Halama prefaced his talk with a description of Esopus Bend’s wetland, woodland and meadow habitats that are favorable to a great diversity of butterfly species. He called Esopus Bend, “a little Ward Pound Ridge,” a park in Westchester County nationally famous for the abundance and diversity of its butterfly population. Halama also commented that in addition to its numerous and diverse habitats, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve is a phenomenal home for plants such as Trillium, Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Clover, and Spotted Knapweed, all favorites of butterflies.

In the course of his talk and slide show, Halama described in detail all of the 53 species of butterflies known to inhabit Esopus Bend. The exquisitely beautiful photos in the slide show were taken by ECC board member Steve Chorvas. Kiwanis member Ellen Gleason commented on how impressed she was with the presentation on individual species and with the beautiful photos. She said, “I was most impressed with the photos of the chrysalis, how the butterfly emerges from it, and in general the entire explanation of the life cycle of the Monarch,” Halama, a Woodstock resident and a retiree from The Brookhaven National Lab in 1992 where he participated in an investigation of dark matter in a Rochester University Study, was equally impressed with the reception that he received from Kiwanis members and the level of the questions and discussion.

In the photo shown here, Halama, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in February, is standing next to the canister on the summit of Fir Mountain on June 22, 2006, when he and Chorvas bushwhacked to the top of this trail-less peak in the Catskills. It was Halama’s final required peak for membership in the Catskill 3500 Club. Membership requires climbing to the summit of all 35 Catskill High Peaks above 35,000 feet in elevation, and climbing four designated peaks at a time in winter for a total of 39 summits. On trail-less peaks, one knows the summit by locating and signing the book in the canister.

The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties meets every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Kiwanis Ice Rink. Guests are welcome.

Photo by Steve Chorvas

Initiated in 2007 by the Esopus Creek Conservancy with the enthusiastic support of Saugerties school officials and teachers, this year's program began in mid-October with a class trip to the preserve by the third graders and their teachers from the Charles M. Riccardi Elementary School.

Working in the third grade science curriculum, the youngsters arrived at the preserve with a scavenger list of what to discover, and learned to record the findings. Equipped with materials to gather data, they took water, leaf, and tree bark samples to analyze, all learning experiences unique to an outdoor classroom setting.

The over arching goal of the program is for students to learn about the natural environment and the value of protecting it through educational experiences at the 161-acre preserve with its abundant and varied habitats. Each fall and spring, both third and fifth grade classes in each Saugerties elementary school will visit the preserve as part of their science curriculum. Class trips to the preserve are also planned for ninth grade classes in the Saugerties Junior High School.

The Nature Preserve as Classroom Program, a collaborative effort among the ECC, the Saugerties school district and the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, grew out of an initial effort in 2006 when approximately 500 students visited the preserve with their teachers in a fledging pilot program.

Photos by Susan Bolitzer

The conference will provide a unique opportunity to learn about land conservation options and related community and financial benefits. It will bring together landowners, town planners, municipal officials, concerned citizens, land trust representatives, and others to discuss how undeveloped land helps ensure the protection of water resources, scenic views, wildlife habitat, and quality of life, and the many options, strategies, and financial mechanisms available to support this process.

Erik Kulleseid, Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation will open the conference with his keynote address. After the address, participants can attend two of the five workshops offered:

Living with a Conservation Easement, focusing on the experiences of landowners who have protected their land by donating or selling a conservation easement or purchasing a property with an existing easement.

Your Land Preservation Team, with a lawyer, an appraiser, and a surveyor explaining their roles in developing conservation easements and how you can be part of and benefit from this process.

Protecting Farmland & Working Forests with an expert from the American Farmland Trust and a forester who is one of the authors of the New York law that provides tax relief to forest owners. They will discuss how landowners can both protect land and maintain their livelihoods.

Navigating through Local and State Government on the behind-the-scenes interplay that impacts land preservation. Learn about the roles of town and planning boards, assessors, and municipal regulating commissions, as well as the importance of local, county, and state zoning codes, open space plans, and tax codes.

Financial Incentives for Protecting Your Land explains the New York State and Federal tax benefits available to landowners and the many town, county, state and federal funding programs for land protection.

The conference is presented jointly by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Cragsmoor Conservancy, Esopus Creek Conservancy, Kingston Land Trust, Mohonk Preserve, Rondout Esopus Land Conservancy, Wallkill Valley Land Trust, and Woodstock Land Conservancy. It is funded by the land trusts, with additional support from American Farmland Trust; Brooks and Brooks, PC; Friends of the Shawangunks; The Nature Conservancy; New York City Department of Environmental Protection; Open Space Institute; Orange County Land Trust; PDQ Printers; SUNY Ulster; Scenic Hudson; Schain and Company; and Shawangunk Mountains Regional Partnership.

Registration for the conference is $30, which includes continental breakfast and lunch. Members of town planning and zoning boards may register for $40 per person to earn two hours of training credit. To register, visit http://www.wallkillvalleylt.org
send payment to:
The Wallkill Valley Land Trust
PO Box 208
New Paltz, NY 12561
or call 845-255-2761.
Same-day registration accepted if space is available.

Arrive by land or water – walk, bike, drive or paddle. You’ll enjoy light-lunch fare at each stop along the tour. Relax, socialize, and admire the protected landscape of Saugerties natural treasure, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve.

Discover, or discover anew, Esopus Bend and join a nature hike led by ECC’s experienced guides. Learn about the preserve’s special habitats and abundant wildlife. For more details, visit our Web site in the spring.