A founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), Brian Caldwell, was recently appointed to a five-year term on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). [Read more…] about NY Farmer Named to USDA Organic Standards Board
Hudson Valley - Catskills
Elections in Early America: Democracy & Voting in British North America
The British North American colonies formed some of the most democratic governments in the world. But that doesn’t mean that all early Americans were treated equally or allowed to participate in representative government.
So who could vote in Early America? Who could participate in representative government?
[Read more…] about Elections in Early America: Democracy & Voting in British North America
Portraying Presidents: A Sketch of Cultural History
Beginning with George Washington, it has been a custom for the President of the United States to have an official portrait sculpted or painted during his time in office.
From the beginning artists were faced with conflicting demands of aesthetics, the need to evoke the significance of the nation’s highest office, and the personal inclination of the sitter (varying from modesty to pomposity). How to reconcile such different strands in a work of art? [Read more…] about Portraying Presidents: A Sketch of Cultural History
Ghost Encounters at Clermont Historic Site
The Clermont State Historic Site in Germantown, Columbia County, NY, will host Legends by Candlelight Ghost Encounters, special lectures given by Clermont’s curator, on October 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th.
During the lectures on the lawn of Clermont, costumed staff will emerge from Clermont to tell their ghost stories of love, loss, success and failure. [Read more…] about Ghost Encounters at Clermont Historic Site
Invasive Species Survey Efforts Help Protect NY Waters
DEC’s aquatic invasive species team has been coordinating surveys to detect and map invasive species in New York State’s waters. Surveys help to better understand invasive species infestations and inform DEC’s management efforts. [Read more…] about Invasive Species Survey Efforts Help Protect NY Waters
New Novel: The Power Line by Christopher Shaw
What really happened at Donnelly’s Corners in the spring of 1929?
The question haunts the exciting and thought-provoking novel, The Power Line (Outskirts Press, 2020) by Christopher Shaw.
According to Shaw, the project began in the seventies when the guide and regional historian Abel St. Martin began recording the memories of older people around Saranac Lake and Lake Aurora in the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about New Novel: The Power Line by Christopher Shaw
Chipmunks Are Preparing For Winter
Two chipmunks vie for seeds on our front lawn. One lives directly underneath the bird feeder. Another hails from the far side of the house, address unknown.
The chipmunks appear identical to me: same size, same stripes. Same interests, namely seed hoarding, aggressive chittering, jumping into the bushes and back out again, and brazen stiff-tailed standoffs with the dog. [Read more…] about Chipmunks Are Preparing For Winter
Philip Payton and Harlem as a Center of Black Culture (Podcast)
This week on The Historians Podcast, Jim Kaplan tells the story of African American real estate developer Philip Payton, who helped develop Harlem as a center of black culture.
Kaplan’s talk is based on an article on the topic that he wrote for New York Almanack. [Read more…] about Philip Payton and Harlem as a Center of Black Culture (Podcast)
State Seeks Input On Endangered Species Changes
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is accepting public comment on a revised regulatory proposal to strengthen protections for threatened and endangered wildlife in New York.
The proposal promotes sharing information between landowners and DEC staff during permit reviews for projects on lands where endangered or threatened species may be located, helping improve the pace of permit decisions and to better avoid negative impacts to vulnerable wildlife populations. [Read more…] about State Seeks Input On Endangered Species Changes
A Brief History of NYSDEC’s Division of Air Resources
Just over 50 years ago, NYC had some of the worst air pollution in the country with multiple major smog events in 1953, 1963, and 1966. Temperature inversions caused these events by trapping high amounts of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and smoke in the city’s air. These air disasters sparked regulatory actions across the U.S. [Read more…] about A Brief History of NYSDEC’s Division of Air Resources