Our 2015 Season--Planning Underway

In the depths of what seems to be an endless winter of deep snows and howling winds, we at the MTHS are stirring and busy planning for our 41st season. It is shaping up to be very interesting for history buffs and hikers alike. The celebration of our 40th Anniversary last year saw an increase in our memberships and participants in all our programs, events and hikes. We were delighted with the response and look forward to everyone's continued involvement. We launched a few new programs, most especially the HikeFest and we plan to hold another one again in October.
Our theme for 2015 is the "people of the Catskills." Several programs are in the works to bring attention to the Women of the Catskills such as Candace Wheeler and to explore the life and work of the first shaper of the national interest in nature, famed naturalist and writer John Burroughs.
We have several authors lined up to tell additional stories about the people of the region and the impact of people on the natural world. In May, David and Wanda Dorpfeld will be visiting us to talk about their new book Legendary Locals of Greene County, and in September, noted Wall Street Journal and the New York Times foreign correspondent, Jim Sterba, will share the insights he discusses in his book, Nature Wars:The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards Into Battlefields. This is the startling story of the unanticipated consequences of human interaction with and manipulation of the natural world.
As we launch the 2015 season hikes are planned at the Mountain Top Arboretum with emphasis on returning birds and wildflowers on the Northern Catskills. We will be joined by the popular botanists who joined us last year on the Bartrum hikes. We will explore the Kiersted Tannery in the Kaaterskill Clove and return again to Woodland Valley to follow in the footsteps of John Burroughs as he tramped in and around the Burroughs Range.

For more information click on the Events and Hikes link in the right side bar. More details will be added regularly, so check back often.

We couldn't sustain all these activities and the Archives (which are growing by leaps and bounds) without the help of volunteers, donors and sponsors. We are grateful for your help and invite you to join us for what is shaping up to be an exciting 41st season!

MTHS Needs You

In order to keep all of these activities going we need YOU! We depend on two things to support our efforts: If you are a member of the MTHS but have not yet renewed for 2015, please take a few moments to bring your membership up to date. If you have not yet joined us, click on the link on this page to go to a secure webpage and join us there.

If you have been a volunteer with us in the past couple of years, thank you! If you have not yet volunteered, let us know what you can do and how much time you have to give. We need people to help maintain the buildings and grounds; people to staff the Visitors' Center; people to help with the archives; people to sell raffle tickets and food at our events; and more. Our schedule is flexible and we'll find a way to bring you in. Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 518 589-6657 and leave a message. We'd love to hear from you!