The 2013 HRES Fall Tour Event
October 19, 2013
The Wallkill River flows north from New Jersey to meet Rondout Creek and, at Kingston, the Hudson River. The upper Wallkill in Orange County has a very shallow gradient and it had a natural obstruction which caused the water to back up during periods of high flow. The region affected by the dammed water was known as the “drowned lands”. Sediment settling out of the impounded water created a deep organic muck soil now called the black dirt. Public and private reclamation projects, beginning in the 18th Century, have turned the black dirt into a richly productive agricultural region. However, the black dirt is still prone to flooding and public expenditures, some of which are controversial, are still necessary to maintain it.
Throughout the day participants will hear local voices describing the challenges of water and land management:
• Marie Ullrich, Orange County Agriculture Program Leader, will ride with us on the bus to point out landmarks and answer questions.
• Wallkill Wildlife Refuge Manager Mike Horne will talk about the role of the refuge in Black Dirt water management.
• Onion farmer John Ruskiewicz will tell us about the region’s history.
• Mike Edlestein, Director of Institute of Environmental Studies at Ramapo College will talk about the sociology of the region
• Cheryl Rogowski, the only farmer to have received a McArthur “genius” grant, will talk about the practical aspects of farming during lunch at the Rogowski Farm (http://www.rogowskifarm.com/).
• Dave Church, Orange County Planning Commissioner will talk about the local responses to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
Pre-Registration is required!
Registration includes the tour plus a vegetarian lunch at Rogowski Farm (http://www.rogowskifarm.com/)
Register online at: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/8174836155/rss
Register by mail using the following form: Mail-in Registration
Registration fees are listed below:
| 2013 HRES Member | 20 Tickets | Oct 15, 2013 | $15.00 | ||
| Non-HRES Members | 15 Tickets | Oct 15, 2013 | $25.00 | ||
| 2014 Membership + Wallkill Tour | 10 Tickets | Oct 15, 2013 | $65.00 | ||
| 2014 Student Membership + Wallkill Tour | 5 Tickets | Oct 15, 2013 | $40.00 |
Where we will met the bus:
We will meet at 8:30am on Oct 19 at the Jolly Onion at the intersections of County Routes 1, 6, and 26 in Pine Island, NY. The Jolly Onion is no longer in business but we have permission from the owner to use the parking lot as a staging area.
Directions from the NYS Thruway (I-87): Take exit 17 onto I‐84 West. Take Exit 4E onto NY‐17 East towards New York. Take exit 124 onto Rt‐17A to Florida. Turn right onto County‐Rt 6 (Pulaski Hwy). The “Jolly Onion” is located at the intersection of County Routes 6, 1, and 26. (Look for the tour bus).
Questions?
Contact Simon Litten by phone: 518-861-6719 or by email: slitten at nycap.rr.com
