From The Forest

Tree Planting

There is a saying that "the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago."  I would add that the best time to plant a tree is not only about timing, but matching the "correct" tree to the right site. For instance, my apple trees are doing alright, but heavy clay is a struggle to drain. On this week's show we'll discuss some basics surrounding TREE PLANTING. I just got back from a training at Rutgers University and will share some new information arborists are using in planting trees.

Ancient Fossil Forests of the Catskills with Dr. Chris Berry

Scientists from Binghamton University, Cardiff University, and New York State Museum have reported the discovery of the floor of the world's oldest forest, right here in the Catskill Mountains of Gilboa, Schoharie County. "It was like discovering the botanical equivalent of dinosaur footprints," said Dr. William Stein, associate professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University. "But the most exciting part was finding out just how many different types of footprints there were. The newly uncovered area was preserved in such a way that we were literally able to walk among the trees, noting what kind they were, where they had stood and how big they had grown." Scientists are now piecing together a view of this ancient site, dating back about 385 million years ago, which could shed new light on the role of modern-day forests and their impact on climate change.

We'll be interviewing Cardiff University's Dr. Chris Berry about his research on this ancient forest in Gilboa. What kind of plants did they find? What was this ancient forest floor like? What do these ancient plants tell us about the climate back then?

Dr. Chris Berry is a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Earth and Ocean Sciences - School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University (1998-present). Dr. Berry was a Research Fellow at the University of Wales, Cardiff University (1996-1998); Royal Society Exchange Fellowship, Liège University (1994-1995); and earned his PhD - Devonian Plant Fossils from Venezuela, Geology Department, Cardiff University (1993) and BA Earth Sciences – Cambridge University (1989).

Dr. Berry specializes in understanding the early radiation of large plants and birth of forest ecosystems in the Devonian Period (380 million years ago).

Wintergreen Fern with SUNY Delhi's Jack Tessier

SUNY Delhi's Jack Tessier will discuss wintergreen ferns. Ever see ferns buried in the snow and still retaining their green pigment? Those are wintergreen ferns; one of the only plants that can photosynthesize when temperatures break above freezing during the winter or early spring.

Jack Tessier is a professor at SUNY Delhi within the Liberal Arts & Sciences Department. His areas of expertise are ecology, environment, teaching and learning. His research is in ecology, ecophysiology, and the natural history of plants, especially forest understory plants.

Apple Tree Pruning & Grafting

January through March is the time to prune apple trees. During the same time, we also gather scionwood or cuttings to be used in April/May for grafting onto apple trees. For this week's show, we'll talk about the basic apple tree pruning principles and how you might plan for the upcoming grafting season as well.

New Hampshire Fish & Game with Officer Nick Masucci

Nick Masucci, a former Forest Program Technician of the Catskill Forest Association, is now an officer with the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department. We'll ask Nick about his day-to-day duties up there in New England dealing with both wildlife and people. We also want to know about one particular animal that is legally hunted there in New Hampshire -- moose.

Oak Trees with Gary Mead

 

On tonight's show, we'll discuss Oak Trees with Gary Mead, both red and white. We haven't discussed their key differences and unique qualities of the two since 2013! Oak trees are divided into two groups -- red and white -- and we'll discuss the importance to both humans, wildlife, where they grow and can be found. As always, Gary brings along his experience in using the wood and its characteristics.

 

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a tree growing in our Catskill Moutains. Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.

Herbicides & Forestry with PSU's David Jackson

Pennsylvania State University's--David Jackson--will discuss how to control competing or interfering vegetation in the forest. Many of you are aware of how your goals can be thwarted from "weeds" in the woods. Examples include both native and non-native plants: New York fern, American beech, striped maple, Japanese stilt-grass, Japanese barberry, etc.  David focuses on "Integrated Vegetation Management" that includes cultural controls, mechanical controls, biological controls, and chemical controls. Most of our talk will focus on chemical controls since herbicides--according to David--can be highly effective if used properly.

