We’re hosting a season’s worth of fun, informative and inspiring virtual events focused on caring, connection, community and collaboration.

Join us for a summer full of live and recorded webinars, socially-conscious music, tours of an online art gallery and community farms—and a rousing block party. Unite with us and our partners as we celebrate the region’s diversity, share information about pressing issues that could affect your family’s health and have a good time—no masks required!

 


UPCOMING EVENTS



PREVIOUS EVENTS

Cycle of Harm Fracked Gas Webinar Series
Part Three: The Plant

The final webinar in a three-part series tracking the toxic journey of fracked gas from Pennsylvania well fields to the proposed new Danskammer plant in the Town of Newburgh. Experts and community members discussed the project’s impacts on pollution, climate and human health and shared ways that people can unite to stop the plant!

Panelists included:

  • Raghu Murthy, Staff Attorney, Earth Justice
  • Dr. Larysa Dyrszka, M.D., Physicians for Social Responsibility-NY, Concerned Health Professionals of New York
  • Bill Kish, stopcricketvalley.org, TIAA Divest
  • Emily Skydel, Hudson Valley Organizer, Food & Water Watch
  • Hayley Carlock, Director of Environmental Advocacy at Scenic Hudson (Moderator)

The Cycle of Harm webinar series is presented by Scenic Hudson and the Stop Danskammer Coalition and co-sponsored by Catskill Mountainkeeper, Food & Water Watch, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, Newburgh Clean Water Project, NYPIRG, Orange County RAPP, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and Ulster Activists (UACT)

Pathway to Freedom: A Sojourner Truth Ceremony

On Saturday, August 1, Scenic Hudson and Harambee Kingston participated in a unique and inspiring virtual event honoring legendary abolitionist and civil rights leader, Sojourner Truth.

In song, dance, words and libations, we blessed the land at Shaupeneak Ridgethat Sojourner passed through during her walk to freedom. Scenic Hudson created a public preserve on the land and now is creating a new trail honoring Truth’s life.

Quarry Waters Public Engagement Session

A new 520-acre state park is coming to the Kingston area!
Scenic Hudson and other community groups are excited to collaborate on this introduction to Quarry Waters park through the first of several public engagement events (throughout summer)—these events are opportunities for us to share what we’ve learned about this inspiring and complex landscape, and for the community to exchange thoughts, ideas and stories!

The first event was Wednesday, July 29 and included:

  • Short virtual video tours of the existing landscape
  • Presentation on visions and opportunities for the site’s future
  • Q&A time
  • Insights from community leaders

Visit the community page to learn more, explore, and join in the conversation!

Cycle of Harm Fracked Gas Webinar Series
Part Two: Transmission

Part two of our three-part Cycle of Harm webinar series tracked the toxic journey of fracked gas from Pennsylvania well fields to the proposed new Danskammer plant in the Town of Newburgh. Experts and community members shared details about gas infrastructure, including pipelines, compressor stations, and wastewater disposal and then fielded questions from the audience.

Panelists included:

  • Owl, Member, Ramapough Munsee Lenape Nation
  • Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project
  • Dr. Courtney M. Williams, Cofounder of Safe Energy Rights Group and Coordinator for Resist Spectra
  • Dr. Murray McBride, Environmental Toxicologist and Cornell University Professor
  • Hayley Carlock, Director of Environmental Advocacy at Scenic Hudson (Moderator)

The Cycle of Harm webinar series is presented by Scenic Hudson and the Stop Danskammer Coalition and co-sponsored by Catskill Mountainkeeper, Food & Water Watch, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, Newburgh Clean Water, NYPIRG, Riverkeeper, Sane Energy Project, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and Ulster Activists (UACT)

Exploring the New Vision: The Fjord Trail Master Plan

Tuesday, July 21 was the first in a series of free webinars about the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail . . . your next favorite trail!

Extending from the village of Cold Spring to the city of Beacon, the HHFT will consist of a multi-modal, ADA-accessible main trail and smaller foot paths. It will serve as the gateway to some of the most breathtaking and popular day hikes in the United States, including Breakneck Ridge, Mount Taurus, and Little Stony Point, while repairing and managing impacts to the landscape from past industrialization and today’s heavy recreation visitation.

Panelists included Amy Kacala, Executive Director of Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, Inc. and the award-winning team from SCAPE Landscape Architects. “Exploring the New Vision: The Fjord Trail Master Plan” who gave the public the opportunity for Q & A and to see stunning visuals of this transformative community project.

VIRTUAL FILM PREMIERE “PCBs: A Toxic Legacy”

Scenic Hudson’s Envision Summer Series continued with the online premiere of PCBs: A Toxic Legacy, a powerful and provocative documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Jon Bowermaster. Bowermaster worked with Scenic Hudson and other experts and advocates to update the film to reflect the latest in the in the decades-long campaign to remove toxic PCBs from the Hudson River in a manner that is protective of human health and the environment.

Cycle of Harm Fracked Gas Webinar Series
Part One: Extraction

Monday, June 22, 6 p.m.

Scenic Hudson’s Envision Summer Series launched Cycle of Harm, a three-part webinar series tracking the toxic journey of fracked gas from Pennsylvania well fields to the proposed new Danskammer plant in the Town of Newburgh. Each session features experts and community members speaking about how fracked gas contributes to the climate crisis, harms human and environmental health and exploits communities.

Part one, focused on the environmental and community impacts of the extraction process, featured a discussion moderated by Scenic Hudson Director of Advocacy Hayley Carlock followed by a Q&A. Panelists included Tim Guinee, actor and leader in Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, Karen Edelstein, Eastern Program Director at FracTracker and Lois Bower-Bjornson of the Clean Air Council and Frackland Tours.

The Cycle of Harm webinar series is presented by Scenic Hudson and the Stop Danskammer Coalition and co-sponsored by Food & Water Watch, Sierra Club, Clearwater, UACT, Newburgh Clean Water Project, Orange RAPP, and New Paltz Climate Action Coalition.

Virtual Exhibit Launch
A Conversation with Karen Washington

Our series kick-off was Wednesday, June 10. We had a guided tour of our People Who Make A Difference poster gallery and a Q&A between some area high school students and one of our poster honorees—Karen Washington, a longtime advocate for urban farming in New York City and co-owner of Rise & Root Farm in Orange County. We wrapped things up meeting with a selection of “Music for Change” curated by DJ Tim McQueen.

SUMMER SERIES Kick-Off: Wednesday, June 10

  • 7 p.m. Guided Tour of Virtual Gallery
  • 7:10 p.m. Conversation with Karen Washington and students from NFA P-Tech and Kingston YMCA Farm Project
  • 7:45 p.m. Music for Change with DJ Tim McQueen
Archived recording here:
People Who Make a Difference Partners