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Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 176: Thomas Cole Historic SiteThe Thomas Cole National Historic Site is a National Historic Landmark that includes the former home, also known as Cedar Grove, and the studio of painter Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of American painting. Located in the village of Catskill, NY, Thomas Cole lived and worked there between 1833 until his death in 1848. In 1965, the property was declared a National Historic Landmark and designated a National Historic Site in 1999. It is also considered an affiliated area of the National Park Service.
Cedar Grove, a Federal Era house, was restored and opened to the public in 2001. Ai...2025-06-0929 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 169: Julia's LocalJulia's Local is a garden--to-table restaurant serving rustic American cuisine withulia's Local is a garden--to-table restaurant serving rustic American cuisine with a Scandinavian twist. Located in Round Top (Greene County), NY. After a multi-year building renovation, the restaurant was opened about four years ago. Three of the key forces behind the restaurant joined Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to talk about the restaurant and how they bring fresh produce to their patrons every day.
Julia Joern has lived in Round Top since 1999. Her background includes architecture, design, and public relations. She purchased the building that ho...2025-04-1727 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 168: ViburnumsViburnums are a genus of flowering evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous shrubs or (in a few cases) small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. There are more than 150 species and cultivars, many (but not all) of which are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere either in North America or Asia. With this many to choose from, it may be hard to pick which might be appropriate for your landscape.
Enter Eli Joseph-Hunter from Greene Bee Greenhouse ltd, located in Cornwallville (Greene County), NY. Greene Bee is a full service nursery that was started in 2007. Owned by passionate gardeners, it...2025-04-1029 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 167: Chatham Berry FarmFounded in 1982 by Joseph Gilbert, The Chatham Berry Farm has been providing Columbia County and the surrounding areas with local, healthy and wholesome food for over 4 decades. Starting as a fruit stand pulled by a tractor, the 25 acre farm now includes a specialty food store, a garden center, a farm kitchen, a full-service meat and seafood department, production greenhouses and even a Cidery.
Joe Gilbert, a vegetable and fruit farmer, joins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to talk about the history of the Chatham Berry Farm, lessons learned over time, and what the future may hold...2025-04-0327 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 166: Cultivate CatskillCultivate Catskill is an all volunteer group dedicated to the beautification of their village. It all started over a dozen years ago when Shelly Pulver, who has lived in Catskill for 55 years and President of the organization, saw an email about hanging baskets. She thought that installing them along Main Street was something that could be done. Over a dozen years later, the village, with a population just under 4000, has over 90 hanging baskets along both Main Street and Bridge Street to the delight of the local residents..
Joining Shelly in this endeavor is her long-time friend, Robin Sm...2025-03-2722 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 164: Tools Retrospective (Part 2)Welcome to the second part of our Tools Retrospective with Master Gardener Volunteer, Joan Satterlee, which consists of 3 previously aired segments known as Tools of the Trade. Learn about some great resources that many gardeners consider essential.
This episode starts off with a short segment about bird identification. The Merlin app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology was developed over 10 years ago with contributions of photos and recordings from over 5000 birders around the world. It's very easy to use as it asks you very easy questions such as where and when you saw the bird, its...2025-03-1320 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 162: Soil and Water Conservation DistrictThe Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley team was honored to meet with Joel DuBois who is the Executive Director at Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District (GCSWCD), as well as chairman of the Greene County Planning Board. and a board member at the Greene Land Trust.
There are 58 Soil and Water Conservation Districts across New York State. Each is focused on an individual county's specific needs. They are all dedicated to the best management of natural resources.
Greene County is located in southeastern NY and is home to the northernmost Catskill high peaks...2025-02-2735 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 139: Wines of the Hudson ValleyWine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented fruit. Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made from grapes, and the term "wine" generally refers to grape wine when used without any qualification. But note that, wine can be made from a variety of fruit crops, including plum, cherry, pomegranate, blueberry, currant, and elderberry. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are major factors in different styles of wine. These differences result from the complex interactions between the biochemical development of...2024-09-1924 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 138: Patch to Plate Retrospective (Part 3)Annie Scibienski is back with another Patch to Plate Retrospective episode. Once again, she talks about a variety of ways to prepare ingredients from your home garden or your local farmer’s market in your own kitchen. Today’s previously aired short segments feature corn, melons, peppers, tomatoes and a range of brassica vegetables.
