Wildlife of the Basha Kill
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The Basha Kill WetlandsThe Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area is located on the Orange County-Sullivan County border just south of Wurtsboro, New York. It consists of over 3,000 acres of wetlands and uplands which were acquired by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with funds from the 1972 Bond Act. Until about 60 years ago the area was drained annually and used for agriculture, before the importance of freshwater wetlands to clean groundwater was recognized.
Wetlands act as a giant, filtering sponge, taking up organic pollutants and breaking them down during photosynthesis by rapidly-growing surface weeds. During periods of heavy rainfall or snow melt, water volume exceeds grounds capacity to absorb it, resulting in flooding and erosion damage. Wetlands soak up and hold the overflow, allowing it to slowly seep into cracks in the bedrock, percolating down into the water table. This process recharges wells and improves groundwater, as well as preventing flooding and damage caused by erosion.
As the largest freshwater wetland in southeastern New York, The Basha Kill provides vital services for both human and non-human residents. These wetlands provide a choice habitat and food source for over 30 varieties of fish, almost 200 kinds of birds and innumerable plants, reptiles, mammals and insects.
The landscape offers scenic views and an unmatched natural setting for hiking, canoeing, birdwatching and fishing. Above all, it is a place to breathe deeply, to feel the beauty and peace of a unique, unspoiled place in nature.
Wildlife abounds in The Basha Kill. Birdlife includes: the bald eagle, wild turkey, red-winged blackbird, woodpecker, hummingbird, great blue heron, red-tailed hawk, owl, grackle, pheasant, and Canadian Goose. Mammals seen to frequent the wetlands include: white tailed deer, opossum, porcupine, rabbit, raccoon, river otter, beaver and skunk. Fishermen find over 30 varieties of fish, including trout, carp, bass, pickerel, eel and sunny. Children are enchanted by the reptile population, including box turtles, bullfrogs, salamanders, snapping turtles and toads.
There are some very distinctive creatures found in the Basha Kill, including a prehistoric fish known as a Bowfin. The species is millions of years old and has swim bladders, which function as a sort of lung. This enables the fish to put its head out of the water and gulp air at the waters surface. They have large, cylindrical bodies that range to 21 pounds in the southern US, where they are more common. They are not native to the area, but were originally introduced in an attempt to control weeds. They are rugged predators that eat almost anything that moves.
Another unusual visitor to the Kill is the sea lamprey, which migrates from the Atlantic Ocean up the Delaware River and on into the Kill to spawn. Although these fish predators are a danger to many upstate fisheries, they are non-parasitic by the time they get to the Kill and die after spawning.
These wetlands are a botanical delight, with such plantlife as cattails, purple loosestrife, wild geranium, water lily, arrowhead, pickerelweed, voilet, cardinal flower, raspberry, dogwood, fern, white pine, white birch and beech.
DirectionsTake Route 17 west to exit 113. Take Route 209 traveling south (in the direction of Port Jervis). When you see the Moose Lodge on your left, make a left onto Haven Road. There are some parking spots here, and you can hike along the Basha Kill in both directions. Or, continue on Haven Road until it intersects with South Road. Make a right turn onto South Road and proceed to the first of four boat launch areas.
The Basha Kill Area Association Who we are: We are a group of people working to preserve the unspoiled quality of the beautiful and unique Basha Kill, as well as other nearby areas whose ecological health is interconnected with the Basha Kill.
Our mission: Since our founding in 1972, our mission has been to protect the Basha Kill wetlands and surrounding area from ecological degradation, to promote education and respect for the environment in general and to preserve the beauty of the area
What we do: We stay alert to possible threats to the Basha Kill watershed and surrounding area such as pollution, vandalism, and unwise development. As the official adopter of the Basha Kill under the DEC's Adopt-A-Natural-Resource program, the Basha Kill Area Association (BKAA) is the local watchdog organization for the wetlands. Members of the BKAA work with representatives from local government and from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to address these problems. We monitor local Town Board and Planning Board meetings in order to stay apprised of potential development problems. The BKAA partners with other environmental groups in an effort to safeguard the region's valuable natural resources. Membership in such organizations enhances our influence in the broader environmental community and consequently enables us to be more effective advocates.
We are a hands-on organization: We sponsor an annual cleanup where we roll up our sleeves and spend the morning collecting garbage and litter. We carried out a two year baseline, water quality monitoring project, and continue to monitor the status of the Basha Kill's water quality. Currently, we are sponsoring a volunteer eagle watch program in which we monitor the Basha Kill's nesting pair of bald eagles and collect data about visitor use of the Basha Kill. We promote education about the environment. The BKAA presents information to school children in Sullivan and Orange Counties, as well as to interested groups. The BKAA offers free nature walks at the wetlands led by local experts. We sponsor campers each summer to the DEC Environmental Camp in DeBruce. We produced a video about the history and the importance of the wetlands, which is available for loan.
JOIN US! The more members we have, the more educational and recreational services we can offer our community, and the greater the impact we can have on decisions affecting local environmental issues.
Membership costs only $10 per year, and includes a monthly newsletter. Simply send a check, with your name, address and phone number to:
The Basha Kill Area AssociationP.O. Box 1121Wurtsboro, NY 12790
CONTACT INFORMATION:
-->To join, call Lorraine Haring at (845) 888-5381.
On the Web, go to:
The BKAA has a new website! Visit it at www.thebashakill.org
Catskill Hiking Shack at www.catskillhikes.com and click on Local Information
Shawangunk Ridge Coalition at www.shawangunkridge.org. -->BKAA tee-shirts, sweatshirts and hats are available at The Catskill Hiking Shack. All proceeds go to support the Basha Kill. Hats and tees with our logo are $10, and sweatshirts are available for a $20 donation. Check out the new full-color wetlands t-shirt, the price for that is $15, all can be seen and purchased at the Hiking Shack.
Schedule for the year 2003
2006 Calendar
· Basha Kill Eagle Watch Training
Saturday, March 25th, 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
888 South Road, Wurtsboro.
Learn about bald eagle biology and the Basha Kill ecosystem so that
you can volunteer with our Eagle Watch program in the spring.
As a volunteer, you will assist visitors to view the active bald eagle nest and collect data
about people who visit the Basha Kill. Volunteers cover three hour shifts from mid-April through the end of June on week-end afternoons.
Lori McKean, Director of the Eagle Institute, will be the main presenter for the training.
Call Denise Frangipane for more information at 845-583-5477.
· Star Walk with Bob Fiore
Saturday, April 1st at 6:30 pm Join amateur astronomer Bob Fiore for a look at the night skies over the Basha Kill. Fun and informative for people of all ages.
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot. Call Bob with questions, especially if you want to check on the status of the walk because of weather – 845-498-9001.
· 25th Annual Cleanup
Saturday, April 29th at 10:00 am
Meet at Haven Road parking lot. Plastic bags provided.
Free lunch at noon at the Moose Lodge.
· Early Spring Canoeing Outing on the Basha Kill
Sunday, April 30th at 9:00 am
Join Scott Graber, local naturalist & nature photographer, and Mike Medley, avid outdoorsman & former science teacher, for an early canoe trip in the Basha Kill. It’s smoother sailing at this time of year when the vegetation has not had a chance to grow up throughout the Kill.
Meet at the South Road boat launch site with your canoe or kayak at 9:00am. Call Mike Medley at 845-754-0743 for details and to arrange to team up with other boaters.