Dave is currently a Forest Resources Educator for Penn State Extension covering a multi-county area throughout central Pennsylvania. Dave has been with Penn State in his current position since January 2002. His primary responsibilities are to deliver educational programs to private forest landowners, youth, and natural resource professionals. Dave earned his Bachelor of Science degree from The College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, New York in 1988 in the fields of forest resource management and forest biology. He completed a Master of Forest Resources degree at The Pennsylvania State University in August 2007. Dave’s master’s work focused on creating educational material on the use of herbicides in managing forest vegetation. Prior to coming to Penn State Dave worked at various seasonal and temporary positions with the U.S Forest Service in Montana, Vermont, and Pennsylvania as well as with Boise Cascade Corporation in southwestern Oregon. Dave also spent a year working for the University of Kentucky on their teaching and research forest before accepting a position with the Virginia Department of Forestry in 1992 where he spent 8 years as a service forester. Dave left Virginia in 2000 to take a position with Forecon, Inc. Consulting Foresters as a field forester managing lands in the eastern Catskill Mountains of New York State. Dave is currently a member of the Society of American Foresters, the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals, and the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. Dave currently serves as Inspector Training Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Tree Farm Committee. He is a board member for the Pennsylvania Forestry Association and serves on the Rothrock Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.

Logging with the Krickhahns

The practice of Logging is how wood is cut and brought out of the woods to meet society's demand for wood products; Yep, I just said "wood" three times. The Krickhahns are one such family that makes this happen. Paul Krickhahn, Jr. & his son Paul A. Krickhahn are full-time Catskill Mountain Loggers. Loggers are more than just cutters, they are what makes forest management possible, since most management relies upon cutting in order to manipulate sunlight and species composition. As one older Forester told me many years ago, "We need them more than they need us." I believe he's still right about that.

The Krickhahns own PGK Logging, Inc. and their home-base is in Roxbury, Delaware County. 

2019 Forest Wrap-Up

This will be our last radio show in 2019; Next Wednesday is Christmas Day & From the Forest will be on holiday. For this year's last show, Catskill Forest Association's President--Mike Porter--Ryan & John will recap or summarize their experiences surrounding the Catskill Mountain's forests. We'll summarize the year seasonally (winter, spring, summer, and fall), from apple tree pruning and grafting to tree and forest health, maple sugaring, wildlife management, trends in forest markets, and more.

Arboriculture with Arborist Charlie Blume

Charlie is a Veteran-Arborist serving both Long Island & Sullivan County throughout the last few decades. We'll speak with Charlie about what he's learned about serving both trees and people in the Catskill Mountains, as someone that must balance the needs of trees with the customer's expectations. We'll also cover how to identify a "hazardous tree" as well as what a "healthy" tree might look like.

Surviving Winter

December 1st marked the unofficial Opening Day to winter across the Catskills & Hudson Valley due to the dumping of 8 to 15 inches of snow. Some of us have been busy plowing out our cars, driveways, and homes while feeding the woodstove to stay warm. But how does wildlife cope with winter's entry and presence for several months?

John and Ryan will discuss how wildlife "survives winter" from fur to seeking shelter in the "subnivean zone" of snow. Not sure what the word "subnivean" means? You'll just have to tune in.

Forests For Energy with Penn State University

How does wood energy stack up to other energy resources? We'll ask Penn State University's Dan Ciolkosz and Sarah Wurzbacher. Dan will describe the "energy systems" that surround woody biomass, while Sarah will talk more about how trees and forests can be managed for energy from a silvicultural and forestry point of view.

Dan Ciolkosz (Ph.D.) is an Assistant Professor of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Penn State University. He is also an Academic Program Coordinator. His areas of expertise include bioenergy, biomass energy systems, thermochemical conversion, energy efficiency, controlled environment agriculture, and solar energy resources evaluation. 

