THANK YOU MY FRIENDS

Our final edition of 2025 hath arrived. I’m on the road down south, but I heard the snow hit and hit hard upstate. Jealous to miss it and looking forward to getting back in a few days. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the read.

As we turn the page on 2025, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for tuning in over the last year. Whether you’ve come out to an event, bought something from the provisions shop, or simply read Catskill Crew each week, it means the world to me, truly.

I welcome you to share what you’ve enjoyed, what you’d like to see more of in the new year, and any other thoughts you want to send my way.

I have more ideas in the works (as always) but Catskill Crew is for the community and by the community, so your voice matters to me.

Have a wonderful New Year and I look forward to seeing you out there in 2026.

Everyone knows Sandy by now, our trusted Gardening Guru. He and I were thinking about putting together a little seed and cutting swap party. 1 part happy hour, 1 part swap, 2 parts good times.

This would be for beginners, pros, and people who have yet to get any dirt under their fingernails. Let us know if you’re interested, and if this gets approved, we’ll get to work.

CONTRIBUTED BY IVY MACKEY

I say this with no hyperbole: insects run the world. According to an extensive report by the National Research Council’s Committee on the Status of Pollinators in North America, over 75 percent of all flowering plants are reliant upon insects for their pollination- our food and flowers exist because of the tiny lives occurring beneath our feet!

This fall, I had the good fortune to stumble upon the cocoon of a moth quietly pulsing with transformation within the leaf litter of my own backyard. As I replaced the crisp fallen leaf over this tender liminal being, I took note of the other life teeming within this rug of dead maple leaves and fallen sticks. Harvestmen, jumping spiders, sowbugs, earthworms, crickets, and ants each carrying out their tiny and deeply important lives, crawling upon and beneath, foraging, nesting, and hunting.

One familiar and beloved native bug you might find tucked within the leaf litter of your own backyard is the luna moth- large and pale green with distinctively long “tails” extending off their hind wings. Luna moth caterpillars that overwinter within the leaf litter will wrap themselves in leaves and twigs for camouflage, spin their cocoon, and nestle themselves within the warmth and cover of fallen foliage until spring. These breathtaking beings are completely unassuming within the browns and dull oranges of the leaf-covered ground.

Those leaf piles are essential to the well-being of our local bugs, which sustain our flowers, foods, and bird populations. I hope this peek into the wonder of a seemingly dull landscape feature can inspire you to leave the leaves- even just a portion of your lawn. While they may have disappeared from our sight for the winter, the bugs that run the world are busy resting, nesting, and transforming in our backyards!

The Catskill Crew Dinner Club is back once again and filling up quickly — this time, in HUDSON on Jan 15th at 7pm. Take the quiz, get matched, and come out to meet some new friends. You can book your seat here!

The winner of The Forgotten Maps has been selected, they’ve been contacted, and logistics are being finalized to get them the ultra-rare Catskill fly fishing map.

The rest of the inventory sold out fast, which marks the end of the supply until more are miraculously rediscovered out in the wild.

TOGETHER WITH OUR FRIENDS AT UPSTATE CURIOUS

A 1920s Dairy Barn Turned Hudson Valley Dream | Accord | 4 beds | 3.5 baths | 4,551 sq ft | 6.5 acres | BYO-Cows

Renovated Farmhouse Cozy in All The Right Ways | Monticello | 3 beds | 2 bath | 1,512 sq ft | 1.97 acres | Take a look

Scandi Cabin in the Northern Catskills | Jefferson | 1 bath | 280 sq ft | 2.32 acres | Don’t miss it

Want to spread the good news to over 40,000+ Crew Members?

Crew Quarterly Four envelopes mailed to your door, stuffed to the brim with Catskill Goodness. P.S. I’ll plant a tree for each letter sent. Pre-order your Winter Edition today.

Catskill-opoly Embark on an unforgettable journey through the Catskills. Just be sure to secure your trash to avoid the bears and dodge the snow storms so you don’t get stranded. Happy exploring.

