 20-mile scenic pedal around the paved perimeter of the Pepacton Reservoir led by Beth Waterman of Celebrating Catskill Women. The Catskill Park's version of the Tour de France, the 100-mile, 10-hour Centennial Century Ride, led by DEC Region 3 Natural Resources Supervisor Bill Rudge, will pedal some of the Park's most mountainous terrain.
Several events illustrate pages from the Catskills' rich social and cultural history. Bluestone quarrying, once a major industry in the region, will be the topic of a walk and talk in the DEC Bluestone Wild Forest. An illustrated talk on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the Catskills will be given by author Diane Galusha at the Fairview library in Margaretville, followed by a short walk through a Norway spruce plantation planted by CCC. The historic and still-active Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony is offering a tour of the cottages and unique Arts and Crafts home of its founder Ralph Whitehead. The Second Annual Cauliflower Festival in Margaretville on Saturday, October 2, celebrates when that vegetable was the reigning cash crop in the region.
The Catskill Park Photo Scavenger Hunt provides an impetus to explore every corner of the Catskill Park in search of photo ops as well as prizes. Persons interested in participating in the scavenger hunt should send an e-mail to catskillmountainclub@yahoo.com before September 24, 2004.
For more information about the Catskill Park Centennial, go to DEC's website. Also, for a free program guide with a listing of all Centennial events, call (877) 426-0323, e-mail CatskillLark@aol.com or go to http://catskillpark100.org. Please note that some activities require advance reservations. Contact information for each event is listed on the website.
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