Sarah Wurzbacher is an Penn State Extension Silviculturalist in North Central PA with extension experience in forest management relative to wood heat. Her areas of expertise include forest ecology, forest health, structural forest habitat management, bioenergy and bioproducts, and biomass crops.

Farms to Forest

Gary Mead grew up on a farm in Delaware County. Back then forests were of course around, but not as much as they are today. Most of the farms in Delaware County have been abandoned and reverted back to forests. Some of these farms have been abandoned so long, the trees growing on them are cut for sawlogs where once dairy cows and cauliflower grew. We'll get Gary's perspective on some of these changes, both bad and good.

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a tree growing in our Catskill Mountains (or some other forest-related topic). Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill and Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.

Humans & Hunting with Amherst College's Jan Dizard

"Fall means more to Jan Dizard than a return to teaching. For Dizard, the Charles Hamilton Houston Professor in American Culture, autumn also signifies another hunting season. It means weekends spent in the woods of New England and beyond, accompanied by his bird dog, Dee, stalking feathered prey. Jan is an expert on hunting trends and the author of several books and articles about hunting, guns, and attitudes toward nature and the outdoors."

We'll gain Jan's perception on how hunting has changed, how it is perceived today, and whether it should be important to both individuals & conservation going forward.

Jan Dizard is a Charles Hamilton Houston Professor of American Culture at Amherst College. He has taught sociology, American Studies, and, most recently, environmental studies, since joining Amherst faculty in 1969. He was born in Duluth, Minnesota and received his AB from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, in sociology in 1962. Jan also received his MA (1964) and PhD (1967) from the University of Chicago in sociology. Before joining the Amherst faculty, he taught at the University of California, Berkeley from 1965 to 1969. He has written several books and book chapters and articles on the modern family, but for the past twenty-five years his writing has focused on conflicting ideas about nature and our relationship to the natural world.

Kids In The Woods

As a kid, did you have a place in the woods where you played? Away from adults where you built forts, climbed trees, got lost or burned stuff down? I know I did & wouldn't take it back for anything. Apparently, most kids today aren't experiencing "the woods" as their parents did. Supposedly, kids spend half the time as their parents did, or four hours/week. John & I will discuss how we spent our time outside growing up, the benefits and costs of outdoor play and how it might be impacting our perception of forestry today.

Bowhunting Black Bears with Joel Riotto

Some hunters go out for deer, and come back with a bear, but few study black bears and how to hunt them deliberately like Catskill Forest Association member--Joel Riotto. In addition to being a true and blue black bear hunter, Joel uses his re-curve bow in New Jersey, the Catskills and beyond to hunt these animals.

Joel Riotto resides in New Jersey and the Catskill Mountains of New York State. He is also an author of many archery and bow-hunting publications such as:

Bowhunter Magazine
Traditional Bowhunting Magazine
Archery World Magazine
Professional Bowhunting Society Magazine
Bear Hunting Magazine

Joel is also a Senior Member of the Pope & Young Club; Life Member #9 of the Professional Bowhunters Society; Life Member #95 of the NY Bowhunters; Life Member of the NJ Foundation of Sportsman’s Clubs; Founder, past-President, & member of the Traditional Archers of NJ; Past-President of the United Bowhunters of NJ; & Past-President & Life Member of the Bergen Bowmen Archery Club.

Portable Sawmills & Woodlot Management

This week we'll be talking with Patrick Dolan, CFA's Education Forester, about our lumber resources here in the Catskill Mountains. We'll take a closer look at how a portable sawmill can tap into markets that are typically overlooked by commercial sawmill operations.

Managing Emerald Ash Borer with USDA's Sawyer Gardner

You might be aware of the destruction that this little emerald green insect is reeking across the northeast on ash trees recently, especially in the southern Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley. Currently, the only treatment available are chemicals to treat individual ash trees with sentimental importance in the yard-scape. But, what about possibly treating entire stands or forests of ash trees?

The USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working on releasing some BIOCONTROLS to subdue the devastating ash impacts on a forest-wide basis. Sawyer Gardiner of the USDA APHIS will discuss how they are going about finding sites to release parasitoids of emerald ash borer in the Catskill Mountains. Hopefully, this is good news for ash going forward.

Hiking with Larry

On From the Forest, we're always curious to hear from members of the Catskill Forest Association about their perception of the forest. Larry is a member & has been hiking quite a bit in recent years to get his mind away from the big city and into the mountains. We'll pick his brain about what brought him to the woods, his hiking style and more.

Apple Trees & Apples with Gary Mead

Tonight's show we will discuss APPLE TREES & APPLES. The apple tree is one of our most significant agricultural legacies. The apple is good for both humans & wildlife, has beautiful wood, and is a pretty tree to boot. We'll discuss everything from its growing site, to cultivation and care, to wood aspects, and of course the fruit.

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a tree growing in our Catskill Mountains. Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill and Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.

Why Hunt in 2019

Hunting participation is apparently half of what it was 50 years ago; Only 5% of Americans actually hunt presently. Even worse is that the "Age-Wall" of 65 is quickly approaching for the hunting demographic; 65 is apparently the "magic age" where most quit going afield.

Paradoxically, most Americans remain favorable towards the activity despite taking a sidelines position. The reasons for and against hunting are many & can be controversial. Still, hunting plays an important role in the forest setting. We'll discuss our reasons from two, relatively young guys who still engage in this activity.

The American Black Bear

On tonight's show, we'll discuss an overview of the American black bear, covering the historical range of this bear in North America, its decline and resurgence, biology, management, and some anecdotal stories to boot.

The black bear is a highly adaptable creature; It can be found in the boreal forest near Slide Mountain (highest peak of the Catskills) or down in the city of Kingston and everywhere in between. The black bear is certainly leaving its mark, whether on a tree, in a cornfield, as a foot-print in some remote swamp, or on your BBQ grill.

Caterpillars

Lots of reports going around of caterpillars popping up. We'll discuss how to decipher some of the commonly found caterpillars found in the Catskills. We'll also talk about some caterpillar look-alikes and potential treatments if too much damage should occur.

Bark Peeling & Leather Tanning with Gary Mead

On tonight's "From The Forest", we'll be discussing Bark Peeling and Leather Tanning in the Catskills. Spring through August historically marked the season for one of the Catskill Mountain's most famous industries: bark peeling.

Bark from the hemlock tree was peeled for making liquor in tanning leather. This week we're joined by Gary Mead, and we'll get Gary's take on this famous industry that paved the way for future industries and the forest we see today.

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a particular tree growing in our Catskill Mountains or some other forest-related topic. Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.

Forestry in the 21st Century

So, what is the "State of the Forest" in the Catskill Mountains? That's kind of a difficult question, but we'll give it our best shot. We'll mostly cover the major drivers or influences upon today's forests. We'll also cover some forest history, trends in forest ownership, present management and concerns, and things you can do to make improvements. Obviously, our "Forestry in the 21st Century" will be focused upon these Catskill Mountains.

Lead Ammunition & the Argument for Alternatives

On tonight's show, John MacNaught will be speaking to Michael DiBenedetto, retired teacher, Hunter Education volunteer instructor, and volunteer of the Golden Eagle Project, about the potential effects of lead ammunition and the argument to switch to alternatives - like copper - for hunting.

Norway Maple_Friend or Foe?

On this week's show, we'll discuss the black-listed Norway maple (Acer platanoides). Norway maple was once planted abundantly as a replacement for dying elm trees in urban areas. Now, it has made the NYS DEC's list of plants that are "Regulated" and must be labeled at any nursery with a tag description of "invasive" and "harmful" to the environment.

