Esopus Bend Nature Preserve

Pre-register by noon on Jan. 4th if you would like to participate.

Let's get every Saugerties kid out in nature. Esopus Creek Conservancy is committed to Saugerties Kids. They are the future. Can you help?

A great line up of workshops on April 28th.

Briston Beach Presentation - Nov. 16th at 7pm

Pre-Register for this popular Mushroom Walk.

You must Pre-Register for this popular walk. Contact Steve Chorvas ([email protected]) to register, or for additional information or directions. The Esopus C...reek Conservancy, in conjunction with the 18th Annual Hudson River Valley Ramble, is sponsoring a guided mushroom walk on Saturday, September 09, 2017. Autumn can be a very productive time of the year for mushrooms when soil moisture is favorable. George Johanson will guide us as we explore a local woodland in search of ground and wood-dwelling mycelia.

In the battle against Lyme disease, the white footed mouse is shaping up to be public enemy #1. That's something of a worry because where the mice go, so too ...go the infected ticks, said Richard Ostfeld, who is co-heading the The Tick Project, along with his wife, Felicia Keesing, a biology professor at Bard College in New York. https://www.washingtonpost.com//why-this-adorable-mouse-/

The how and why of tick borne disease

Join a field team to census butterflies in Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, or one of dozens of other local sites as a participant in the 8th annual Eastern Catskills North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Fourth of July Butterfly Count on Saturday, June 24, 2017.

Birds and Butterflies - join the experts on Saturday morning.

******* BEAR ALERT! ******** A female bear with two very small cubs was sighted earlier today down in the meadow area of Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, eventually heading east to the woodlands of the East Trail. PLEASE BE AWARE OF AND AVOID ANY CONFRONTATION WITH THE BEARS.... Female Black Bears are harmless and will usually move off quickly when approached by people, but problems may arise if someone tries to get too close for photos or feels they need to try to scare off the bear. Under no circumstances should anyone get between the mother bear and her cubs, or pressure the cubs up a tree.

What are you doing Saturday morning?

Celebrate the arrival of Spring with the Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society on a guided nature walk in a variety of ecologicall...y rich habitats in the Town of Saugerties on Sunday, March 19, 2017. Depending on available time, conditions, and participant interest, we will visit The Great Vly Wildlife Management Area, Esopus Bend Nature Preserve, and/or the Saugerties Lighthouse peninsular on the Hudson River. Meet 8:00 a.m. in the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Participants can carpool and stay for the duration, or drive to each location and leave whenever necessary. Bring binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes if you have them, and be prepared for wet, muddy trails, and early spring weather conditions. Light rain often makes for excellent birding and nature observation, but heavy rain cancels the walk. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets. Contact the field trip leader, Steve Chorvas ([email protected]) for additional information or directions. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required, but recommended in the event of unforeseen changes or cancellation. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks and Paddles, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org

This year is predicted to be one of the worst years for Lyme ticks and related diseases. The best protection for yourself, your family, and your pets is information and knowledge of how to defend against infection. The Town of Saugerties Conservation Advisory Commission in conjunction with Ulster County Department of Health will hold a free presentation April 20th at Greco Senior Center, 207 Market St, Saugerties at 7pm: Knowledge & Attention for Prevention & Early Detection of Lyme-Borne Illnesses. Stacy Kraft of the UCHD will have a power point presentation as well as specimens and demonstration of materials and techniques. A Q&A will follow. 845-246-9906 for further info.

Strong winds over the past week have taken a few trees down at the Preserve. The East trail will be closed until the trees blocking the trail can be removed. Thanks for staying clear of the east trail for now.

Join us for Esopus Inspired Art and a Brew - TODAY Monday, 2/27 - 5 - 6pm at The Brewery at Dutch Ale House 253 Main St., Saugerties Village Please join ECC Board members for a final viewing of ArtEsopus and a cold beer.... Great art now only $50 each. All proceeds support the ECC education programming. Stop in, say hi and check it out!

Great day for getting your snow shoes out and exploring Esopus Bend.

This one is FOR THE BIRDS

Join ECC and John Burroughs for the Annual Christmas Bird Count. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 NYML CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT Contact Steve Chorvas for more information. (246-5900 or [email protected] )

By now you have likely been deluged with requests for GIVING TUESDAY donations. Please consider your local land trust and keeping your donations in our community - give generously so we may get more Saugerties kids outside this year.

Hooray! It's fall and look what's back. ArtEsopus' open CALL FOR ARTISTS. The work was the best ever last year and we had such a beautiful night at the opening. <3 Small works at a sweet price. The community came together to help preserve a creek that winds its way through it. Artists near and far contributed to make our world richer and greener. Thanks to the artists who made it happen last year. Let's do it again! Canvas pick up at Partition Street Wine Shop. (Thanks Suzanne!). DEADLINE: Nov. 12.

