To mark its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Catskill Center published a book, Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of the Catskills, which celebrates 50 stewards of the Catskills, chosen for their contributions to the region’s environment, economy and culture.

Leslie T. Sharpe is one of those stewards.

A reviewer for the Sierra Club has written that Leslie T. Sharpe’s book, The Quarry Fox and Other Critters of the Wild Catskills, “enlivens the landscape, imbuing the humble hills and streams of Sharpe’s backyard with wonder and awe.”

Sharpe’s backyard is on Lazy Hawk Mountain near Walton.

“I live on top of a mountain with butterflies, bluebirds, deer,raccoons, families of black bear, and bobcats sheltering under my deck during snowstorms.

“My writing routine is not regimented. I’m just always looking, in a constant state of observation. I’m a quiet presence on the mountain. The forest is a place of eyes. They always know you’re there. The important thing is to be neutral – not to intervene. You can’t help but love the critters. And your heart breaks all the time because that’s what it’s about: life and death in the wild. The Catskills are an incredibly beautiful, unspoiled place that we have to fight tooth and nail to keep that way, whether it’s the water, the mountains, or the wildlife. The key is always education, and I’m happy to be out here, writing and speaking to all these critical points.”

A Q+A with Leslie was the finale to the Catskills Virtual Book Tour. A recording of the conversation and Sharpe’s reading of The Quarry Fox can be heard here.

Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of the Catskills

The newest publication of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of the Catskills, was created in 2019 to honor the Catskill Center’s 50th anniversary. The book celebrates 50 stewards of the Catskills, chosen for their contributions to the Catskills’ environment, economy and culture.

Get your copy here.