Catskill Stewards
Established in 2018 as a response to issues caused by overuse at the Peekamoose Blue Hole, the Catskill Stewards program has continued to grow. Now located at four high-use sites throughout the Catskills, and six Catskill Park Fire Towers, our Stewards work to help visitors understand the importance of responsible recreation in the outdoors. Each of our stewards are trained Leave No Trace educators and certified in Wilderness First Aid. They are the friendly faces visitors first encounter when they hit the trails.
Positioned in areas with high visitation rates, to date the Catskill Center’s Catskill Stewards have interacted with at least 373,983 people since the program began in 2018.
A Catskill Steward's main goal is to educate visitors on how to be more responsible and respectful visitors to the Catskill Park, like staying on marked trails, disposing of waste and litter properly, and taking heed to both bear safety and responsible camping.
As visitors continue to come to the Catskills in ever-increasing numbers, they bring with them the reminder that everyone needs the tools and skills necessary to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. When Stewards and Rangers are not present, litter increases, and so do impacts that harm water quality and natural resource protection.
The effects of heavy visitation continue to threaten public land in the Catskill Park and it is the duty of all people to be stewards of the land individually, to each do our part to keep these places the natural gems they are. This pursuit is an effort to keep our wild lands wild, for future generations to come.
Look for Catskill Stewards at…
Catskill Stewards
Provide guidance
Describe location-specific potentially harmful impacts
help visitors reduce their impacts and follow the tenets of Leave No Trace
HELP VISITORS RECREATE RESPONSIBLY
• Inform people of the most important rules and regulations
SERVE AS a resource for any questions people have about the Catskills
direct visitors to local communities
offer a warm welcome
With a continued awareness of the ever-shifting impacts facing the Catskill Park, our stewards strive to bring education to the growing number of visitors, so that we may all play a role in helping to preserve this beautiful area for everyone to enjoy.
CATSKILL STEWARD & OUTDOORS NEWS
The Catskill Stewards Program is made possible by the generous support of the Environmental Protection Fund, as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Rondout Neversink Stream Program, REI Co-op, Bruderhof, Hunter Foundation, Catskill Mountain Club, and the generous supporters of the Catskill Center.
Your donation will make a difference for the Catskills!
The Catskill Stewards Program is made possible by the generous support of the Environmental Protection Fund, as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Rondout Neversink Stream Program, REI Co-op, Bruderhof, Hunter Foundation, Catskill Mountain Club, and the generous supporters of the Catskill Center.
Special thanks to Maddison Prescott for our Kaaterskill Falls Photo.