EVENTS
Our UPCOMING 2026 Wild Saturdays program
Wild Saturdays is a series of free programs offered once a month from May to October each year. Hear expert talks, explore the nearby woods with guided walks, learn about Catskills history & wildlife, and so much more.
In this 2026 season we will have authors and historians discussing local history, a tree identification walk, and an evening of star gazing among other events listed below.
Hidden Treasures of the Catskills - with Anthony Musso - Wild Saturdays
About The Event & Author:
Tony Musso, a prolific author of eleven books and hundreds of articles, introduces you to “Hidden Treasures of The Catskills.” You’ll be amazed at the places you have yet to see that are within a short trip. Tony was a featured author on regional history for Gannett Newspapers, and is an entertaining speaker with a large following.
Event Location:
the Catskill Watershed Corporation - 669 County Road 38, Arkville, NY.
The Author’s website - mussobooks.com
Book page - “Hidden Treasures Of The Catskills”
The book “Hidden Treasures of The Catskills” can be purchased here - mussobooks.com/online-store
The Anti-Rent War & Edward O'Connor - With Ray LaFever - Wild Saturdays
About The Event:
Ray LaFever presents the uprising that took place in the1840s in several areas in New York–including Delaware County. The climax of the war was the killing of Under-Sheriff Osman Steele. Edward O'Connor was one of the two men sentenced to hang for the killing. History, war, murder, punishment, it’s all here.
About The Speaker:
Ray LaFever has been the Bovina Town Historian since 2004. He worked for 20 years at the New York State Archives, retiring from there in 2010. In 2011 he started working part-time at the Delaware County Historical Association as their archivist.
Ray’s Bovina History Blog
NEW YORK STATE'S 19th CENTURY CANALS - With Bill Merchant - Wild SATURDAYS
About The Event:
Canals were vitally important to the State of New York in the 19th century era of "Canal Fever". There were really only two, but the impact of both reached beyond the state's borders to affect the history of the entire nation. Join D&H Canal Historian Bill Merchant for an illustrated look at the story of these important waterways and the effect they had on America.
About The Speaker:
Bill Merchant is the Deputy Director for Collections, Historian and Curator of the D&H Canal Historical Society and President of the D&H Transportation Heritage Council. He is a member of the Ulster County Arts and Culture Advisory Council, Chair of the Marbletown Historic Preservation Commission, and on the Ulster County Commission to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. He recently led the field survey for the current update to the D&H Canal’s National Historic Register listing and is the main contributing historian for its narrative history and inventory of extant features. He is currently writing both a new history of the D&H Canal and Gravity Railroad and a guide book to its many extant features. In 2023, the Museum Association of New York awarded him their Individual Achievement Award for his work at the new D&H Canal Museum.
Native Tree Identification Walk - with Marc Wolf - WILD SATURDAYS
About The Event:
Would you like to know what trees you’re hiking by and living with? Join Marc Wolf for a tree identification walk at Woodchuck Lodge. We will focus on characteristics of leaves, buds, bark and growth habits of trees native to the Catskills. We’ll also discuss what trees might be growing where, based on site conditions and forest disturbance.
About The Guide:
Marc is former Director of Horticulture and Environmental Stewardship at Mountain Top Arboretum, is on the Board of Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve and was named a “Steward of the Catskills” by the Catskill Center.
The World In A Drop Of Water - with Michelle Rissolo - WILD SATURDAYS
About The Event & Speaker:
Michelle Rissilo imparts what you can learn from a Drop of Water. Where did it come from, what is living in it, how is it recycled by Mother Nature, and why you should care. Michelle is Chair of the Mid-Hudson section of the American Chemical Society. She harnesses information from her four-distinct careers: Environmental & Safety Manager, tenured college professor, Lead Technical Director for an Environmental Laboratory Approval Program facility, and Quality Assurance & Licensing manager for NYC DEP.
Catskill Dark Skies & Star Party - with Michael Goldstein - WILD SATURDAYS
About The Event:
The Catskills provide a remarkable preserve for dark skies, treasured by stargazers, amateur astronomers, and anyone who steps outside on a clear night and looks up. This extraordinary darkness is due in large part to John Burroughs’ campaign for wilderness preservation. Despite our proximity to the NYC megalopolis, the Catskills support darker skies than 11 states east of the Mississippi. This is a two-part event, a talk from 6-7 PM, plus telescope viewing supported by amateur astronomers from the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association from 7:45 to 10 PM.
About The Speaker:
Michael Goldstein is Vice President of MHAA and discovered Woodchuck Lodge when searching for dark sites appropriate for telescope viewing in the Western Catskills.
please visit this page again for more events & updates
ARCHIVE OF PAST EVENTS