Corn on the cob, fresh-picked from the garden, farm stand or farmer’s market, is a delightful summertime treat. Many Americans think of it as an American barbecue staple, but corn is actually a global food. Annie, she talks about corn and everything that goes wel...2024-09-1229 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 135: NutritionAt the most basic level, nutrition is about eating a regular, balanced diet. Good nutrition helps fuel your body. The foods you eat supply the nutrients your body needs to maintain your brain, muscle, bone, nerves, skin, blood circulation, and immune system. Proper nutrition also helps protect you from illness and disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis.
For optimal health, science supports following a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet or MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet. Plant-based diets have been shown to have various health benefits...2024-08-2224 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisdoe 133: Ecological GardeningAn ecological garden is a thoughtfully designed space that is harmoniously integrated with the surrounding environment. Ecological gardening is a sustainable approach focused on understanding and enhancing the interactions between plants, insects, soil, water, and other garden elements. Achieving a successful ecological garden requires a mindset shift to actually work with nature to foster a vibrant plant ecology and rich biodiversity.
A key element of ecological gardening is ensuring the soil is nutrient-rich, alive, and chemical-free. The use of organic (versus chemical) fertilizers will release nutrients slowly, ensuring that the plants have a steady food supply while nu...2024-08-0841 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 127: Native LawnsEpisode 127: Native Lawns
Have you ever given serious consideration of the limited value of traditional suburban lawns? Sure, they add a certain beauty to the landscape, but is there a better way to incorporate more native plantings to our lawns? Are their native lawns that could become alternatives to the typical field of turf grass that creates a monoculture that is not supporting of pollinators?
Todd Bittner, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast to share his perspective on more environmentally sustainable Native Lawns.
As...2024-06-2735 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 126: Hudson River EstuaryChris Bowser is a professional educator and environmental scientist with experience in citizen science, estuary and river monitoring, conservation biology, and fisheries science. Part of Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he coordinates a team with NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudson River Estuarine Research Reserve. He joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley team with a passionate discussion about the Hudson River Estuary.
An estuary is defined as the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream. If you think of New York’s Hudson River, this covers a...2024-06-2029 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 123: Weeds of the NortheastWeeds are a constant fact of a gardener’s life. As our guest, Toni DiTommaso, says we can count on three things in life: death, taxes, and weeds.
But if it weren’t for weeds, the world would have less topsoil than it has now, and humanity might have suffered mass starvation by now. Why? Because the plants we call weeds do a vital job in ecosystems: they quickly establish in, protect, and restore soil that has been left exposed by natural and human-caused disturbances. That said, weeds, in addition to being a nuisance, cause more yield loss...2024-05-3039 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 121: Pests & Pathogens Retrospective (Part 2)In Part 2 of this Pests and Pathogens Retrospective episode, common issues such as houseplant problems, anthracnose and powdery mildew are discussed. These are three short segments that were previously aired, but we’ve repackage them to easier listening.
Dede Terns-Thorpe and Jackie Hayden, Master Gardener Volunteers from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, are back on Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to let you know what to look for and what you can do about it.
We start with Anthracnose diseases which are caused by fungi that infect stems, branches, leaves and fruits...2024-05-1623 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 120: Pests & Pathogens Retrospective (Part 1)Welcome to another of our retrospective series which are compilations of shorter segments on related topics that were previously aired and that we’ve now packaged into an episode for easier access. This is the first of a three episodes focused on Pests and Pathogens. This one contains segments on diagnosing plant problems, beetles and spongy moths. These are three short segments that were previously aired, but we've repackaged them for easier listening.
