Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast

In this special long‑form conversation, Brett Barry sits down with legendary angler‑writer and publisher Nick Lyons, now 93, whose life has been shaped by water, words, and the Catskills. From a childhood spent catching frogs for pocket money to founding one of the most influential fishing imprints in America, Nick’s story is a rare blend of grit, curiosity, and literary devotion.

Recorded in Nick’s home in Woodstock, this episode t...

New York State Historic Newspapers Project with Chuck Henry

Episode Overview

Dive into the largest state newspaper archive in the country! Chuck Henry, Project Lead for New York State Historic Newspapers, takes us through this incredible digital repository containing over 1,200 newspaper titles, 1.5 million editions, and more than 15 million pages—all available free of charge.

Guest

Chuck Henry

IT Coordinator, Northern New York Library ...

Prescribed Fire in the Catskills: Restoring a Lost Tool

In this episode, Brett sits down once again with Ryan Trapani, Director of Forest Services at the Catskill Forest Association, to explore the surprising ecological value of prescribed fire in the Northeast.

Recorded fireside at the Kaatscast studio, this conversation digs into the science, history, and cultural memory of fire in the Catskills, and why small, carefully managed b...

In this episode of Kaatscast, Brett visits Sleepover Trading Company in Catskill, New York—a new video rental shop rebuffing the algorithmic grip of streaming platforms by reviving the analog joy of VHS tapes, comic books, and sleepover culture. Owners Rob Ribar and Guido Sanchez share how their passion for collecting movies, comics, and memorabilia evolved into a retro storefront in the historic Catskill Community Theater.

Together...

In this episode of Kaatscast, host Brett Barry visits Catskill Collectibles, a unique shop in Catskill, NY, curated by Tom Illari. The shop specializes in Catskills memorabilia, blending new creations with rare vintage items going back to the 19th century. Tom shares his journey from a finance career to running the shop and his lifelong passion for the Catskills, highlighted by his extensive personal collection of historical items....

Measuring Snow: Citizen Science in the Catskills

Summary: Winter in the Catskills isn’t just about skiing, sledding, or shoveling. Snowpack plays a critical role in our water resources, local economies, and even global climate regulation. In this episode, Brett Barry speaks with Dr. Marco Tedesco of Columbia University’s Lamont‑Doherty Earth Observatory, about the NASA‑funded X‑Snow Project — a citizen science initiative inviting vo...

Did you know the Catskill region was once tropical—and south of the equator?! In this episode, Brett Barry visits the Gilboa Museum and Juried History Center to explore one of the oldest fossilized forests on Earth. Education Chair Kristen Wyckoff shares her decades-long passion for paleobotany, the story behind Gilboa’s world-famous Devonian tree stumps, and discoveries unearthed during the Schoharie Reservoir construction, dam re...

🎙️ Neighbors on the Front Lines: Margaretville FD and the Spirit of Catskills Volunteerism

Episode Description: In this episode of Kaatscast, we head to Margaretville, New York, where volunteer firefighters train for blitz attacks—a high-volume water technique used to knock down fires fast. But this story goes beyond the hose line. It’s about community, commitment, and declining volunteerism nationwide.

With over 90% of New York’s f...

In 1985, Bob Steuding published The Last of the Handmade Dams: The Story of the Ashokan Reservoir, a historically rich account of the building of the Ashokan Reservoir—and the lives displaced in its wake. Forty years later, the book remains a cornerstone of Catskills regional history and the inaugural title from Purple Mountain Press.

In this episode, we visit Bob and Martha Steuding at their 18th-century stone farmhouse near the re...

Ken Posner is an ultrarunner, barefoot hiker, and challenge-seeker whose latest book, Chasing the Grid, chronicles his quest to summit 35 Catskill high peaks in every month—a challenge known as “The Grid.” That’s 420 climbs, through every season, in pursuit of something deeper than endurance.

In this episode, Ken shares how the experience became a spiritual journey, shaped by minimalism, transcendentalist thinking, and a deep connec...

In this episode, Brett hits the trail with longtime Catskill 3500 Club member (and current president) Michael Bongar for a hike to Southwest Hunter Mountain—one of the club’s required peaks and a rite of passage for aspiring members.

Founded in 1962, the Catskill 3500 Club encourages hikers to summit 33 peaks over 3,500 feet—plus four of them again in winter. But it’s more than a checklist. Through trail maintenance, education, and...

🎙 Platte Clove Preserve: A Small Parcel with Big Impact  Presented by Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast

Host Brett Barry visits the Platte Clove Preserve with Jeff Senterman and Kali Bird of the Catskill Center to explore the surprising significance of a newly acquired 3.6-acre parcel. Though small in size, this land plays a vital role in preserving wilderness access, ecological integrity, and the scenic character of the Catskills. ...

Adjacent to the Willowemoc Wild Forest, in the Sullivan Catskills, a 3100-acre parcel once eyed for development is now safeguarded for future generations. In this episode, we chronicle the Open Space Institute’s landmark deal, and potentially the largest acquisition for the Catskills in nearly 25 years.

From the quiet negotiations with landowners to the sweeping implications for climate resilience and watershed health, this episode ...

How does the botanical elegance of a 19th-century artist find new life in contemporary design?

In this episode of Kaatscast: The Catskills Podcast, host Brett Barry follows the enduring influence of Emily Cole—daughter of Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole—whose delicate hand-painted ceramics helped define her artistic legacy. Cole was a founding member of the New York Society of Ceramic Arts in 1892, and she advocated for chin...

Is leaving the woods alone really the best way to preserve them? According to forester Ryan Trapani of the Catskill Forest Association, “doing nothing” comes with hidden costs—and a whole lot of shade-loving trees. In this immersive forest consultation, Ryan pays a visit to host Brett Barry's property to explore hands-on stewardship, the limits of laissez-faire ecology, and the surprising power of sunlight in shaping forest health.

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Sure, you can drive from NYC to the Catskills in just under 3 hours. But as "Doobby," the taxi driver in Planes, Trains and Automobiles says, "You don't see nothing on the interstate but interstate." In this episode, host Brett Barry walks with ⁠Casey Kelbaugh⁠ on a stretch of the "Long Path," a 358-mile trail from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to the edge of the Adirondack Park. Casey recounts his 27-day hike from ...

Exploring Howes Cave: History, Tragedy, and Tourism

Historian and author Dana Cudmore, a former tour guide and current chronicler of Howes Cave, Howe Caverns, and Schoharie County's "Cave Country," gives us a lay of the land and recalls the oft-repeated question, " Anybody ever die down here?"

Cudmore recounts in his 2024 book, The Cave Electrician’s Widow: The Tragedy at Howe Caverns & Dramatic Courtroom Fight for Justice, the ...

This episode of Kaatscast features an interview with Don Dales, a key figure in transforming Hobart, New York, into Hobart Book Village. The journey began with a single bookstore in a declining village and expanded into a book lovers' destination with seven bookstores, the Book Village Inn & Bar, and annual events, attracting visitors from far and wide. Dales discusses the initial challenges, community resistance, and the event...

In this episode, Captain Drewski of the Delhi Polecats, formerly known as the Delhi Vintage Baseball Club, joins us to discuss the revival of vintage baseball in Delaware County, New York.

Drewski shares the historical significance of a 200-year-old baseball challenge documented in an 1825 edition of the Delaware Gazette, marking the earliest recorded organized game of baseball in the United States. The Hamden 9, as part of the tow...