Stewarding Place in a Season of Growth: An Update From The Waterfall Center
- The Waterfall Center
- Jun 18
- 4 min read
Dear friends and neighbors,
As summer begins to gather itself around us, the landscape seems to exhale, and the fields are stretching into their season of abundance. Gardens are starting to fill out. The first harvests, both cultivated and foraged, are beginning to arrive at kitchen tables. Nearly every harvest begins with the quiet work of our local pollinators. Their presence reminds us that abundance is never an individual achievement. Food does not appear because of a single person's effort. It emerges from dedication, relationships and reciprocity: between soil and seed, rain and root, pollinator and flower, neighbor and neighbor. The same is true of healthy communities. We thrive when we tend to one another, when we share what we have, and when we remain connected to the places that sustain us.
At the Waterfall Center, we believe that caring for land and water is inseparable from caring for people. The streams, forests, farms, and wetlands that surround us are not simply scenery. They are living systems that provide clean water, fertile soil, wildlife habitat, and a sense of belonging that cannot be manufactured or replaced.
Yet across our region, these systems face growing pressure. Large-scale infrastructure projects, including pipelines and energy-intensive data centers, are increasingly being proposed in rural landscapes and watersheds. Often these developments arrive with promises of progress and economic growth. But they also raise important questions about what kind of future we are building, who bears the costs, and what is lost when short-term extraction takes precedence over long-term stewardship.
Conservation is most powerful when it grows from affection, participation, and shared responsibility. When people gather around a table, work in a garden, restore a stream, or learn the history of a landscape, they begin to understand what is worth protecting - and strengthen their relationship to the place they call home.
As we move into the fullness of summer, we invite you to join us in that work. Share a meal. Walk a trail. Volunteer. Learn. Meet your neighbors. Spend time near moving water. Pay attention to what is growing around you.
The future of this landscape is shaped by the strength of the communities who love it enough to care for it. Thank you for being part of that community.
With gratitude,
The Waterfall Center
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Jefferson Historic Society - Oral History Video Project
Wandering through social media can feel like exploring a network of digital hedgerows. Often, the path leads into a tangle of brambles, but every so often it opens onto something unexpected—a spring in the woods, clear and nourishing. This month, we were grateful to come across the Jefferson Historical Society Oral History Project, a reminder that the stories of a place are among its most precious resources, and that tending to them is a form of stewardship in its own right.
Launched and led by Bonnie Dailey, the project is housed in the Society's headquarters at Judd Hall. Developed in partnership with OurStoryBridge and supported through grants from the Burghard Family Memorial Fund and CREATE Council on the Arts, the project is collecting short audio recordings from residents throughout Schoharie County, preserving memories, experiences, and local knowledge that might otherwise be lost to time. From stories of daily life and community traditions to reflections on the landscape, arts, hard times, and moments of change, these recordings weave together a living archive of the region’s cultural heritage. What makes the project especially inspiring is its openness—anyone with a story to tell can participate.
Community members interested in contributing their own memories or helping others share theirs can contact the Jefferson Historical Society at historicalsocietyjefferson@gmail.com for more information.
If you are interested in hearing stories shared thus far, you can view them on the Jefferson Historical Society Youtube Channel.
IN THE KNOW
REMATRIATED VOICES:
Rematriated Voices is a first-of-its-kind talk show showcasing Indigenous voices as solutions to the world's most pressing issues. Michelle Schenandoah, a Haudenosaunee media creator, delves into the roots of modern democracy and examines our relationship with Mother Earth. Rooted in the authority of Haudenosaunee women, Michelle empowers voices that have shaped the world's oldest living democracy.
"We're at a pivotal juncture, a time of transformation foreseen by prophecies. As we look to the Sky and our ancestors, our host, Michelle, reminds us that restoring balance with Mother Earth is our shared responsibility."
CONSTITUTION PIPELINE UPDATES:
The Women's Water Walk sponsored by the nonprofit the Waterfall Unity Alliance, has been moved from August 8 to the new date of September 19 due to anticipated heat waves this summer. If you would like to stay up to date and be part of this historic walk - please visit the Women's Water Walk website for more information.
Understanding the impact of the proposed Constitution Pipeline starts with knowing where the route will cross our forests, roads, and waterways. For more information about the potential pipeline, and how it could effect communities within the bioregion - please visit our webpage HERE.
Does the pipeline cross your property? View this INTERACTIVE MAP to see more detail about where the route for the proposed Constitution Pipeline will run.
WATERFALL CENTER GUEST STORYTELLERS:
The Waterfall Center invites community members to become guest storytellers/bloggers and share their unique experiences in the Schoharie bioregion. Whether you’re a hiker, farmer, hunter, fisher, artist, or simply someone with a meaningful connection to this landscape, we welcome your voice. Submissions can include stories, reflections, artwork, photos, or videos that capture your relationship with the land and its waterways. We especially encourage youth to contribute and share their perspectives. Help us celebrate and document the diverse connections that make this bioregion so special.
Please submit your entires, or expression of interest to sarah@waterfallcenter.org - we will also be announcing themes and prompts soon to help inspire your stories!