Dede Terns-Thorpe and Jackie Hayden are Master Gardener Volunteers from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties. They join the Nature Calls: Conversations from th...2024-05-0925 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 119: Culinary Herbs 101An herb is defined as a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. Many can be used fresh from the garden during the growing season or dried for use during cooler months. Popular herbs include basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, dill, sage, thyme, mint, chives and cilantro. But there are so many others.
Briana Davis, co-owner of Greene Bee Greenhouse ltd. located in Cornwallville, NY, joins podcast hosts, Jean Thomas and Teresa Golden, in a lively discussion that covers the basics on how to grow culinary herbs. That’s why we call this a ‘...2024-05-0224 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 117: Grapes of the Hudson ValleyDo you know that New York State is among the top five wine producing regions in the USA? The Hudson Valley is actually one of four main wine growing regions, or American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in New York, along with Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes, and the east end of Long Island.
The Hudson River region has a strong agricultural heritage and provides good soils and climate for grape production. Wine has some serious history in this area and this region which hosts three wine trails. Countless grape varieties were forged in the Hudson Valley throughout mid...2024-04-1823 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 116: Weeds and IPMWeed management is the bane of existence for many gardeners and one of the most critical aspects of farming and land management. Finding safe, effective, and culturally appropriate weed management solutions is a challenge but can be addressed by betting understand the life cycle of the specific weed that is causing a problem.
Dr. Bryan Brown is a Senior Extension Associate, NYS Integrated Pest Management and Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture Section at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He joins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to discuss Weeds...2024-04-1130 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 115: John BartramJohn Bartram (1699–1777) was an American-born botanist, horticulturalist, naturalist, and explorer. He has been lauded as the “father of American botany” and the "greatest natural botanist in the world." He made significant contributions to the collection, study, and international introduction of North American flowering trees and shrubs and was a pioneer in the importation and cultivation of non-native plants.
John only had a common country schooling, but at a young age developed an interest in botany and ‘natural history’.He later inherited a farm on which he established himself and his young family. Married twice, he was the father of 1...2024-04-0429 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 114: Living with Wildlife (Part 2)Paul Curtis re-joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast in Part 2 of an informative discussion about living with wildlife in New York State. He is a Professor and Department Extension Leader focused on Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Paul’s focus is on reducing negative impacts associated with wildlife, as he seeks to integrate his extension programming with applied research. He has published more than 80 papers dealing with the management of human-wildlife interactions.
In this episode, in addition to a discussion on black bears, Paul’s ex...2024-03-2825 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 113: Living with Wildlife (Part 1)Reducing negative impacts associated with wildlife is a common concern of many residents of New York’s Hudson Valley. In this first part of an informative discussion, we explore how to peacefully coexist with black bears, white-tailed deer, and coyotes.
White tail deer are becoming a more common issue in rural and suburban communities with deer/vehicle collisions and their over-abundance is often associated with damage to forests and gardens. Black bears frequently have been regarded by humans as nuisances, but the reality is that they tend to steer clear of humans, unless food (often garbage) is le...2024-03-2128 minNature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson ValleyEpisode 112: Bob BeyfussRobert Layton Beyfuss (1950-2023) was known as the ‘poet of gardening’ but he wore many hats. A longtime educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties (retiring in 2009), Bob was also a well-known columnist, widely sharing his knowledge and love of gardening. In addition to being an Internationally Certified Arborist, he is perhaps best remembered as having been a passionate expert on the cultivation of ginseng.
His ginseng journey began at Cornell University where he pursued a Masters degree in agriculture, after earning a Bachelors degree in botany from Rutgers University. The title of his Mast...2024-03-1421 min
Cornell (thank) UDREAM DEAN! - Rachel Dunifon, Dean of Cornell Human EcologyCornell Human Ecology is THRIVING!One reason?Dean Rachel Dunifon is a vibrant force behind the exciting changes and future of the school.Human Ecology has always been forward thinking, graduating students who feel a deep love for their professors and classes, and taking a wide breadth of experience and science based knowledge into the "real world."With her background in psychology and public policy, Dean Dunifon is helping to reshape the future of the school. She played a key role in the redesign of the Martha Van Rensselaer Building, getting...2024-03-1147 min