UDC holds 32nd annual raft trip

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Upper Delaware Council’s (UDC) 32nd annual Family Raft Trip attracted 40 intrepid paddlers on August 2; intermittent morning showers and a threatened thunderstorm that didn’t materialize resulted in cancellations by an additional 52 pre-registered guests.

The individual rafting parties launched from Lander’s Minisink Base in Minisink Ford, NY and floated eight miles down to the Pond Eddy Base. Lander’s River Trips provided the sanitized rafts, paddles, life vests, the morning shuttles from Pond Eddy and pre-launch safety briefings.

The turnout included 30 adults and 10 children from ages 4 to 12 to take advantage of the host livery’s discounted rates and the trip coordination provided by the UDC.

The UDC organizes this public event on the first Sunday of August each year on alternating sections of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River with the goal of promoting awareness and stewardship of the river through direct contact with the recreational resource.

For more information on the UDC and its activities, visit the office at 211 Bridge St., call 845/252-3022, or visit  www.upperdelawarecouncil.org.

Applications open for ‘Women and Their Woods’ retreat

ONLINE — Applications for the Women and Their Woods virtual education retreat are open until Saturday, August 15 for forest landowners and aspiring landowners from across the Mid-Atlantic region. Learn about managing forestland and connect with other forest landowners.

No matter the size of your woodlands or if you’re not yet an owner, join us while we learn, network and apply new knowledge about good forest stewardship. Retreat sessions are presented by professionals from a variety of organizations and offer insights into connecting to your land and understanding what you have; identifying your forest values and planning goals in a changing landscape; and planning the next steps for your forest, your legacy and ways to stay connected to the Women and Their Woods network.

The cost per applicant is $150 and includes eight to 12 hours of online presentations, 12 hours of facilitated and discussion-based learning opportunities, as well as meeting materials, supplies and resources shipped directly to you prior to the start of the retreat.

The retreat begins online on Tuesday, September 1. By submitting your application, you agree to fully participate by viewing all online presentations and attending all virtual meetings, which will be held at 6 p.m. on the following Thursdays in the fall: September 10 and 24, October 8 and 22, and Nov 5 and 19 (schedule is subject to change).

For more information on Women and Their Woods or to apply online to attend the Retreat, visit www.DelawareHighlands.org/watw, email Amanda Subjin of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy at amanda@delawarehighlands.org, or call 570/226-3164 ext. 2.

RCLS libraries on a mission to get students reading more

MIDDLETOWN, NY — Schools that use the Sora student reading app are invited to participate in the OverDrive Connect program this summer and fall; it links school and library collections in the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS). Sora, the school equivalent of the public library Libby app, is a new user-friendly reading app for students created by OverDrive.

A public library card is not required. The partnership allows students who do not have library cards to access RCLS’s digital collections. With the Sora student reading app, students can use their school ID to gain access to age-appropriate eBooks and audiobooks from any of RCLS’s 47 libraries, as well as to their school’s digital collection.

OverDrive is in the process of contacting schools and signing them on.

To learn whether your child has access to Sora, parents are encouraged to contact their local school district. For further relating to eContent (books, magazines, movies), communities are encouraged to contact their public library.

For more information, visit www.rcls.org.

Music at the museum

MILFORD, PA — The Pike County Historical Society will offer two outdoor concerts to raise money to offset the loss of income suffered due to the museum’s four-month closure due to COVID-19. The Little Big Band will play on Saturday, August 15 and Anthem Road Trio will perform on Saturday, August 22. Both shows begin at 5 p.m.

Seating will be limited to 25 people, socially distanced on the front lawn and surrounding grounds of the museum. Attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chairs and wear masks.

The museum requests a $10 donation; food and beverages will be available for purchase.

The Columns Museum, which houses the historical society and museum, is open in the month of August, Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Face masks are required to visit the museum, and only five guests are allowed entry at a time.

For more information, or if you would like to schedule a tour or enjoy a private dinner on the veranda, call 570/-296-8126 or email pikemuse@ptd.net.

SUNY Sullivan announces ‘Direct Support Program’

LOCH SHELDRAKE, NY — SUNY Sullivan announces the Direct Support Program, a one-year certification for students interested in pursuing a career working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as current practitioners looking to advance their current position. The program prepares students to join the community of care that supports and promotes all the aspects of a productive, meaningful, and fulfilling life for people with disabilities.

The practicum offers students the basic building blocks needed to sustain a career in a dynamic and ever-growing field, and students can gain first-hand knowledge of caring for individuals through their human services placement. Local agencies may offer credit for onboard training, and students may also have the opportunity to live in sponsored housing during their practicum. Students may also choose to continue on to complete an Associate’s degree.

For more information about this program and guidance on how to register, visit www.sunysullivan.edu/direct-support or email admissions@sunysulivan.edu.

‘The Landscape Sketch’ at CFFCM

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — On Saturdays, August 15, 22, 29 and September 6, the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum is hosting a drawing and painting workshop from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. This workshop on plein air drawing basics will be taught by Karen Meneghin. She will cover topics like the tools and techniques of drawing and painting the landscape, composition basics and nature studies, while outdoors on the museum grounds, located at 1031 Old Rte. 17.

The workshop costs $25 and includes a materials kit that includes everything needed for the basic drawing workshop: drawing pencils (BLICK Studio HB, 2B, 4B), eraser, sharpener, paper and drawing board. It is recommended attendees bring their own sketchbook for notes and additional sketches.

This class is for beginner-level and intermediate-level artists. Space is limited at six people per class. Registration is required at www.bit.ly/cffcmworkshop.

‘The Upper Delaware’ summer 2020 newsletter available

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) announces the release of the summer 2020 issue of its newsletter, “The Upper Delaware.”

The newsletter about the environment and people of the Upper Delaware River Valley in New York and Pennsylvania has been published free of charge by the UDC since 1988.

To view the newsletter online, visit www.bit.ly/udcsummernewsletter2020. The website also offers an archive of past issues on the publications page.

Free print copies and mail subscriptions are available by contacting the UDC (P.O. Box 192, 211 Bridge St.) by calling 845/252-3022 or emailing info@upperdelawarecouncil.org.

Garden hopping

ONLINE — The Western Sullivan Public Library and the Artists’ Market Community Center have partnered together to tour gardens of patrons throughout the summer.

The scheduled tours include a “mystery garden, Japanese garden, a very wise garden and a woodland garden.”

The videos will be broad cast on the library’s Facebook page every Wednesday in August at 10 a.m.; they will also be posted on the YouTube channels of Western Sullivan Public Library and the Artists’ Market Community Center. Subscribe to either of these channels, to get notified when each new video is posted.