What happened? How did this tree fall from grace? Is there place left for Norway maple? We'll consider the pros & cons of this tree, what it means to be "invasive", and more.

2019 Catskill Forest Festival

The Great Catskill Lumberjack Show / 65+ Vendors / Live Demonstrations
The Jake Rosa Memorial Convoy & Truck Show / Arts & Crafts / The Tent of Knowledge / Local Foods, Breweries & Distilleries / and so much more!

Fun For the Family!

Berries of the Catskills with Gary Mead

On tonight's "From The Forest" we'll be discussing BERRIES OF THE CATSKILLS with Gary Mead. Each growing season, Gary can be found picking some wild fruit and storing it for winter usage. Right now he's picking black-caps or black raspberries. We'll ask Gary about some of his other favorites.

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a particular tree growing in our Catskill Mountains or some other forest-related topic. Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery (http://www.gary-mead.com/) in Margaretville, NY.

Author: CFA Staff

Meet the Lonely Fisher

On this week's show we'll discuss the fisher; a large, carnivorous, forest-dwelling weasel that prefers to go it alone, but has made quite a comeback in these Catskill Mountains and New York State overall.

Fishers are sometimes misleadingly referred to as fisher cats. This may stem from the name "fisher" being closely related to the word "fitch", meaning a European Polecat (Mustela putorius) but... it's more likely the close visual resemblance and comparable size to a domestic cat. They are sexually dimorphic, meaning the male is much larger than the female.

Despite the name "fisher", the animal is not known to eat fish. Their primary prey is snowshoe hares and porcupines, but supplement their diet with berries, mushrooms, nuts, and insects, and are not averse to eating carrion.

Young Forest Initiative with Dr. Mike Zagata

On this week's show, we'll speak with Mike Zagata about some of the aspects regarding NYS's history with forest management that have gone poorly as well as improving the present and future under NYS's new initiative--the "Young Forest Initiative."

Mike Zagata, PhD served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ruffed Grouse Society. Before joining the Ruffed Grouse Society, Mr. Zagata served as the Commissioner (Chief Executive Officer) of New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation where he oversaw 4,000 employees and an operating budget in excess of $300 million.

He was inducted into the Offshore Energy Industry’s Hall of Fame for pioneering the Wetland Mitigation Banking and Rigs to Reefs programs, and was also recently inducted into the New York State Outdoorsman’s Hall of Fame. Mr. Zagata has also served as Field Director for The Wildlife Society, Director of Federal Relations for the National Audubon Society and Program Development Officer for the National Research Council’s Committee on Agriculture. In addition, he was Director of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) for Tenneco and Vice-President of EH&S for Transco Energy, and in these capacities was awarded the National Wildlife Federation’s Whooping Crane award and the Conservation Fund’s Alexander Calder award.

He serves as Director of Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Inc. He has taught and conducted research on the impact of forest harvesting on wildlife while in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine, Orono. Born and raised in upstate New York, Mr. Zagata earned a doctorate in wildlife ecology from Iowa State University.

Spotted Lanterfly with Penn State Extension's Heather Leach

Heather Leach is the Spotted Lanternfly Associate with Penn State Extension responsible for developing a comprehensive understanding of spotted lanternfly priorities from every perspective and disseminating new information on biology, behavior, and effective management techniques.

Spotted lanternfly (SLF) was first discovered in Berks County in 2014. It has spread to 13 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. It poses a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, most notably the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state's economy. The insect also can cause damage to high-value ornamentals in home landscapes and can affect the quality of life for residents. Since NYS and the Catskill Mountains share a border with PA, SLF should be on our radar.

Heather Leach has a Bachelor's degree in fisheries & wildlife & Master's degree in entomology from Michigan State University. As a graduate student, she focused on developing chemical, cultural and biological tools to suppress damage from spotted wing drosophila, a fly that can cause damage to many fruit crops. Heather served as a research technician for Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station, Michigan State University Extension. Currently, she is named Spotted Lanternfly Extension Associate with Penn State.

