In this Issue: Soaking Up the End of Summer Sunshine; Scarecrow Fest is this Saturday; Ulster County in Drought Watch; Donations Still Accepted for Festival; and Good Climate News

Garden Party at Zena, Hike at the Sanctuary

Crowds Soak Up the Sun while Soaking Up History

"To say it was a beautiful day would not begin to explain it. It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with the start of fall."

- Ann Patchett

As the long days of summer lead us into fall, we've been focusing on the joys of the natural world and helping others appreciate their uniqueness throughout the year. From a garden party at Zena Cornfield last Thursday to a weekend walk that celebrated the Hudson River Valley's annual Ramble, WLC staffer Miranda Javid led groups to appreciate the history, the beauty and the ongoing importance of cherished preserves.

Neighbors from the Ashokan Garden Party joined some of the WLC Land Stewards at Zena Cornfield to learn about the long legacy of its stewardship. More than 20 participants shared herbal tea and conversation as Miranda extolled the community's role in caring for it. From the Munsee Lenape who once grew corn there to WLC’s multi-decade efforts to care for the land, Zena Cornfield has always been a rich site to behold. Miranda invited the cornfield's Land Stewards to share their perspectives, offering insight into the program and what stewardship means to them. The gathering offered a moment to reflect on the deep connections between people and place.

Israel Wittman Sanctuary then took center stage Saturday as 11 community members joined Miranda for a guided walk through the preserve's late-season beauty. Along the way, participants admired the delicate blooms of snake root and the low, red-berried trailside carpets of partridge berry, while also delving into the sanctuary’s layered history of quarrying. The conversation touched on the ongoing stewardship challenges posed by invasive barberry and stiltgrass, highlighting both the sanctuary’s resilience and the care it requires. The walk concluded with an exciting glimpse of what’s to come: plans for a fourth trail to open next year, promising even more opportunities to experience the sanctuary’s rich ecology and history.

The days may be getting shorter, but WLC will continue to offer monthly programming through fall and into winter. For a full listing of the final 2025 programs, click here.

Coming to Comeau: Scarecrow Fest!

Join Us Saturday for the 4th annual Festival

We're counting the hours to the 4th annual Scarecrow Fest, looking forward to welcoming you to the Shakespeare Lawn right beside the Town of Woodstock offices. Join us for a day of fun that runs from 1-4 p.m.

There will be food from the mobile kitchen of From the Ground Up, games spread across the lawn, exhibitor booths dotting the area close to the stage and many arts and crafts stations. We're also offering live music and eco-themed workshops for the whole family.

Workshop Schedule

1:15 - 1:45 p.m. - Seed Ball Creation with Woodstock Pollinator Pathway and Hudson Valley Seed Co. at the HVSC and WPP tables

1:30 - 2 p.m. - Movin' & Groovin' Story Time with Judy at Woodstock Library's table

2 - 2:30 p.m. - Elly Wininger Sing Along at the Shakespeare stage

2:15 - 2:45 p.m. - Bedrock Geology for Kids with Dr. Robert Titus at the workshop + crafts station  

3:15 - 3:45 p.m. - Comeau Tree Identification (a short walk) with WLC’s Melissa Peterson / participants will meet at the workshop + crafts station 

3:40 p.m. - Raffle winners announced at the Shakespeare stage

Scarecrow Festival Craft Stations

Throughout the festival, please enjoy pumpkin painting with Christina Varga; indigo dyeing with Courtney Dudley (near Town Offices); branch weaving with Courtney Salerno; “Gathering Stories of the Land,” a collaborative storytelling project with Jill Olesker; pollinator coloring sheets by Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency; a Scarecrow-themed photo booth; and more. Activities will be offered at some of the arts stations while supplies last.

Bring a white article of clothing to dye with Courtney. She will be working with participants to dye the first 50 items on a first-come, first-served basis.

Raffle Items

There will be five incredible items available to lucky raffle winners. Would you like to win a $50 gift certificate from Adams Fairacre Farms, a $100 gift certificate from Sunflower Market, a gorgeous piece of pottery from Cheyenne Mallo Pottery, two tickets to a Robert Burke Warren concert hosted by Woodstock Rotary or a magnum of 2012 Brunello de Montalcino donated from a supporter's private wine cellar? Stop by the WLC table between 1-3:30 to purchase your raffle tickets.

Learn more here about the raffle items and the day's activities.

Scarecrow Fest is free, but we ask for a $10 per adult donation to help defray the costs and support the Comeau Stewardship Advisory Committee. Parking is free, and the workshops are free. Please bring your reusable water bottle and either a blanket or lawn chairs if you'd like to relax on the lawn.

