Happy Year of the Fire Horse! A review of 2025 and a hope filled 2026!
- The Waterfall Center
- Feb 17
- 5 min read
Greetings to everyone from the snowy forests of the Valley!
2025 was our first complete year as The Waterfall Center for Bioregional Learning. It has been thrilling to be in dialogue with scientists, educators, organizations, neighbors, and other individuals who are coming together to better understand the extraordinary resources of this bioregion, which we have defined by the boundaries of the Schoharie Creek watershed (the largest tributary of the Mohawk River). We have also been assessing current and potential threats to the waters, forests, wildlife, and rural culture – which has been sobering, but also empowering, as we come together create local solutions.
This year has been a process of deep learning for us as an organization. We are excited to share a recap of this year's accomplishments with you and offer a glimpse of what is coming in 2026. Thank you for being part of this growing community. We are so grateful to be on this journey with you! |
2025 YEAR IN REVIEW
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Wildfire Preparation & Mitigation
• We gave a community presentation on the growing risk of wildfire throughout New York State, and specifically in the Schoharie Creek bioregion, which is home to many thousands of acres of state forests. • We gave a presentation on the Emerald Ash Borer, which has caused a massive ash tree die off in our forests, leaving stands of dead hardwood that presents a serious danger in the increasingly long drought periods of the summer months. • We gave a presentation to the county Board of Supervisors in September alerting them to early research findings on this issue. • We spoke with the county fire chiefs in November and we are working with the Office of Emergency Services to begin assessing Schoharie’s readiness for wildfire events. • We submitted a formal response to the county’s draft Hazard Mitigation Plan and are now working with county and community partners to further develop a comprehensive wildfire response plan. |
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In September, together with the Schoharie River Center, we hosted John Thompson from the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP). He gave an overview on the major invasives in the region and a tutorial on using iMapInvasives, an app that allows users to report invasive species even when offline or in remote areas. It was an extremely informative and engaging program that will help us better understand threats to our landscape and how to adequately address them. We plan to host John for several more workshops in 2026. Please send us a note if you’d like to host him for a session in your area! |
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We hosted a gathering of residents along the Panther Creek in West Fulton, NY and have begun a pilot project of community organized land and forest management within the watershed. We are currently pursuing pilot grant opportunities that will allow the Panther Creek community to address ash tree removal, ecological restoration, erosion issues and invasive species like Japanese Knotweed. We will be sending out an update soon, and are looking forward to future gatherings. |
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Climate Smart Communities
In October we hosted the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) team from the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District (MVEDD). The event was hosted at SEEC in Schoharie and was very well attended and received by community members. We are inviting the CSC team back to do another overview this coming Spring. You can learn more about the program on the Climate Smart Communities website. |
OUR GROWING TEAM |
The Waterfall Center core team comes from a diverse set of skills, interests and backgrounds that inform and enrich the work of the organization.
We are very excited that Tanja Konwinski has joined us as Program Director. Tanja moved to the area 3 years ago and has become an active member of the community, most recently joining the Cobleskill Community Library Board. We are so looking forward to working with her – and be sure to say hello if you see her in the neighborhood!
Sarah Bachinger, Communications and Operations Director, is a filmmaker and media strategist who has lived in the adjacent Hudson River watershed and bioregion for 45 years.
Outside of their contributions to the Waterfall Center, Tanja and Sarah are both acclaimed artists. It has been so inspiring to have them bring a highly creative perspective to our work as we create a shared vision of a sustainable, collaborative, healthy and vibrant bioregion. |
SARAH BACHINGER
Director of Communication & Operations
In 2025 Sarah was awarded the "Women of Distinction" recognition by NYS Assemblywoman Carrie Werner for her EcoArt and conservation work. She was invited to speak at the UNOC3 in Nice, France and exhibited her film Elegy For A Glacier at the launch of the International Year of Glacier's Preservation at the UN in New York City, and UNESCO in Paris. In 2026 she was selected to attend a workshop with filmmaker Werner Herzog in the Azores and looks forward to bringing back knowledge and connections to help build an Environmental Film Festival and programming here in the Schoharie bioregion. View her work at
TANJA KONWINSKI
Program Director
Tanja owns and operates a print, reproduction and design business called Rose Hollow Design, a mission driven company which directly supports Tanja’s community service work and creation of The Commons of Schoharie Valley which plans to offer whole-self health programs, biodiversity resilience initiatives, art & science engagement, and poverty action.
In 2025 Tanja was honored to win an award for best 2D media at the Fenimore Art Museum ‘Art by The Lake’ show.
View her work at www.tanjakonwinski.com
In closing and in gratitude... |
The Waterfall Center's work last year was sustained by the generosity of both the Novo Foundation and the Sandy River Foundation. We are immensely grateful for their support and faith in us as we begin this journey of better understanding the Schoharie bioregion and how to preserve its unique identity, culture and landscape. ...And our deepest thanks to all of you! This has been a difficult year marked by division and upheaval around the world. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, but each person who came out to a listening session, attended a meeting, or wrote us an email is part of a growing community who are looking to each other for hope and localized solutions.
The work of the Waterfall Center is grounded in a fierce love for the rivers, forests, farms, wildlife, and people of the Schoharie bioregion. Hope is a verb and we are committed to DO as much as we possibly can – together. Please share our website with others who may be interested in learning more about our work.
And... we would love to hear from you! We are currently working on programming for 2026. Please let us know if there are any topics that you would like to see us address in our convenings, workshops and projects. |
Wishing each of you a wonderful year ahead. Today is a new moon full annular eclipse and the beginning of the year of the fire horse in the Chinese calendar! It may be a wild ride, but we are here for each other through it all. ❤️🐴🔥
In gratitude, Bethany, Sarah, Tanja, Janet, and David. |