News Letter
The Beacon Sloop Club (Environmental Series)
Jan 20th, "Rediscovering the Work that Built America"
with author Jessica DuLong. She is the author of
"My River Chronicles: Rediscovering the Work that
Built America; A Personal and Historical Journey ",
a critically acclaimed book on her journey from working
at a dot.com to owning and operating a tug boat on the
Hudson River. Winner of a 2010 ASJA Outstanding
Book Award, My River Chronicles explores the value
of hands-on work through memoir, history, and reportage.
A U.S. Coast Guard-licensed merchant marine officer,
Jessica DuLong serves as chief engineer of retired New
York City fireboat John J. Harvey(and one of the world's only female fireboat engineers).
February 17th, How clean is the Hudson right now and what we can do to help clean it. A lecture by Andrew Meyer and Emily Vail from the DEC. 2011 was notable for the impact it had on the Hudson River. From the massive sewage spill in Harlem to the epic runoff from the storm wasters of Irene and Lee. Join us in finding out about what the impact has been on the Hudson, how the water quality is measured and what is river's current health status. Additionally, we'll explore new ways and time tested techniques to help stop water runoff from overdevelopment in the Hudson Valley which overloads municipal water treatment plants.
March 16th, Linda Russell's lecture, "Of Time and the River: Songs of the Historic Hudson" The Hudson River has been the backdrop for a wealth of human history: In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates hid in the coves and soldiers built forts on its banks. In the mid- 19th century, it was inspiration for artists, poets and inventors. In the 20th century, it was a neglected, dirty stream transformed by Pete Seeger and others into an environmental success story. This program traces life along the Hudson as seen in folk ballads, Erie Canal ditties and dance tunes accompanied by guitar, pennywhistle and hammered and mountain dulcimers. "This program, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities' Speakers in the Humanities program."
April 20th Understanding Past Native American Cultures in the Hudson Valley Through Archaeology A lecture by Eugene J. Boesch. This presentation examines Native American cultures and adaptations in the southeastern New York region from the area's earliest occupation by humans, at least 13,000 years ago, to the period of initial European exploration. Changing climate and environmental settings over that time, particularly the end of the last ice age and the appearance of an essentially modern climate, as well as population movements, resulted in the development of many prehistoric cultures and diverse life ways. These life ways are reflected by the Native American cultures that are recognized for the region, referred to by archaeologists as the PaleoIndian (11,000 - 6,500 B.C.), Archaic (6,500 - 1,000 B.C.), Woodland (1,000 B.C. - A.D. 1,500), and Euro-American Contact periods (A.D. 1,500 - 1,650), as well as by the variety of archaeological sites that have been identified there. Slides and Native American artifacts will be employed during the presentation, followed by a question and answer period. "This program, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities' Speakers in the Humanities program."
May 18th, Nora Hamond-Gallardo's presentation on "Organic Gardening in Cuba". Forced to adapt by the U.S. economic embargo and collapse of Soviet Union, Cuba was forced to practice organic gardening on a nationwide scale. There are currently tens of thousands of organic gardens in Havana alone and over a million across the country.This lecture includes a brief history of Cuba, and photos of the country and it's people and shows how gardens are built, what is planted, and how the produce is sold. as they are undertaking the most comprehensive conversion from chemical to organic agriculture that any nation has yet attempted. Havana now grows over half its fresh food organically, and locally. For the skilled gardener and the beginner with interest in growing organic, this presentation will focus on what lessons we can learn from this experiment.
with author Jessica DuLong. She is the author of
"My River Chronicles: Rediscovering the Work that
Built America; A Personal and Historical Journey ",
a critically acclaimed book on her journey from working
at a dot.com to owning and operating a tug boat on the
Hudson River. Winner of a 2010 ASJA Outstanding
Book Award, My River Chronicles explores the value
of hands-on work through memoir, history, and reportage.
A U.S. Coast Guard-licensed merchant marine officer,
Jessica DuLong serves as chief engineer of retired New
York City fireboat John J. Harvey(and one of the world's only female fireboat engineers).
February 17th, How clean is the Hudson right now and what we can do to help clean it. A lecture by Andrew Meyer and Emily Vail from the DEC. 2011 was notable for the impact it had on the Hudson River. From the massive sewage spill in Harlem to the epic runoff from the storm wasters of Irene and Lee. Join us in finding out about what the impact has been on the Hudson, how the water quality is measured and what is river's current health status. Additionally, we'll explore new ways and time tested techniques to help stop water runoff from overdevelopment in the Hudson Valley which overloads municipal water treatment plants.
March 16th, Linda Russell's lecture, "Of Time and the River: Songs of the Historic Hudson" The Hudson River has been the backdrop for a wealth of human history: In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates hid in the coves and soldiers built forts on its banks. In the mid- 19th century, it was inspiration for artists, poets and inventors. In the 20th century, it was a neglected, dirty stream transformed by Pete Seeger and others into an environmental success story. This program traces life along the Hudson as seen in folk ballads, Erie Canal ditties and dance tunes accompanied by guitar, pennywhistle and hammered and mountain dulcimers. "This program, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities' Speakers in the Humanities program."
April 20th Understanding Past Native American Cultures in the Hudson Valley Through Archaeology A lecture by Eugene J. Boesch. This presentation examines Native American cultures and adaptations in the southeastern New York region from the area's earliest occupation by humans, at least 13,000 years ago, to the period of initial European exploration. Changing climate and environmental settings over that time, particularly the end of the last ice age and the appearance of an essentially modern climate, as well as population movements, resulted in the development of many prehistoric cultures and diverse life ways. These life ways are reflected by the Native American cultures that are recognized for the region, referred to by archaeologists as the PaleoIndian (11,000 - 6,500 B.C.), Archaic (6,500 - 1,000 B.C.), Woodland (1,000 B.C. - A.D. 1,500), and Euro-American Contact periods (A.D. 1,500 - 1,650), as well as by the variety of archaeological sites that have been identified there. Slides and Native American artifacts will be employed during the presentation, followed by a question and answer period. "This program, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities' Speakers in the Humanities program."
May 18th, Nora Hamond-Gallardo's presentation on "Organic Gardening in Cuba". Forced to adapt by the U.S. economic embargo and collapse of Soviet Union, Cuba was forced to practice organic gardening on a nationwide scale. There are currently tens of thousands of organic gardens in Havana alone and over a million across the country.This lecture includes a brief history of Cuba, and photos of the country and it's people and shows how gardens are built, what is planted, and how the produce is sold. as they are undertaking the most comprehensive conversion from chemical to organic agriculture that any nation has yet attempted. Havana now grows over half its fresh food organically, and locally. For the skilled gardener and the beginner with interest in growing organic, this presentation will focus on what lessons we can learn from this experiment.