There's fun from one end of the lawn to the other awaiting you at Scarecrow Fest this Saturday!

According to the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Ulster County is now one of dozens of counties across New York in "drought watch," the first level of concern for drought conditions. While there are no mandatory restrictions associated with a drought watch, the DEC and other state officials are encouraging residents to conserve water in their homes and businesses.

The county, along with much of the Catskills region, has experienced an "abnormally dry" period, much like last September. There's no appreciable precipitation in the forecast for the next 10 days either.

The next levels of drought stage are warning and emergency. Only an emergency designation includes mandatory restrictions on water use, but voluntary conservation helps everyone maintain access when water systems are challenged.

While it may be difficult to find drought information on websites managed by the federal government, the state's DEC site continues to update its drought map regularly.

Still Need Volunteers, Donations for Scarecrow Fest

Tomorrow is Last Day to Drop Off Donated Items

Thanks to those who have offered to volunteer at Scarecrow Fest. We still need a few more individuals to help us with parking and the clean-up/tear down crew. Volunteer shifts are 60-90 minutes to ensure there's time to enjoy the festival either before or after the shift. The festival itself is 1-4 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Comeau in the heart of Woodstock.

We also need donations. Do you have scarecrow essentials? How about kid-friendly craft supplies? We can help you clean out part of a closet, craft bin or kitchen drawer while saving us money and reducing consumption.

We are looking to reuse supplies whenever possible, so please let us know if you have the following materials to donate. We will be taking donations through tomorrow afternoon. There is a bin on the porch of our office, which is located at 74 Mill Hill Road, right across from Sunflower Market.

• Straw hats: adults or kids
• Flannel shirts: adults or kids
• Paper plates: white only with no design
• Paint brushes: kid-friendly size for tempera paints
• Kids scissors with blunt ends
• Straw or yarn to decorate handmade hats

If you have any questions, please email us here. Thanks for helping us make Scarecrow Fest an eco-friendly event for the whole family.

While there's no shortage of bad news regarding climate change in the headlines, there's also eally good news that may not be getting quite so much attention. Whether it is just down the road or across the globe, the clean energy transition has not been sidelined.

As our friends at Third Act Woodstock get ready to celebrate solar power this Sunday as part of the national SunDay festivities, the residents of New Paltz will be celebrating a net-zero fire station powered by solar panels. Mayor Tim Rogers will be leading the event at the fire station on Henry W. DuBois Drive.

On the opposite side of the country, ecologists in California have begun "gully stuffing," a unique way to utilize the remnants of trees and brush from the forest thinning process to rebuild eroded gullies. Ecologists have found "the added plant matter helps slow erosion and reduce the sediment flowing into streams below. And, over time, it breaks down into spongy compost that absorbs water." They hope the concept can be utilized by landowners and other government agencies to stop burning the remnants of thinning and use them to create healthier waterways instead.

On the opposite side of the world, Australian researchers have confirmed the benefits of pairing sheep with solar farms. A three-year study debunked some myths regarding harm to the animals, finding the opposite. "Sheep grazing between solar arrays showed no negative health impacts," the study reported. "Instead, researchers documented enhanced wool quality with increased fiber strength and growth rates. The solar infrastructure created microhabitats that benefited both the animals and the underlying vegetation."

How about good news that we can use as individuals? Let's talk about "carbon negative foods." The BBC recently reran an article it has originally published late last year that might put some new items on your grocery list. The article explains "there are some foods that remove more greenhouse gases than they emit, often referred to as 'carbon negative' foods. These foods leave the climate better than they found it. Producing and eating more of these could help reduce the carbon impact of our food and, in some cases, restore ecosystems in the process." Those foods include kelp, tree nuts and some citrus. Read the full article here.

One final bit of good news on the solar power front: Floating panels are showing great promise! There are pilot projects going on in parts of Europe utilizing waterways rather than land for solar farms, and the results are positive. Read more about the projects here. Given Europe's strong climate goals, this technology could help tremendously when scaled.

Good news is also going to be shared at SunDay events, so join one of the celebrations. The festivities for the Hudson Valley will be held in Albany at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center starting at noon. The event is free but registration is required, so click here to register.



According to the website, the upstate New York event will feature panel discussions, an exhibit hall, a songfest and films. "Events in Upstate New York will bring together activists, businesses, workers, homeowners, renters, farmers, students and policymakers to demonstrate widespread support for the ongoing transition to renewable energy," the site explains.

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