This richly illustrated and easy-to-use Field Guide is an invitation to explore the ecological and cultural fabric of a diverse Hudson Valley landscape. Informed by decades of original research by the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program and Hudsonia Ltd., it provides readers with the tools to recognize and get to know 36 distinct habitats and includes—
- Information on how to identify and distinguish each habitat in the landscape
- Maps of public areas where habitats can be experienced
- What to look for, including lists of associated wild plants and animals
- Stewardship ideas and considerations
- Habitat history in the context of human history
- Perspectives from people interacting with the habitats
- Interactive suggestions for engaging with different habitats
From the Hudson to the Taconics is for anyone who inhabits, visits, or loves this landscape. Casual readers, naturalists, biologists, educators, policymakers, and land managers alike will find in it ample resources to deepen a personal relationship with this land and an understanding of the wild plants and animals who share it.
The book is now available at local book stores, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, at our events, and online from Black Dome Press and Amazon.
In the Press:
The Columbia Paper and The UpStater.com (13 May 2024): “Helping us hear the little voices: A unique local field guide released” by Deborah Lans
WAMC Northeast Public Radio featured Claudia and Conrad on The Roundtable (3 June 2024): “Black Dome Press presents new Columbia County field guide”
Berkshire Eagle (24 July 2024): “One can never have too many field guides, especially if they are about your own backyard” by Clellie Lynch
Chronogram (9 March 2025): “New Field Guide to Columbia County Released by Hawthorne Valley Ecology Program“ by Brian K. Mahoney
Building on the Field Guide:
Read more about our plans for follow-up research of underappreciated and at-risk habitats.