Tree Bark & Bark Peeling

On tonight's "From The Forest" we'll be discussing Tree Bark & Bark Peeling with Gary Mead. Tree bark can provide more than just being the outer covering of a tree - we can tan leather, build furniture, and even side houses with it. Gary will share his unique experiences with peeling and working with tree bark.

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a tree growing in our Catskill MOuntains. Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.

Forest Landowners Association

On this week's show we will be interviewing Forest Landowners Association (FLA) CEO Scott Jones. The FLA is the only national representative of the economic interests of family forest landowners and their unique natural resource assets. Their mission is to ensure an expanding economic climate that enables America's forest landowners to prosper from their timber resources. That means:
Strengthening traditional and non-traditional market opportunities; Developing and maintaining regulatory structures that encourage the sustainable management of private forests; Developing and maintaining trade policy that grows markets; & Developing and maintaining tax policy that ensures the future of businesses

Scott Jones is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry, Scott has been entrenched in the forestry industry for more than 25 years, with a keen insight of owning and managing timberland, supply chain management and the impact of state and federal policies.

Scott’s early career included managing a 60,000-acre tract of timberland owned by Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation and serving as a procurement forester responsible for purchasing wood for a pulp mill. He then left the woods to begin his career in the forestry association realm, working for the Georgia Forestry Association and the Southern Lumber Manufacturers Association where he gained experience on policy issues from the local, state and federal level impacting the ownership of private forests, sawmills and the entire supply chain.

Author: CFA Staff

Hoppy Quick Goes to NYC

Hoppy Quick - a.k.a. The Catskill Woodsman - has become well-known for his portrayal of black bears carved into wood using a chainsaw. In fact, he makes a living carving bears among other wood-based artistic products.

Recently, Hoppy has ironically not been in the Catskills, but instead down in NYC where the few trees there have caught Hop's attention. Hoppy will discuss some of the cool, old growth trees he's found walking around NYC parks. We'll get a Catskill Woodsman's perspective of NYC's more natural offerings.

Hoppy is a Catskill native whose family has lived in these mountains for over three hundred years. He makes is living foraging the Catskill Woodlands for material and inspiration which becomes his art. Hoppy works in close harmony with the natural world around him, whether it be a wood carving, furniture, an architectural structure, or stonework. Every work has been touched by nature.

Trail Cameras with John MacNaught

This week we will be discussing Trail Cameras. Over the years, the way we're able to watch wildlife has really changed. Now with trail cameras, or "camera traps", we can get images and videos of wildlife on our properties day and night, as still images or video, and even have the footage sent straight to our phones and computers.
Ryan and John will discuss the importance of this tool, their use, and tell some stories of the wild things they've got pictures of on trail camera

Birding Locally With Local Bird Expert Andrew Mason

Andy Mason: Delaware-Otesgo Audubon Society (DOAS) Co-President (August 2017 - November 2017), Conservation, Membership and Sanctuary Chairman, and Hawkwatch Co-Chairman.
Andy lives in Jefferson with his wife, Gray, and works as a self-employed house painter, carpenter, and landlord. His interest in the environment and more specifically, birds, dates to the late 1970s when Andy & Gray traveled the country camping and hiking.

Upon his return, he discovered DOAS and became an active member. His first direct participation was with the then newly-acquired Sanctuary, and he has stayed involved ever since.

Andy feels strongly that those who appreciate nature have a responsibility to take action to protect it in return. He has served as DOAS President, Vice-President, and Conversation Chair, as well as holding executive positions on the Audubon Council of NY State, and the NY State Ornithological Association.

Red Spruce With Gary Mead

Tonight's show we will discuss the red spruce tree (Picea rubens). The red spruce can be mostly found in the Catskill Mountains above 3,000 feet in elevation. It is often confused with the more widely-found and planted Norway Spruce. We'll discuss everything from its habitat, to wood products, to Ryan's experiment with making spruce beer.

