Ten days of Catskill discovery and adventure kick off September 30 via the 14th annual Lark In the Park

Over the course of the Lark’s 10 days, hundreds of people get outside and annually enjoy the late-summer Catskills, take group hikes and paddle on the Pepacton Reservoir.

Outdoor workshops are offered as various as fly-fishing to nature photography, from kayaking to leave-no-trace. Edu- cational walks and talks about the local Catskills history, ecology, invasive plants, mushrooms and local wildlife are also offered.

Maintenance workshops to improve the Park’s 350 miles of foot trails and lean-tos are another part of the annual programming.

Says Executive Director Jeff Senterman, "The Catskill Center couldn’t be more excited for Catskills Lark in the Park 2017. With hikes to the fire towers, trail maintenance and volunteer clean-up days, and new activities like outdoor yoga sculpt, this year’s Lark promises to have something for everyone.

Early October is my favorite time of year to recreate in the Catskills and I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy one or many events during Lark in the Park!"

Lark events are held throughout the Park within Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties. Events are open to the public — many require pre-registration.

A sample of thisyear’s schedule includes:

Three day/Two night Backpacking Essentials Hike September 30 @ 2:30 pm - October 1 @ 5:00 pm
An experienced long distance hiker will host a backpacking hike/workshop for aspiring and novice backpackers.

Paddle on the Pepacton
September 30 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Shavertown Boat Launch on NYS Rte 30
Kick off the Lark in the park witha beautiful paddle on the scenic Pepacton Reservoir.

Film Screening: America’s First Forest: Carl Schenk and the Ashville Experiment September 30 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm , Open Eye Theater in Margaretville, NY
Sponsored by the Catskill Forest Association, America’s First Forest explores how, at a critical time, an extraordinary group of men converged at the magnificent Biltmore Estate in North Carolina to address a critical question: Could the Scientific Revolution stop the Industrial Revolution from destroying America’s forests?

Yoga Hike to Terrace Mt, via Wittenberg Trail October 8 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Nothing like the mountains, yoga and friends. Come keep this Yogi company for this LARK IN THE PARK day in the Catskills.

Catskill Mountain Club’s Annual Dinner October 8, 5 pm
The feature event of the Lark is the Catskill Mountain Club’s annual dinner, this year being held October 8th at the Em- erson Resort in Mt. Tremper. Take a chance on winning a new Kayak or snowshoes and learn DEP’s role in the Catskills along with a great meal.

All events, as well as the dinner, can be viewed and registered for on the Lark’s website at catskillslark.org, or follow the Lark on Face book (www.facebook.com/CatskillsLarkinThePark).

The Lark was started in 2004 by the Catskill Mountain Club (CMC), also founded in 2004 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Catskill Park. The Lark was created to recognize and celebrate the 1904 creation of New York’s Catskill Park.

Since its inception, the Lark has brought together thousands of people as dozens of organizations host hundreds of recreational events, all aimed at heightening the awareness of the Catskill Mountain region of New York State and the Catskill Park.

Activities have included organized hikes, bicycle trips, paddles, stewardship, cultural and educational events. The co- ordination of the Lark is managed through a partnership between the Catskill Mountain Club, The Catskill Center, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

The Catskill Park and its Forest Preserve is a 705,000-acre patchwork of public and private lands in the Catskill Moun- tain Region of New York State. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible

for managing the 350,000 acres of "forever wild" forest preserve lands within the Park. The primary objective being to provide public outdoor recreation and access. In addition to the forest preserve lands, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) owns and manages over 150,000 acres, protecting New York City’s watershed for drinking water. The remaining property withinthe Park is owned privately.

For more information about Catskills Lark in the Park please visit catskillslark.org or call 845-586-2611.