From The Forest

Every Third Wednesday we have Wood Artist, Gary Mead on the show to discuss a native tree, or something else forest-related. This month we'll be discussing the linden or basswood tree.

On this week's show, we'll be talking to Paul Steely from Parks & Trails New York. We'll see how New York State's vast network of parks and trails are doing.

Former Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, an organization that became a model for effective public interest advocacy.

Paul has a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana. He spends his Saturdays and Sundays brick oven baking, bicycling, and hiking the parks and trails of the Hudson River Valley with his wife Zoe and their three rascally children. Paul joined PTNY in March 2023, succeeding the legendary Robin Dropkin.

Mike is a retired teacher from Margaretville Central School. He taught Earth Science, Environmental Science, Science Research in the High School, Driver Education and several elementary and junior high courses over his 33-year career. In 1988 he was selected as the New York State Conservation Teacher of the Year by the New York State Board of Soil and Water Districts. A life-long resident of Delaware County, Mike is an avid birder and has studied the changes in the avian community over the years.

As a small woodlot landowner, he has learned to manage his property to better enhance wildlife, timber quality and maple syrup production. Mike has been an active volunteer Fireman for nearly 45 years and was an Executive officer for most of that time. He was a member of the Town of Middletown Zoning Board of Appeals and, later, a Planning Board member and Chair. Besides birding, Mike gardens, makes Maple syrup, cuts his own firewood and does woodworking. Currently, he is harvesting trees from his property and preparing his own lumber via a bandsaw mill on the property.

On this week's show we'll be talking to Taylor Moyer from the LandTrust Recreation Access Network. LandTrust is a 2-Way marketplace for "Connecting farmers, ranchers, and landowners to people that want to recreate in the outdoors." Choose an activity: Hunting, fishing, bird-watching, mushroom picking, camping, etc. LandTrust can then find a willing landowner throughout the US. Sounds like a great way to keep rural land viable, while filling a demand for outdoor activity.

Every Third Wednesday we have Wood Artist, Gary Mead on the show to discuss a native tree, or something else forest-related. This month we'll be discussing the sycamore tree.

On this week's show, we're grabbing a seat with Katie Grove, full-time artist, wild basket maker and soon-to-be author. We'll get into the unique challenges and delights the wild weaving process presents and discuss how active forest management intersects with the legacy craft that is basketry. How does a tree go from forest to basket? What kinds of plants can be utilized? Can basketry be another outlet for managing invasives?