Every third Wednesday of the month we invite Gary Mead on the show to talk about a tree growing in our Catskill Mountains. Gary is the local owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill and Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.

 

Harvests For Habitat With Audubon's Suzanne Treyger

On this week's show, we'll speak to Audubon Society's Suzanne Treyger about the state of birds and their habitats in New York State. Audubon is helping to create "Harvests for Habitat", a program targeted toward forest owners, loggers, and foresters within a portion of the NYC watershed that improves bird habitat.

Suzanne is Audubon's Forest Program Manager and promotes sustainable forestry practices on private and public land by providing outreach and technical assistance to landowners and land managers. This is a part of Audubon's effort to improve forest habitat along the Atlantic Flyway for focal bird species in decline.

Prior to joining Audubon New York, Suzanne worked for YardMap, a citizen science project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Suzanne was also the Stewardship Project Coordinator for New Jersey Audubon, where she managed public and private lands to enhance and restore habitat for species of conservation concern. She has also worked for the Smithsonian Institution and the New Hampshire Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program.

A native of central New York, Suzanne has a BS in Wildlife Management from the University of New Hampshire and an MS from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Forest and Natural Resources Management, where her research focused on invasive species management issues on private lands in the Adirondack State Park. Suzanne enjoys being outdoors alongside her husband, daughter, and dog

Author: CFA Staff

Turkeys and Turkey Hunting

Maybe you've noticed some strutting Tom (male) turkeys recently while driving around. May marks the time when Toms puff out their chests and don their tail-feathers to attract females. It also marks the beginning of Turkey Hunting Season in NYS when hunters can take advantage of misled and foolish males in their quest.

We'll discuss the biology of turkeys and their habitat in the Catskills as well as the hunting of these iconic North American birds.

Tree Planting

We'll discuss the ins & outs of planting trees. I've read a lot about tree planting, but nothing beats actually doing it. After planting fruit trees over the past few years, I've made my share of mistakes. We'll go over some basic techniques on planting trees that might help you out and save you time and money.

Hemlock With Gary Mead

This week we will discuss Hemlock Trees with Gary Mead. Gary is the owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.
Gary will give us his perspective on cutting, sawing, milling, and working with the lumber from Hemlock.

Trout Fishing With Judd Weisberg

April 1st marks the beginning of Trout Season in the Catskill Mountains & most of New York State. Judd Weisberg is an avid fisherman of trout in these hills. We'll discuss dishing & the fish that inhabit these beautiful streams.

Judd Weisberg, Lexington, NY - At the age of 4, he began fishing at camp Lexington owned by his family. His love for fly fishing has since taken him all over the world, from Maine to Japan. Judd is a licensed guide in NY and PA, specializing in float and wade trips. He teaches his "Elements of Fly Fishing" course to any and all who wish to learn the way of life of fly fishing. His inspiration for guiding is his desire to "see others catch fish".

Hidden Heritage With Paul Smith's College's Curt Stager

I've always heard that the more mountainous terrain of New York State - i.e. the Adirondacks - was never occupied by Native Americans. Reasons for this absence were that these uplands were either too cold, stony or sandy for growing crops.

But is that really true? Was this area always a '"wilderness" where the "works of man dwindle"? Dr. Curt Stager will discuss how he's been uncovering information and evidence that may "demolish this myth of absence" in the Adirondacks.

Dr. Jay Curtis Stager is an author, radio co-host, musician, and professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks Mountains of upstate New York, where he holds the Draper-Lussi Endowed Chair in Lake Ecology and Paleoecology. He is also a research associate with the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, Orono.

His research in Africa and the Adirondacks has focused on the use of lake sediment cores to reconstruct past climates, evolution, and human impacts on ecosystems over centuries to thousands of years.

