I recently joined TDC to explore one of the Catskills’ most important stories: the watershed that supplies drinking water to millions of New Yorkers. In the video, we visit the Ashokan Reservoir, the Catskills Visitor Center, and Platte Clove Preserve to consider the connections among clean water, healthy forests, protected public lands, local communities, and responsible recreation.

As Executive Director of the Catskill Center, I see watershed protection as both a conservation responsibility and a community commitment. It requires sound policy, sustained public investment, land stewardship, visitor education, and meaningful partnership among residents, local governments, nonprofits, and state agencies. Through the Catskill Center’s work, we advocate for Forest Preserve stewardship, climate resilience, public access, and the long-term well-being of Catskills communities.

The Catskills are more than a water source. They are a living landscape of towns, farms, forests, businesses, and people whose future is deeply connected to the health of the region’s land and water.