Puzzles Now that winter has officially arrived, it’s time to keep the fire going and break out a good puzzle. You can get yours at the provisions shop.

Pocket Tees Good for the trail, by the fire, or six feet under a sugar maple. Screen printed on Comfort Colors. Get one.

Last week’s Scramble: PORCUPINE

PROPERTY: 1864 Bavarian Manor Hotel

PETS: The blind Akita named Bernard, Tucker the cat, and an Albino Super Conda Hognose Snake.

SKY: January 3rd marks a cosmic hat trick for us stargazers — the skies kick off with the Wolf Moon, our first full moon of the year. Next, Earth reaches its perihelion, marking the closest distance between our planet and the Sun in 2026 (147,100,000 km). Finally, the Quadrantids meteor shower reaches its maximum activity from Jan 3rd to the 4th. Expect to spot 2 meteors per hour.

SIGHTINGS: Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) and a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Catskill Crew is 100% free to read, independently owned, and locally operated (heck, it’s just me).

Your contributions go toward keeping the Crew going so we can have more fun and build more community. I appreciate any and all support my dear friends! - Michael

ADD AN EVENT

Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock – Dogs In A Pile at 7pm see dates

Assembly, Kingston – The Felice Brothers & Friends at 8pm 2-day show

Oliver’s, Mt. Tremper – NYE on British Time at 7pm start early end early

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – A Very Disco NYE at 8pm tuna melt

Hunter Mountain – New Year’s Eve Celebration & Fireworks at 5pm take a look

Scribner’s, Hunter – Cosmic Countdown at 5pm explore

Divine Flow, East Durham – Sound Bath and Cacao Offering at 6:30pm plant medicine

Starlite Motel, Kerhonkson – NYE Warm Up Party at 4pm early birds

Andes Hotel – New Year’s Eve Feast menu

Belvedere Inn, Stamford – New Year’s Eve at 6pm the bel drop

Colony, Woodstock – NYE Dance Party at 9pm cosmic dance ride

Assembly, Kingston – The Afters: NYE ft. DJ MK Ultramatic at 11:45pm details

Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock – NYE ft. Jay Collins & Gravy Train at 9:30pm get tix

Return Brewing, Hudson – Y2K Dance Party at 8pm more info

Salt Box, Kingston – New Year’s Eve Party with DJ Dookz at 10pm details

Skate Time, Accord – New Year’s Eve Party at 5pm dig it

Urban Cowboy, Big Indian – NYE Party at 9pm fireworks

Laugh It Up, Poughkeepsie – New Year’s Eve Gala & Comedy Show at 8pm get tickets

Sunshine Colony, Livingston Manor – NYE Midnight in Paris at 1pm parisian time

Ze Wine Bar, Hunter – New Year’s Eve Dinner at 6:30pm prost

Klocke Estate, Hudson – New Year’s Eve Soirée at 5pm make reservations

Hotel Lilien, Tannersville – Fireside Countdown at 5pm tickets

Happy New Year my friends

Siuslaw Model Forest, Acra – New Year’s Day Hike at 2pm get outside

Catskill Visitor Center, Mt. Tremper – First Day Hike at 11am enjoy it

Mountain Top Historical Society, Haines Falls – First Day Hike to Kaaterskill Falls at 10am move the bod folks

Assembly, Kingston – Medicine Disco: New Year’s Day at 3pm get tickets

West Kill Brewing, Kingston – Open Bluegrass Jam at 6pm

Catskill – First Friday at 5pm

Colony, Woodstock – A Tribute to the Music of the 1960s at 7pm tickets

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Queeraoke with Major Mayhem at 8pm sing along

Colony, Woodstock – Misty Mountain Ramblers at 7pm tickets

Van Dusen’s, Lexington – Live music with Ritual Arcana at 7pm shred

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Strip Spelling Bee at 7pm merriam webster

Avalon, Catskill – Upstate Composers Orchestra at 7:30pm see more

Colony, Woodstock – The Outcrops & Lincoln Durham at 7pm get tickets

Story Screen Cinema, Hudson – Mystery Movie (90s Comedies Edition) at 8pm love it