Episodes

Brett Barry visits Anna Plattner and Justin Wexler at their 95-acre forest farm in Cairo, New York, home base of Wild Hudson Valley — an educational organization dedicated to inspiring learning and building connection through...

In this episode, host Brett Barry joins Jan Jaffe, board president of Wellington Blueberry LLC, outside the shuttered Wellington Hotel on Main Street in Pine Hill, New York — a 12,000-square-foot, 19th-century landmark and on...

Hoppy Quick has been chainsaw carving bears in the Catskills since 1979 — but he'll tell you he's not an artist. He's a spiritual being who found himself through the bear. In this wide-ranging conversation, we visit Hoppy at ...

Singer‑songwriter Steve Koester , the creative force behind Two Dark Birds , joins Brett in the Kaatscast studio for a deep, generous conversation about songwriting, place, and the long arc of making music in the Catskills. W...

In this episode, we visit Pogliani Select , purveyors of artisanal, estate‑grown olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars sourced directly from small family farms across Italy and Croatia. From the hills of Tuscany and the grove...

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 frog...

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 thi...

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 val...

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, a...

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 item...

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 climat...

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...

🎙️ 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 a...

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, ...

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,...

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 ...

🎙 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 s...

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...

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 Hu...

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 i...

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 Bre...

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...

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 bo...

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 signi...