Remembering our mountain top history through recipes passed down through generations.

Marianna Radelich Leman, of Albergo Allegria Hotel & Restaurant, will recount the stories of “heritage hospitality & heritage cooking” on the mountain top.

Recipes reimagined & prepared by Terrence Maul, of Pantry on Main

Monday, August 26, 2024, at the red barn on the mths campus, 5132 Route 23a, Haines falls, NY.

Tickets: $60.00 per person, RSVP by Friday, August 16 by calling 518-589-6657 or online at mthsdirector@mths.org

This is a virtual Zoom presentation. Please make sure to register so you can receive a link via email to attend. All are welcome. To join Zoom presentation, please USE THIS LINK.

In this presentation author and professor Evan Pritchard (of Mi’kmaq descent) will screen selections from an original film matching western classical music to photos of the Catskill’s indigenous stone cairns, based on his own in-depth interpretations of the cairns themselves, anticipating the feelings these beautiful works of art may inspire within the hearts of Eastern Algonquins. Such feelings are fundamentally subjective, but often based on stories and symbols well known to people who lived here a thousand years ago. Followed by Q and A.

 Evan Pritchard has been doing field interviews with Native American elders since 1990 and has been the director of Center for Algonquin culture for the last 26 years. A lecturer on native studies at Vassar, Pace, Marist, Columbia, SUNY, John Jay, University of Ontario, UMass, and Ramapo College of NJ, he has also presented at Gracie Mansion, American Museum of Natural History in NYC, Smithsonian, and often presents classes online.

Registration is required. Please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657

A handful of fascinating creatures once inhabited the Catskill Mountain region, but have disappeared over the last three centuries. Join Justin Wexler, educator at Wild Hudson Valley, at the Ulster & Delaware Train Station learn about these animals, their impact on local ecosystems, and their role in indigenous folklore and land use.

Justin Wexler is a life-long resident of the Hudson Valley, who has devoted his life to sharing his love of the natural world and for the region’s original inhabitants. Obsessed with nature from his earliest years, he has spent most of his life either in the outdoors or in research on local history and ethnoecology. He has a BA in History and Anthropology from Marlboro College in Vermont and a Professional Certificate in Environmental Policy as well as a MA in Teaching from Bard College.

Space is limited, registration is required. Please register by email at: mthsdirector@mths.org   or    call 518 589-6657

“Frederic Church’s Olana: Art, Ecology and the Native Forest” presented by Sean Sawyer, PhD., Washburn and Susan Oberwager President of the Olana Partnership

A National Historic Landmark and New York State Historic Site, Olana, is the masterwork of Frederic Church (1826 -1900), America’s most famous artists of the mid-19^th century. As a painter, Church defined our national identity as inextricably linked to the majesty of the natural world. At Olana, Church married aesthetic endeavor with environmental action. At the core of his endeavor was the ambitious reforestation of 250-acres of overworked land with native trees. Since 1971, the Olana Partnership and New York State Parks have worked tirelessly to restore Olana in a pioneering public-private partnership that has become a model for the nation.

Sean Sawyer, President of the Olana Partnership since May of 2015, will discuss how Church engaged with the emerging field of ecology, first by literally following in the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt, in his meteoric rise as the country’s most celebrated landscape painter and, then in his four decade-long development of Olana, where he immersed himself in “landscape architecturing” to speak to the history of the land and human impact on it.

Dr. Sawyer received a B.A. summa cum laude in Art History & Archaeology from Princeton University in 1988 and his PhD in Architectural History from Columbia University in 1999. Prior to joining Olana, Sean was the Executive Director of the Royal Oak Foundation, the American partner of the National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Sean is a member of the Columbia County Development Corp. and of the Village of Kinderhook Historic Preservation Commission.

Program will be held at the Twilight Park Clubhouse.
Refreshments to follow.
A $5 donation is suggested.

2024 marks the 200^th anniversary of the opening of the Catskill Mountain House Hotel.

In the first of two presentations, Jim Planck, Vice-President of the Greene County Historical Society, will describe the history leading up to the construction of one of America’s first resort destinations.

Jim Planck is also the current editor of the GCHS quarterly journal and has had a 30+ year career as a reporter covering Greene County news. He has written articles for Kaatskill Life, Columbia County Heritage, and Greene County History. Jim was born in Catskill and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1965 -1969, including a tour of duty in Viet Nam. We thank him for his service.

Please join us on Sunday, September 8^th at 2pm for the second installment of Jim’s history of the Catskill Mt. House.

Program will be held at the MTHS Ulster & Delaware Train Station. Refreshments will follow. A donation of $5 is suggested.

Co-sponsored with the Mountain Top Arboretum.

This is an in-person lecture held at the Mountain Top Arboretum. Education Center. Registration is required: https://www.mtarboretum.org/events/conquerthesoil

Abra Lee is poised to captivate audiences as she shares from her upcoming book, a remarkable profile of 45 hidden figures in horticulture – Black women and men whose exceptional careers in the plant world have remained largely unknown or overlooked. In her presentation, Abra will cast a spotlight on these remarkable individuals, giving them the recognition, they truly deserve while enhancing our collective understanding of horticultural history.

Abra and other authors are featured in The New York Times’ article “Black Gardeners Find Refuge in the Soil”. To view the article, click HERE.

 Abra Lee is a storyteller, horticulturist, and author of the forthcoming book Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country’s Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers. Her extensive experience spans roles as a municipal arborist and airport landscape manager, immersing her in the world of gardening. Her work has graced renowned media like The New York Times, NPR, Fine Gardening, and Veranda Magazine. Lee holds a degree from Auburn University College of Agriculture and is an esteemed alumna of the Longwood Gardens Society of Fellows, a global network of public horticulture professionals.

Program will take place at The Mountain Top Arboretum

Ron Gabriele presents “War Dogs”, a Memorial Day tribute to the brave and tireless canine companions of our military and law enforcement.

Mr. Gabriele will examine the history of dogs on the battlefield, the role that dogs play in today’s American military, the similarities between the military dog and the police dog, and finally the role of America’s dogs in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and the Afghanistan wars.

Mr. Gabriele holds an MS from SUNY Albany and a BS from SUNY Brockport. In 2003 he retired from Columbia Greene Community College where he held the position of Athletic Director and taught health and physical education for many years.

Program will be held at the MTHS Ulster & Delaware Train Station. Refreshments will follow. Suggested donation $ 5

Led by Town of Hunter Historian Dede Terns-Thorpe & MTHS Board Member Cyndi LaPierre at the MTHS Visitors’ Center. Dede, Cyndi and others will be reading from writings by Thomas Cole, William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, and other romantics who are continuing that style into the present time. We are setting this evening program in the Visitors’ Center to allow for informal conversation. Please remember to pre-register by emailing mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.