On September 19, the Cary Institute hosted a one-day conference
on the impacts of tropical storms Irene and Lee on the Hudson
River. Organized by the Hudson River Environmental Society, with
leadership from Cary's Stuart Findlay, the forum examined how
the river and estuary responded to the storms, which dropped an
estimated 12-18 inches of rainfall throughout the Hudson Valley
and Catskill regions. Topics included dredging, sediment
transport, water quality, impacts to fish, and future management
practices. In late October, Gary Lovett will present his
assessment of the health of the Catskill Forest at the second
Catskill Environmental Research & Monitoring Conference (CERM).
The forum brings together research on the region, to better
understand the effects of extreme weather, air pollution,
invasive species, biodiversity loss, and habitat fragmentation.
The Catskills provide the majority of New York City's drinking
water supply; CERM forums help coordinate research and identify
research agendas to protect t