· Peak of Migration Birding with John Haas
Join John, Basha Kill birder extraordinaire, on Saturday, May 6th at 8:30 am
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot
Call John at 845-888-0240 for details.
· Botany Walk with John Kenney
Meet John Kenney, local naturalist, at the Haven Road parking lot on Sunday, May 7th at 10:00 am. John will focus on tree identification (looking at bark and buds) but will include flowering plants as well.
· Hike the Wurtsboro Ridge with John WinklerSaturday, May 20th at 9:30 am
Join hiker/photographer John Winkler (author of An Enchanted Land: the Shawangunk Mountains), in front of the Hiking Shack on Sullivan Street in Wurtsboro. Traverse the Wurtsboro Ridge for vistas of the Basha Kill and the surrounding area. John will also point out early wildflowers in bloom.
According to John, this is a short uphill climb followed by level hiking.
You can reach John at 518-346-4969 if you have any questions about the hike.
· Amphibians & Reptiles with Bill Cutler Sunday, June 4th at 10:00 am
Meet Bill Cutler, local herpetology expert
at the Haven Road parking lot. Bill will talk about habitat requirements and habitat preservation for amphibians and reptiles with a focus on the Basha Kill. Kids as well as adults love learning about reptiles and amphibians with Bill!
Contact Bill at 845-754-8398 or at viper@catskill.net .
-->· Early Summer Wildflowers with John KenneySunday, June 11th at 10:00 am
John Kenney, who leads nature walks in the region, will point out blooming flowers
around the Basha Kill. Meet him at the Haven Road parking lot.
Call John at 845-436-6046 for details.
· Blooms & Butterflies with John Kenney Sunday, July 9th at 10:00 am at the Haven Road parking lot.
John Kenney will show you the latest blooming wildflowers of the Basha Kill, as well as butterflies.

