June 16 - 23, 2013  |  Apply Now  |    Download Full Program Syllabus 

In the United States, the average person uses 80 gallons of water per day and produces 5 pounds of trash in that same time. As the standard of living rises, so too does the demand for natural resources. Responsible regional land use and resource management is critical if we are to ensure our continued ability to meet our most basic needs. Resource management in the Catskill Region includes addressing issues of waste, development, conservation, and water, as this region provides 90% of the 1.3 billion gallons of unfiltered water consumed daily by 9 million residents of New York City

Learning, Meeting the Experts & Visiting Partner Organizations

SUNDAY: Conservation Versus Preservation
Reading: Peterson, Richard B., Diane Russell, Paige West, and Peter Brosius. "Seeing (and Doing) Conservation Through Cultural Lenses." Environmental Management 45 (2008): 5-18.

MONDAY: Socio-Geological History of the Catskill Region
Field Work:

• Catskill Mountainkeeper Director Wes Gillingham leads a half-day hike through the Catskill Mountains, highlighting the historic and present-day land use trends. 
  

TUESDAY: Water
Reading: Galusha, Diane. "Introduction." Liquid Assets: The Story of New York City’s Water System. Fleischmanns, NY: Purple Mountain, 1999.
Field Work:

• Visit Ashokan Reservoir with Executive Director of the Watershed Protection and Partnership Council / New York State Department of State and discuss issues of water management.
  
• Visit National Park Service at the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and learn about the role that this federal agency plays in conservation efforts throughout the country.
  

WEDNESDAY: Forests 
Field Work:

• Work at the Frost Valley Model Forest on a trail management project and learn about the role that forests play in maintaining a safe and healthy watershed. 
  
• Tour forest surrounding Camp Shomria with Catskill Forest Association and learn about ways that human intervention can create healthy sustainable forests. 
  

THURSDAY: Disposal, Recycling, and Adaptive Reuse
Reading: Howard, Gregory J. "Garbage Laws and Symbolic Policy: Governmental Responses to the Problem of Waste in the United States." Criminal Justice Policy Review 10.2 (1999): 257-90.
Field Work: 

• Tour the large-scale composting, recycling, gas recovery and waste disposal facility with the Delaware Department of Public Works.
  
• Work on Wildflower Farm and Aquaculture Center and see how this farm utilizes waste water from the tilapia farm to grow plants.
  

FRIDAY: Land Use and Responsible Development
Field Work:

• Learn about role of local government by meeting with the Bethel Town Board and discuss the Farmland Protection Plan, a town level plan to protect and enhance agriculture.
  

SATURDAY: Workshop & Recommendations