The Catskills and the work it takes to protect them are reaching an even bigger audience in a new collaboration between the Catskill Center and The Daily Conversation (TDC), a Youtube Channel with over one million subscribers and more than 440 million views.
In a recent episode, NYC Has World’s Largest Unfiltered Water Supply: Catskill Watershed, Catskill Center Executive Director Jeff Senterman joins creator Bryce Plank for an exploration of the Catskills landscape that helps supply drinking water to millions of New Yorkers, leading a conversation about the connections between clean water, protected lands, healthy forests, local communities, and the people who care for these vital natural resources.
This feature is part of “TDC Places”, a series exploring the infrastructure, history, people, and decisions that shape remarkable places. With Bryce, Jeff travels from the Ashokan Reservoir to the Catskills Visitor Center and the Catskill Center’s Platte Clove Preserve, using each stop to tell a larger story about the Catskills and why protecting this region matters far beyond the boundaries of the Catskill Park.
Approximately 90 percent of New York City’s drinking water comes from the Catskill and Delaware systems. Protecting that resource requires more than reservoirs and water infrastructure. It requires sustained investment in land conservation, sound science, forest and watershed stewardship, resilient local communities, and public education that connects people to the places they depend upon.
“The Catskills are a New York State treasure, and they are much more than the source of drinking water for millions of people,” said Senterman. “They are a living region of towns, farms, forests, businesses, cultural institutions, and people whose stewardship makes this landscape possible. Protecting water quality and ecological health must go hand in hand with supporting the communities that live and work throughout the Catskills and care for this region everyday.
For more than 55 years, the Catskill Center has worked to protect and foster the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of the Catskills. Our work includes land conservation and stewardship, watershed protection, invasive-species management, climate resilience, visitor education, thoughtful development, and advocacy for the public investments that sustain the region.
The Catskill Center’s conservation work reflects the interconnected nature of the watershed. Through our Streamside Acquisition Program, we work with willing landowners and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to conserve sensitive streamside lands in the Schoharie Basin. As an accredited land trust, we steward protected lands and conservation easements, while the Catskills Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) helps address threats to the ecological health of forests, wetlands, and waterways.
The Catskill Center also welcomes and educates residents and visitors through the Catskills Visitor Center, Catskill Stewards Program, public preserves, and regional outreach. These programs help people experience the Catskills responsibly, strengthen connections to the landscape, and support the local communities and businesses that are part of a thriving regional economy.
“Healthy forests, informed visitors, well-managed public lands, resilient communities, and sustained public investment are all part of the same story,” Senterman said. “The future of the Catskills depends on recognizing those connections and working together across communities, organizations, and governments to protect this remarkable place for generations to come.”
Jeff and Bryce also explore the complex history of the watershed, including the displacement of communities during the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir. That history remains an important part of understanding the relationship between New York City and the Catskills todayThe Catskill Center believes that durable conservation and watershed policy must be grounded in honesty, partnership, respect for local communities, and a shared commitment to the long-term well-being of the region.
The Catskill Center’s vision is a future in which the Catskills thrive through healthy ecosystems, strong local economies, and communities connected to the natural world. Through conservation, education, collaboration, and advocacy, the organization works to ensure that the region’s lands and waters continue to support both the people who call the Catskills home and the millions who rely on this watershed every day.
Watch NYC Has World’s Largest Unfiltered Water Supply: Catskill Watershed from TDC to learn more about the landscape, communities, and conservation work behind one of the world’s largest unfiltered water supplies.
Invest in the Future of the Catskills
Protecting the Catskills takes long-term commitment. Through conservation, stewardship, science, advocacy, education, and visitor services, the Catskill Center works every day to care for this remarkable region and help people experience it responsibly. Sustaining this work requires time, expertise, strong partnerships, and continued investment.
Your gift today helps ensure the Catskills remain healthy, open, and cared for well into the future. We also invite those planning ahead to consider a legacy gift and make their commitment to the Catskills part of the legacy they leave behind.