Join us on First Friday, Sept 2, at 7pm for Tastings and Tales of the Esopus at Partition St. Wine Shop at 7pm. Vernon Benjamin will be giving a talk on the lower Esopus and we will be tasting regional spirits (or cider) while in a local state of mind.

Some beautiful ArtEsopus art works will be on display (and for sale) at the Partition St. Wine Shop throughout August and September. Stop by tonight for August First Friday to check out the tasting, music and art. All art sales benefit the Esopus Creek Conservancy.

SUNDAY, MAY 1, 7:30 AM - Noon or later SPRING BIRDS AND WILDFLOWERS IN SAUGERTIES

I Paddle New York will be hosting a clean up event again this year 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We're looking for experienced paddlers to volunteer to help clean up the Saugerties shoreline. Please go to the Riverkeeper website below for details and to register to volunteer for this event. We can make a difference!http://www.riverkeeper.org///5th-annual-riverkeeper-sweep/

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2016 2 - 6pm SOLAR OPEN HOUSE

CONNECTING THE DROPS: A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO PROTECTING WATER RESOURCES Friday, April 8th at 7pm INQUIRING MINDS BOOKSTORE IN SAUGERTIES Water is a resource we all share. But we face a water crisis. We need to understand how they're threatened and how cause-effect conditions between land use activities and natural water systems affect the water we need. Author Karen Schneller-McDonald, a wetland and water resource specialist will explain how we can connect the drops.

SAVE THE DATE - SOLARIZE SAUGERTIES KICK-OFF MARCH 5TH 3 -5PM

It's that time of year when many organizations will be asking you for a year-end donation. Please consider keeping it local. Esopus Creek Conservancy, an all-...volunteer organizaiton, is working towards a future where all children and youth in Saugerties have the opportunity and encouragement to play outside, touch soil, feel rain, watch leaves fall, roll down a hill, listen to birds sing and enjoy the satisfaction of climbing to the top of a hill. The sound of the squeals when one of the kids holds a frog or salamander for the first timepriceless. Your year-end donation will enable us to give the gift of the outdoors to more kids. Will you help us instill a sense of wonder with a year end donation?

The artists have done their part. Now it's your turn. Come by, have a look at the lovely work in ArtEsopus show. Sat. 11/21 and Sun 11/22 from 1-5pm. Sebsi Studio, Main St. Saugerties. Stop by tomorrow and you can hit the Saugerties Farmers Market and pick up fresh local treats for your Thanksgiving dinner.

TONIGHT 6 - 8pm The SebSi Studio 252 Main St Saugerties, NY

CELEBRATING 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ESOPUS BEND AND HONORING SUSAN BOLITZER October 24th at 3:30pm Follow the link below to purchase your dinner reservation. $30 for choice of entree, dessert and coffee (tax and gratuity included) at Annarella Ristorante on Malden Turnpike in Saugerties. Hope you can join us!

Join ECC for a Kayak adventure...........

Experience another Saugerties, New York conserved ecosystem thanks to Esopus Creek Conservancy and Scenic Hudson.

Enter the intimate living world of vernal pools at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve on Saturday, March 28, 2015. The Preserve hosts two vernal pools, teeming with biological activity at this time of year. In early spring amphibians wake from hibernation and head straight for wetlands and ponds where they engage in reproductive rituals different from ours, but just as fascinating and entertaining. With luck, the wood frogs will be calling in the pools, and we may observe their e...gg masses. Meet 1:00 p.m. in the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties . We will carpool to the Preserve. Contact [email protected] for additional information or directions. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required, but recommended in the event of unforeseen changes or cancellation. For additional information about upcoming ECC Nature Walks, please visit www.esopuscreekconservancy.org.

Remaining works of art - ArtEsopus 2014 - are now only $50.00 each. visit artesopus.com to view the remaining pieces. All proceeds support the mission of the Esopus Creek Conservancy. Please share.

Waste and potential pollutants associated with Niagra’s operations are known to include water bottle lids, trash, oil drums, chemicals from vehicle maintenance, and batteries, Riverkeeper’s report said. Especially concerning is the potential for plastic pellets from the Niagara facility to get picked up in flood waters and discharged into the Lower Esopus Creek and its downstream environment.

Riverkeeper concerned about runoff into Esopus

IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE ESOPUS, ATTEND THESE MEETINGS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE NIAGARA BOTTLING PLANT ON THE CREEK.

