Mapping The Sawkill Watershed Project: Sawkill Walking Tour #1

RSVP (free): Reserve your spot on Eventbrite

Meeting Location: Rick Volz Field parking lot (Dixon Ave, Woodstock, NY). Please arrive 10 minutes early so we can begin promptly at 11:00 AM.

Wear comfortable shoes that can enter the water.

As part of the Mapping the Sawkill series, join stream scientist Beth Reichheld for a guided walking tour exploring the lower reaches of the Bearsville Flats and the surrounding watershed landscape that feeds Woodstock's municipal drinking water system. This first walk in the Sawkill series traces the living infrastructure of water, how it moves through land, forest, soil, and community. Participants will walk through sections of the creek's riparian corridor and adjacent terrain to better understand how local ecology directly connects to Woodstock's drinking water supply.

Beth Reichheld served as director of the NYC DEP Stream Management Program (SMP) for over 30 years, working with county soil and water conservation districts managing rivers and floodplains throughout the Catskills using an approach that reduces erosion and flood risks, protects infrastructure, and improves habitats and water quality. In collaboration with those living and working in the Catskills, the SMP and SWCDs built a science-based and proactive stream stewardship ethic and implemented stream restoration projects on dozens of miles of Catskill streams. Beth has served on the Woodstock Land Conservancy board, the Woodstock zoning and comprehensive planning committees, and helped develop the Catskills' wetland and watercourse ordinance. She earned her bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Bowdoin College and a master's degree in forest science from Yale.

What to Expect

• A slow-paced, 2-hour guided walking tour

• Ecological and watershed overview of the Sawkill system

• Discussion of land use, water flow, and local environmental history

• Time for questions, observation, and informal conversation

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes that can enter the water (uneven terrain in places)

• Water bottle

• Sun protection (hat/sunscreen)

• Weather-appropriate clothing

• Walking poles

Accessibility: This is a field-based walking experience across uneven terrain. If you have accessibility needs or questions, please reach out in advance so we can support participation where possible.

This walk is part of the Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project, a multi-part initiative designed to build relationships with Woodstock's waterways and with one another through shared exploration, learning, and stewardship.

See you there! Reserve your spot on Eventbrite