New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Hudson Valley - Catskills

Rangers Find Gun, Weed; Rescue Unprepared, Injured, Ill Hikers & More

by Leave a Comment

Forest Rangers Sprague and Streczywilk with marijuana plants on Hill Higher State Forest in the summer of 2023New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Rangers Find Gun, Weed; Rescue Unprepared, Injured, Ill Hikers & More

DEC Releases New Forest Preserve Work Policy

by Leave a Comment

Class II Community Connector Snowmobile Trail courtesy ProtectNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has finalized DEC’s Commissioner Policy 78 (CP-78), the Forest Preserve Work Plan Policy. This policy is expected to serve as a guide for newly proposed projects and the evaluation of their site-specific impacts to the environment and character of the New York State Forest Preserve. [Read more…] about DEC Releases New Forest Preserve Work Policy

Staatsburgh Magic Lantern Show Features Nellie Bly’s 1899 Round-the-World Voyage

by Leave a Comment

Nellie Bly Around the World in 72 Days GraphicA small-town girl with little education, but possessing blazing ambition and talent, Nellie Bly rose from obscurity to worldwide fame by the age of 23. Following her groundbreaking muckraking journalism, exposing the horrors of a mental asylum by going undercover as an inmate, Bly continued to harness the power of sensational journalism by embarking on a journey around the world, setting out to beat the fictional record of Jules Verne’s novel, Around the World in 80 Days (1872). [Read more…] about Staatsburgh Magic Lantern Show Features Nellie Bly’s 1899 Round-the-World Voyage

Westchester Land Trust Protects Land in Historic Park Hill Neighborhood of Yonkers

by Leave a Comment

conservation easement in the Park Hill neighborhood of Yonkers (Westchester Land Trust)Westchester Land Trust (WLT), a nationally accredited land conservation nonprofit headquartered in Bedford Hills, Westchester County, NY, has announced the permanent protection of land in the historic Park Hill neighborhood of Yonkers. [Read more…] about Westchester Land Trust Protects Land in Historic Park Hill Neighborhood of Yonkers

Sleepy Hollow’s Rockwood Hall, Archville Bridge Tour

by Leave a Comment

Hudson River from Rockwood Hall estate in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, NY (Courtesy Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct)Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct will host a free easy-to-moderate three-mile, three-hour loop walk of Sleepy Hollow’s Rockwood Hall and Archville Bridge, with panoramic views of the Hudson River in Westchester County, NY. [Read more…] about Sleepy Hollow’s Rockwood Hall, Archville Bridge Tour

Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox

by 1 Comment

Timber rattlesnake discovered at auto shop in Steuben County in July 2023In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors began serving to protect the natural resources of New York State. In 2022, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to more than 25,600 calls. What follows are recently reported incidents involving wildlife rescues: [Read more…] about Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox

Hudson River Valley Ramble Begins September 1st

by Leave a Comment

2023 Hudson River Valley RambleThe Hudson River Valley Ramble begins on September 1st. This year the Ramble is celebrating its 23rd anniversary with over 150 recreational and cultural events highlighting the rich diversity of the Hudson River Valley region. [Read more…] about Hudson River Valley Ramble Begins September 1st

Forest Rangers Find Fugitive, Recover Body, Make Helicopter Rescue & More

by Leave a Comment

Wittenberg Mountain Rescue in August 2023New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Find Fugitive, Recover Body, Make Helicopter Rescue & More

Harlem’s ‘French’ Hero: The Multi-Talented Eugene Bullard

by 1 Comment

Eugene Bullard being beaten by police during the Peekskill Riot in 1949What has gone down in history as the Peekskill Riot was an attack in 1949 by a horde of white supremacists on African-Americans attending a Civil Rights benefit concert in Peekskill, Westchester County, NY. The show, scheduled for August 27th, was headlined by bass-baritone Paul Robeson, the left-wing campaigner and advocate of racial equality.

Just before the singer’s arrival in Peekskill, concertgoers were brutally attacked by some three hundred troublemakers, many of them carrying baseball bats. As the local police did not intervene, thirteen people were wounded in the mayhem. The concert was cancelled and postponed until September 4th. With local labor unions providing security, the event proceeded that night before an audience of 20,000 people. Robeson was joined on stage by folk singers Pete Seeger, Hope Foye and others. [Read more…] about Harlem’s ‘French’ Hero: The Multi-Talented Eugene Bullard