A Michael Kudish lecture.
Gain new context for the Catskills from the leading authority on Catskills Forest History —Michael Kudish’s lecture will focus on how surrounding ecosystems have affected Catskill forests over the centuries.
From the widely differing delineations of the Catskills’ geographic boundaries to the ways most forest defoliation and diseases have entered the Catskills—including hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer, chestnut blight, Dutch elm and beech bark diseases—Kudish will explain the Catskills from his unique perspective.
Using stories from his field work in high elevation peat bogs and his famous hand-drawn maps, Kudish will explain his anaylses from over four decades of studying Catskill forests.
A former Professor in the Division of Forestry at Paul Smith’s College, he has authored numerous books including the recently reprinted, The Catskill Forest: A History.
Michael Kudish is a resident of Arkville. He collaborates frequently with the Catskill Center, the Catskill Forest Association, The Michael Kudish Natural History Preserve, and many other Catskill organizations.
The first offering in the 2018 Catskill Center Member Program Series.