Call John at 845-436-6046 for details.
· Fall Warblers and More with John Haas Saturday, September 16
at 8:30 am at the Haven Road parking lot
Meet John Haas, well-known birder of the Basha Kill, for a birding expedition.
Both experts and novices enjoy John’s outings.
Call John at 845-888-0240 for details.
· Fall Canoeing at the Basha Kill with Scott Graber & Mike MedleyMeet at the South Road boat launch site at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 23rd.
Join Scott Graber, naturalist and nature photographer, and Mike Medley, avid outdoorsman and former science teacher, to paddle the Kill. This trip is back by popular demand!
If you have your own canoe or kayak, bring it with you. Call Mike Medley at 845-754-0743 for details and to arrange to team up with other boaters.

Annual Cleanup
Saturday, May 21st from 10:00 am to noon!
Meet in the Haven Road parking lot to get garbage bags and to pick your cleanup area.

Because we changed the date, we were not able to reserve the Moose Lodge for lunch so this year. So we'll be picnicking in the parking lot. Free lunch will be provided but bring chairs or a blanket if you prefer to have something to sit on.

We'll also have a portable toilet on site and some wash-up supplies.
There's plenty of garbage out there so hope you can make it!

Call BKAA President Paula Medley for more information at 845-754-0743.
Please spread the word. Thanks for your help.

Basha Kill Eagle Watch Training
888 South Road, Wurtsboro
Saturday, April 2, from 9:30 – 12:00 noon
Learn about bald eagle biology and the BK ecosystem so that you can volunteer with the eagle watch program in the spring—helping visitors view the active bald eagle nest, and collecting data on visitors to the Basha Kill.
For more information, call Denise Frangipane at 845-583-5477
Peak of Migration Birding with John Haas,
Basha Kill birder extraordinaire
Saturday, May 7, 8:30 AM
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot.
A History Mystery & Early Wildflowers
With John Winkler, hiker and author of “An Enchanted Land; the Shawangunk Mountains.”
Saturday, May 14, 10:00 AM
See flowers and a historical find John made along the old rail bed trail north of Haven Road.
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot.
Amphibians & Reptiles
With Bill Cutler, local herpetology expert
Sunday, June 5, 10:00 AM
Kids and adults both love learning with Bill!
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot.

Early Summer Wildflowers,
with John Kenney, local nature walk leader
Sunday, June 12, 10:00 AM
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot.
Blooms & Butterflies
With John Kenney
Sunday, July 10, 10:00 AM
Meet at the Haven Road parking lot.
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Basha Kill Area Association, Inc.PO Box 1121, Wurtsboro, NY 12790President: Paula Medley (845) 754-0743
Want to contact the BKAA?Lorraine Haring 888-5381
Florence Rothauser 888-4361 -->
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