This workshop traces the evolving relationship between people and the Sawkill Creek from Lenape fishing practices and floodplain agriculture, to European colonists harnessing its waters for the tanning industry, to its role in 20th-century municipal infrastructure. Participants will explore how these shifting uses reflect changing values, including the rise of tourism and its influence on environmental preservation in the region. The program will take place primarily at the Woodstock Historical Society, concluding with a short walk to Tannery Brook to connect these stories to the present-day landscape.

Join us for a celebration of the Ashokan Rail Trail with epic leaf peeping, music in the style of Appalachian old-time by Witch Butter, a group walk/ride, and autumnal pies from Little Rye Bakehouse.

Please park at Onteora High School and shuttle over to the trailhead. Bicyclists are encouraged to bike from other trailheads.

Focusing on an eight-mile-long riparian corridor of the Sawkill Creek, Mapping the Sawkill Watershed Project is a diverse ecological exploration and celebration of the land. Led by artist Jennifer Zackin, this yearlong community initiative, focused on relationship-building, encompasses a series of participatory sensory workshops, walking tours, a Stream Stewards program, community mapping sessions, and an art exhibition, all taking place in 2026. All events are free and open to the public.