ArtEsopus 2014 - opening reception / sale Sat. Nov. 15th 6 - 8pm We are blown away by the work that has come in for this sale to benefit Esopus Creek Conservancy. More info at artesopus.com Here's a SNEAK PREVIEW of some of the works submitted: http://artesopus.com/sampling-of-works/

Support our ArtEsopus sponsor SebSi Studio and come out for a GREAT performance on Saturday.

FULL MOON NIGHT HIKE - BRING THE FAMILY!

ECC needs some volunteers for Art Esopus 2014. Can you help out? Email us at: [email protected] Visit: www.artesopus.com for more info.

Makes a lot of sense.

Check out this picture of the creek that shows the mills on the lower creek and areas that are now Esopus Bend Preserve taken around 1950. Thank you Ernie Mortuzans for sharing this photo

It's so great to see these morning fishermen enjoying the cleared path through the water chestnuts. Thanks ECC Water Chestnut Committee!

It's hard to believe it was just a year ago when the loud song of the Cicadas was in the air and there were tons of these little holes over at Falling Waters where they had emerged. Only 16 more years to go until we see them again!

It's screaming GREEN on the trails this morning!

These yellow floweres were a Great Wednesday Morning greeting today at the Sterley Entrance to the Preserve. This entrance was added just last year and can be found by following the signs starting at the 9w sign for the Saugerties Bowling Alley.

Have you ever wondered what these crazy things were? Steve Chorvas says "They are Oriental Bittersweet (also called Asiatic Bittersweet). The plant is non-native and invasive, but a very valuable wildlife food plant, especially during the winter months, that produces clusters of berries eaten my many species of birds."

Spring is springing up all over the place on the trails at Esopus Bend!

Esopus Bend Kayak Tour this Saturday, May 3rd. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot. Bring your own kayak or canoe. All participants MUST wear a personal floatation device (life vest). Rain or thunderstorms will cancel the paddle. Children are welcome and encouraged, but please do not bring pets. Pre-registration is required. Contact the paddle leader, Steve Hart ([email protected]) to register or for additional information. This ECC Environmental Education paddle is free and open to the public, but limited to a maximum of ten watercraft.

Everyday is Earth Day! As part of our partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, these youngsters are outside and having fun with nature at Esopus Bend and Falling Waters Preserves with our Environmental Educator, Matt thanks to a Grant provided by the Land Trust Alliance

Good Morning! Happy Sunday Sunrise from Falling Waters Preserve! (Thanks Doug Freese)

May 10th is the great Riverkeeper Sweep! It's like spring cleaning for our waterways. There are many places where you can participate. This location is a great choice! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lower-esopus-creek-shoreline-c

We need your help because truly "Only you can prevent forest fires." There was a fire in Esopus Bend Preserve over where the boardwalk goes out into creek this past Thursday. This fire caused quite a bit of damage, but thankfully did not destroy the boardwalk that took almost two years to construct. We ask that you not smoke in the preserve and please report any suspicious activity immediately to the police or to the ECC 247-0664.

Lots of people out enjoying this beautiful day on Esopus Bend Preserve! This fun crew was taking a little break from paddling at our kayak landing.

A fun bunch came out to Esopus Bend Preserve to explore the Vernal Pools yesterday! Special thanks to photographer, Doug Freese for these great photos!

It looks like it will be a nice day tomorrow to explore the Vernal Pools with ecologist, Spider Barbour! Put on your early spring footwear, grab your jacket and meet at the Saugerties Beach at 1:00 and we'll carpool over to the preserve to check out the intimate living world of Vernal Pools!

Spring is in the air! http://web.saxo.dailyfreeman.com//scenic-hudson-parks-read

EBNP TREE IDENTIFICATION WALK CANCELLED This Sunday's (23 February) joint Esopus Creek Conservancy/John Burroughs Natural History Society Tree Identification Walk at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve has been cancelled due to difficult snow depths and treacherous ice conditions on the trails and slopes of the Preserve.

Winter Tree Walk at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve Sunday, February, 23, 2014 9:00AM The Esopus Creek Conservancy and John Burroughs Natural History Society are co-sponsoring a Winter Tree Identification Walk at Esopus Bend Nature Preserve in Saugerties. Ecologist Spider Barbour will talk about identifying trees by bark and twigs as we walk at a leisurely pace through a variety of woodland habitats in the Preserve. ... Meet at 9:00AM at the Saugerties Village Beach parking lot on Rte. 9W, just north of the Esopus Creek bridge, at the foot of Partition Street in the Village of Saugerties. Bring binoculars and tree guides if you have them, and be prepared for cold winter conditions and/or wet, muddy trails. Contact Steve Chorvas ([email protected]) for additional information or directions. This joint ECC/JBNHS Environmental Education walk is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required, but recommended in the event of unforeseen changes or cancellation.