Hot Spot

Peekamoose Blue Hole Revisit 2019

Grahamsville, NY

We first hosted an outstandingly successful Hot Spot at the Peekamoose Blue Hole in 2017 and are returning to follow up on a few targeted objectives, as well as to gain a better understanding of the successes of our first visit. The Peekamoose Blue Hole was exponentially gaining popularity leading up to our first visit.  On a busy day, hundreds of people could be seen enjoying the cool spring water and the shade from the Catskills beautiful forests.  Crowding, litter, undesignated trails, and human waste impacts heavily degrading the landscape.  Since 2017, a limited quota system has been implemented as well as a newly developed dedicated stewardship program within the Catskill Center.  We will be working with the Catskill Center, New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), and other local stakeholders for strategic planning and further communication training, as well as a follow up cleanup event to gauge how successful the limited quota system has been at mitigating litter impacts.

Solution

  • 276 People Educated
  • 32 Volunteer Hours Facilitated
  • 21 Bags of Trash Removed (a 61% reduction from 2017 Hot Spot)

The concerted efforts by both the DEC and the Catskill Center have led to a remarkable decline in over-use and visitor-created impacts. While there has been clear progress regarding visitor impacts in the area, stakeholders have expressed the need to keep moving forward by continuing to provide consistent, site specific Leave No Trace education and by continuing to monitor the permit system. With the continuation of this work, the Center sees The Peekamoose Blue Hole, and the greater Catskill Region as having potential of becoming a future Gold Standard Site. The Center can help achieve this goal by helping craft both written and verbal educational messages for partner and agency websites, social media, trailhead signage, and public-facing staff, by providing resources regarding waste management, and by providing insight into the best way to utilize the permit system moving forward.

Your donation helps bring Leave No Trace solutions to these impacted areas.

Let’s protect and enjoy our natural world together

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