Frank Mele (1911-1996) was a Woodstock author and
musician with a passion for dry fly fishing. In the
1970s Mele led Catskill Waters, a scrappy coalition of
anglers and environmentalists, in an epic seven-year
battle against New York City to  guarantee adequate
water releases below its reservoirs. Hear from a panel
of Mele's friends and family about their razor-edge
legislative victory that preserved fish and fishing in
the Delaware and Esopus. 

Panelists:
Andy Mele, John Hoeko, 
Roger Menard, Tony Bonavist

Moderator:
Bill Birns, Local Historian

The panel discusses Frank’s life and well-known
writings, his contribution to the origin of Catskill 
Waters and the campaign for increased water releases
in the Catskill system (1970s).

Recorded at the Phoenicia Library, March 19, 2016

Catskills Fishing Fever Forum 1 - Frank Mele

The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway Driving Tour is an hour-long audio accompaniment for a westward drive on New York Route 28, from Olive to Andes. Hear about the history, landscape, food, and attractions along the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway. Beginning the audio where Rt. 28 meets Rt. 375 (where Rt. 28 narrows from 4 to 2 lanes), and driving at or near the speed limit, will align audio content with featured locations along the route. However, driving the route is not necessary to enjoy the audio program.

Cover image courtesy of Tim Luby, Forever Wild Guides

Experience the Central Catskills

The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway Arts & Culture Driving Tour is an hour-long audio accompaniment for a westward drive on New York Route 28, from Olive to Andes. Hear about local farm life, history, and the arts along the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway. Beginning the audio where Rt. 28 narrows from 4 to 2 lanes, and driving at or near the speed limit, will align audio content with featured locations along the route. However, driving the route is not necessary to enjoy the audio program!

Image courtesy of Alix Hallman Travis

Arts and Culture in the Central Catskills

The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway Outdoor Adventures Driving Tour is an hour-long audio accompaniment for a westward drive on New York Route 28, from Olive to Andes. Learn about outdoor opportunities along the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway, including interviews with hikers, cyclers, and paddlers. Beginning the audio where Rt. 28 narrows from 4 to 2 lanes, and driving at or near the speed limit, will align audio content with featured locations along the route. However, driving the route is not necessary to enjoy the audio program!

Image courtesy of Tim Luby

Outdoor Adventures in the Central Catskills

An impromptu podcast featuring nature recordings I made in my backyard on April 22, 2018. I used a Telinga stereo parabola.

The Story:

I got up early on Sunday (April 22) to see how many birds I could record with my trusty parabolic microphone. I was expecting perhaps a dozen or so, given the difficulty of getting decent recordings. As it turns out, I ended up recording a whopping 26 species … 24 birds, 1 frog and 1 mammal, all found in my own backyard (I never left our property). Luckily, we have a number of habitats, which helps for sure, including: a pond with some cattails, grassy meadows, lots of shrubby edges, an overgrown field, and forest.

Returning to my studio the next day, I set about editing the recordings and throwing together a narrative, which I performed off-the-cuff, without writing down any script. I rather like the result … uncomplicated, straightforward, and without too much talking. I was lucky to have gotten so many recordings, which makes for a compelling little bird walk, so suitable for celebrating the dawn chorus on an early spring day.

Backyard Bird Walk Podcast

Opened in 2019, the Ashokan Rail Trail is an 11.5-mile shared-use recreational trail developed through an historic partnership between Ulster County and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. 

Ulster County’s Chris White was the project manager for the construction of the rail trail, and he explains how this ADA-compliant trail is providing public access to a formerly inaccessible edge of the scenic Ashokan Reservoir. 

For maps and information: http://ashokanrailtrail.com 

Audio production by Silver Hollow Audio, at http://silverhollowaudio.com. For more info. on the byway, including additional tours, visit http://sceniccatskills.com.

Thanks to our sponsors:
https://ulstercountyalive.com
https://emersonresort.com

For a location-based experience, access this tour on the Otocast app.

Ashokan Rail Trail

Silver Hollow Audio

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