In this Issue: REI Group Visits Two Preserves; Time to Wear Orange for Safety; Take a Gander at the 'Shrooms; Lark in the Park Event Filling Up; Register for IWS Walk; and Volunteer of the Month

REI Influencers Explore Two Public Trails

WLC Partners with REI, Autocamp for Two-Day Visit

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt."

- John Muir

WLC welcomed more than two dozen outdoor enthusiasts, social media content creators and writers to Sloan Gorge and Israel Wittman Sanctuary (IWS) yesterday and today as part of a multi-day event organized by REI, the large consumer co-operative with the slogan "opt outside."

Indeed, the REI guests spent their days outside in the Hudson Valley. They stayed at Autocamp in Saugerties and spent hours yesterday at Sloan Gorge with WLC staffers and special guest Dr. Robert Titus, who gave them a geological tour. Today, the visitors are at our largest preserve, IWS, with WLC staff and special guest Chris Baker of Chicory Naturalist on a mushroom identification tour.

While it is rare for WLC to host large groups at our preserves, we were excited to share two of our cherished places with communication professionals from across the country.

Safety First: Time to Wear Orange

Hunting Season Starts in the Hudson Valley

As the calendar turns from September to October, it's time to make sure pumpkins aren't the only ones covered in orange. It's hunting season in the Hudson Valley, so orange is a good choice for safety.

Though absolutely no hunting is allowed at any of the Woodstock Land Conservancy preserves, we encourage you to consider wearing brightly colored and/or reflective orange clothing to ensure maximum protection while out in the woods. For detailed information about New York State hunting timelines, review this document for details.

Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions, particularly if you notice signs of hunting at WLC sites. This signage is now back on our kiosks.

Mushrooms Put on a Show on the Forest Floor

Can You Spot all the Colors of the Fruiting Fungi?

As a Hudson Valley Table article noted, "Fall is a particularly good season for mushrooms in the Hudson Valley." We don't look for mushrooms to add them to our next meal, but we've been thrilled to see the variety showing their colors at our preserves.

"As the temperature and the leaves drop, the woods may look dead and bare, but there’s something growing among and on the trees: mushrooms," the article continued. "Fungi, spurred by the wet weather and sudden influx of decaying matter, fruit and spread their spores." Last week's rain and this week's cooler temperatures are just what the mushrooms needed.

They are putting on a show at Israel Wittman Sanctuary! From the muted orange of golden chanterelles to the bright red-orange glow of cinnabar chanterelles and the delicate, branching forms of coral mushrooms (pictured here), the forest floor is alive with color, shapes and texture right now. These fruiting fungi are an essential part of the sanctuary’s ecosystem, helping recycle nutrients, supporting plant life and providing habitat for tiny forest creatures.

Please remember to look but don’t touch. All mushrooms in our preserves are part of a protected habitat, and foraging is not allowed on WLC preserves. Instead, take your time, snap a photo and enjoy the beauty nature is offering this season. If you are on social media, we'd appreciate you tagging WLC when you post your 'shrooms shots.

It's time for the annual Lark in the Park, and we are joining in the fun with a guided hike at the newly opened Rock Oak Preserve. WLC staffer Miranda Javid will share the story behind creating our newest public trail and preserve Oct. 7 starting at 5 p.m.

This 30-acre hardwood and coniferous forest is home to a canopy of red oak, chestnut oak, white pine and eastern hemlock, and it features a striking rock-cut formed during construction of the Ashokan Reservoir more than a century ago. As participants explore the one-mile loop and spur trail, they will pass glacial erratics and a scenic lookout, while learning about the site’s layered history as well as the generous support from the Martin family and the New York State Conservation Partnership Program that made its protection possible. 

The event is free, but reservations are required. Click here to sign up for the hike.

Cary Institute to Host Fall Foliage Walk

Israel Wittman Sanctuary will be Site, Oct. 18

We're excited to partner with the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies and join the Catskill Science Collaborative for a fall foliage walk at Israel Wittman Sanctuary Oct. 18.

We'd like you to take in the colors of autumn’s palette on an interpretive walk with Ian McGregor, a forest ecologist at the institute. You will cover approximately two miles on easy terrain while exploring why leaves turn color in the fall, how tree species differ in their color timing and intensity, why predicting fall color is so hard, how fall color can be a window into environmental conditions, and ways that remote sensing is helping researchers understand the phenology of fall foliage.

Space is limited, so registration is required. Hiking shoes, long pants and water bottles are recommended. Parking is limited; please carpool if possible. (Remember that pets are not allowed at the sanctuary.) The walk starts at 10 a.m.

In case of inclement weather, this event will be held on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Maura Rapkin has only been a Hudson Valley resident for two years, but she's quickly come to appreciate its history, its beauty and its soil. Her garden is one of her favorite places. We're pleased Sloan Gorge is also one of her favorite places and that she takes time to help us preserve it as a WLC Land Steward.

"I am mesmerized by the dappled light and broken bluestone piles," Maura said. "I am delighted by the unexpected inclines above the gorge and declines below water level. I am always a little terrified and excited to go into the cave."

Having studied geology in college, Maura said her adoration for Sloan Gorge was "set in stone" -- a pun she simply could not resist -- when she participated in a geology tour led by Dr. Robert Titus. "The history of the place is tangible," she explained. "I now know the Hudson Valley region is a petrified delta impacted by a couple thousand year ice event. And when I visit Sloan Gorge, it’s all I think about, and it’s grand."

We couldn't agree more! The preserve is grand, as are our dedicated Land Stewards who care for it throughout the year. Thank you, Maura, for your shared love of one of our favorite places. We're pleased you are our Volunteer of the Month.

If you'd like to volunteer with WLC, please email us here for more information.

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