PROGRAMS AND EVENTS: MONTHLY PROGRAMS
MONTHLY PROGRAMS
Water has flowed across this planet for billions of years. Through that unfathomable span of time, the water cycle has quietly regulated and renewed the very foundation of life. More than streams and rivers, water nourishes forests like the Zena Highwoods, sculpts entire landscapes like Sloan Gorge, and shelters habitats for sensitive species like the salamanders and frogs that live at Rock Oak Preserve. For millennia, humans shared that connection, living at the river’s edge, drinking directly from its banks.
Today, it is largely unsafe to drink from local waterways. In just the past year, the Hudson Valley has faced Harmful Algal Blooms, flash floods, stormwater run-off and deepening drought, further fracturing our primordial bond with water ecology. This rupture, as well as the plea of fragile local habitats, calls us to protect, restore, and reimagine our relationship with water.
Because of this, in 2026, the Woodstock Land Conservancy turns its focus to one of the more vital and imperiled elements of our ecosystems. Our year-long program, Ecologies of Water, invites our community to explore, celebrate, and advocate for this life-sustaining resource through art, science, and collective action in a series of free community events.
Check out our 2026 Program Video to learn more.
Programming Highlights
- Conversations in Conservation: A discussion series featuring Drinkable Rivers by Li An Phoa and Maarten Van Der Schaaf, with the goal of sparking dialogue on how healthy rivers sustain both ecosystems and human well-being as well as actionable ways to restore local waterways
- Mapping the Sawkill: An interactive exhibition at Woodstock Artists Association and Museum with local artist Jennifer Zackin
- Educational Water Workshops: Hands-on programs for all ages on topics like water testing, waterfowl observation, and creek-side artmaking
- Elementary School Collaborations around Stream Health: Classroom visits with students in the Woodstock Area, culminating in a youth-led installation at the Woodstock Library
- Stewardship Opportunities: Community-based volunteer days focused on restoring riparian zones, maintaining trails, and keeping our watershed clean
- Legislative Action & Advocacy: In partnership with Beyond Plastics, connecting people to actions for cleaner water for all
Water moves through every forest, every creature, and every one of us. By restoring our relationship with it, we restore something essential in ourselves: a sense of belonging to the living world. Perhaps together we can work toward a future where our rivers are once again drinkable.
- Miranda Javid, Program Coordinator
07
Mar
Saturday, 07 March 2026 3 - 5 p.m.
Happy Trails Photo Contest – Exhibit Opening & Awards Ceremony
CPW: Center for Photography at Woodstock
In celebration of the Ashokan Rail Trail’s sixth anniversary, WLC collaborated with CPW: Center for Photography at Woodstock and KATrail.org to launch the Happy Trails Photo Contest last fall. The submissions are in, and the judges are ready to announce winners in each category as well as a Best in Show at the Exhibit Opening and Awards Ceremony. Join us March 7 from 3-5 p.m. for an afternoon of celebrating the art of the ART.
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14
Mar
Saturday, 14 March 2026 5 pm
How is the Sawkill? Interdisciplinary presentations on Woodstock’s Beloved Waterway
Mountain View Studio
Explore what we understand about the Sawkill through the perspectives of local scientists, stewards, artists, and community members, followed by a community Q&A. Afterward, we’ll invite attendees to join a free stream literacy program, where volunteers will learn to survey stream features at three reaches of the Sawkill beginning in May. This event serves as the kickoff for Mapping the Sawkill, a year-long series of workshops and art that will culminate in an exhibition at WAAM, facilitated by local artist Jennifer Zackin.
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28
Mar
Join us on Saturday, March 28, from 12–3 PM to learn how native shrubs and trees help repair and protect local stream banks, helping to create important habitat for native species and improve our watershed. WLC’s Stewardship Manager, Melissa Peterson, will guide participants through proper planting and care as well as strategies for reducing deer pressure and improving plant longevity. Open to all ages, this workshop blends hands-on habitat restoration with educational activities. Please bring gloves, tick protection, and closed-toe shoes. Waterproof shoes are encouraged.
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30
Mar
Monday, 30 March 2026 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Film Series: “The Nature of Nature”
Woodstock Jewish Congregation
“The Nature of Nature” is the third of four monthly events in the 2026 Film & Discussion Series. This free screening and discussion is available both in person and virtually.
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18
Apr
Watershed Wonders is a student-centered exhibition exploring how water shapes our landscapes, ecosystems, and communities. The exhibition is a collaboration between Woodstock Land Conservancy, Woodstock Elementary School, Woodstock Day School, Middle Way School, and Woodstock Library. It features work from five distinct projects across eight classrooms at three local elementary schools.
Each project invited students to investigate watersheds through art, ecology, and place-based learning, and was supported by an in-class visit from a local expert in watershed health. The projects encourage students (and exhibition visitors) to consider their roles as watershed protectors and to better understand how local ecology is connected by water.
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27
Apr
Monday, 27 April 2026 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Film Series: Local Choices for Natural Burials
Woodstock Jewish Congregation
Local Choices for Natural Burials was originally scheduled for February but had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather. This will now be the fourth and final monthly events in the 2026 Film & Discussion Series. This free screening and discussion is available both in person and virtually.
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