In addition to investigating environmental histories of lakes in Africa, South America and the United States, he has studied acid rain recovery in Adirondack lakes, human impacts on Thoreau's Walden Pond, fish evolution in Uganda, megadroughts in the Afro-Asian monsoon region, coral reef ecology in the Bahamas, and exploding lakes in Cameroon.

2019 Backyard Maple Sugaring Report

The 2019 maple season is coming to a close. Both Ryan & John made some syrup on a backyard scale. Many of CFA's members also got into the backyard maple sugaring business as well. We'll discuss how the season went, things we learned and potential tips for making improvements.

Ryan Trapani has been backyard sugaring since 2007. John MacNaught used to manage Paul Smith College's maple sugaring operations while a student there. He now has 1,000 taps he currently manages where he grew up in Delancey, Delaware County; John sells the sap there to commercial maple producers, while making some syrup where he lives on a backyard scale.

Catskill Trees With Gary Mead_Maple

Every third Wednesday on 'From The Forest' we have Gary Mead join us to talk about a tree species growing here in the Catskill Mountains. This week we will discuss maple trees.

Gary is the owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY. Gary will give us his perspective on cutting, sawing, milling, and working with the lumber from maple.

Forest Management On Smaller Acreages With CFA's Forester Patrick Dolan

On this week's show, Patrick will describe the challenges and rewards of managing smaller acreages of forestland inside the Catskill Mountains as newly hired Education Forester for the Catskill Forest Association.
Patrick joined the CFA in October 2018 taking on the role of Education Forester. He received an Associate in Applied Science in Wood Products Technology from Morrisville State College and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Resources Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry in Syracuse, NY. His focus is in the development and implementation of the new Timber Management Program.

Impacts Of Fire Suppression, Climate Change, & More With USU\'s Steve Voekler

We often hear about the destructive nature that fires cause upon trees and forests. Often overlooked are the negative impacts that fire suppression can have on forests, too.

Oregon State University and Utah State University have been researching how trees can become more drought-sensitive due to fire suppression in western U.S. forests. Other negative impacts of fire suppression may include things like susceptibility to insect damage. Utah's State University's Steve Voekler will explain how he has used dendrochronology (the study of tree rings) to unravel these impacts.

Steve Voekler is an Assistant Professor of Dendroclimatology at USU within the Department of Plants, Soils, & Climate. He has his Ph.D. in Forest Science & Wood Science from Oregon State University, 2009; M.S. in Forest Ecology from the University of Missouri, 2004; and his B.S. in Forest Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 2001.

Conserving The Eastern Hellbender Wih Peter Petokas

Ever hear of the giant eastern hellbender? North America's largest salamander? It turns out these salamanders - that can grow up to 2 feet and live to see 2 decades - have become extremely rare since the 1990s.

A few have been found in the clean streams of the central Appalachians and the upper Susquehanna watershed (NYS & PA). Lycoming College's Peter Petokas will discuss this unique amphibian and how his team is helping to bring it back into abundance.

Peter Petokas has earned his A.S. from Westchester Community College; B.A. from SUNY New Paltz; M.S. from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry; and Ph.D. from SUNY Binghamton. Peter initially taught within Lycoming College's Department of Biology, but now is a Research Associate there for the Clean Water Institute. As Research Associate, Peter was involved in stream restoration, incorporating elements of Natural Stream Channel Design. He is now in his 14th year of research on the giant hellbender salamander. He also studies other stream salamanders, vernal pool amphibians, and native and invasive crayfish.

Author: CFA Staff

The Apple Tree With Gary Mead

Every third Wednesday on From The Forest we have Gary Mead talk about a tree species growing here in these Catskill Mountains. This week Gary will discuss one of the Catskills most revered of trees - the Apple Tree.

Gary is the owner of Fruitful Furnishings Sawmill & Gary Mead Gallery in Margaretville, NY.