John Burroughs occupies a permanent place in American literature. Though he was a leading literary critic in his day, he was a pioneer in the new school of nature writing and the most popular writer of his period in the field he made his own. Burroughs' legacy of some twenty-five volumes, of which more than a million and a half copies were sold during his lifetime, has had a profound influence on our appreciation of nature.

Special JBA News:
- Spring Slab Sides Day, May 18, 2013
Semi-annual open house of "Slabsides," John Burroughs's rustic cabin in West Park, New York. Meet in front of the National Historic Landmark cabin at 12:00 noon. John Burroughs Association (JBA) members will conduct a tour inside Slabsides, John Burroughs' rustic cabin retreat. Details - Directions.

- $4,000 Greenway Conservancy award to JBA - Press Release
- Parks & Trails New York selects JBA for Grant - story
- Trail Work - News

Wallkill Valley Land Trust House Tour: June 1st

River to River: The Town of Esopus From the Rondout & Wallkill to the Hudson. June 1st. Esopus is the focus of this annual house tour, and John Burroughs' properties are going to be a big draw.

Visit homes including early stone houses bordering the Rondout Creek and Wallkill River; glimpses of Rifton's Civil War-era industrial past; a Quaker farmhouse between the Black Creek and Swartekill watersheds; and examples of 19th-century country-house architecture with majestic views of the Hudson. Tour concludes with a visit to the grounds of John Burroughs' "Riverby" and a viewing of the great naturalist's bark-covered study (a precursor to "Slabsides"), followed by a reception at the Global Palate restaurant in West Park. For cost/other details: info@wallkillvalleylt.org or call us at 845-255-2761.

The John Burroughs Association Announces the Awardees!

The John Burroughs Association announces that the 2013 winner of its prestigious John
Burroughs Medal Award is Thor Hanson for his book Feathers (Basic Books/Perseus Books
Group, 2011). Read the full Press Release.

The John Burroughs Association announces the results of its twenty-third
annual Riverby Award competition for excellent natural history books for young
readers. Read the full Press Release.

A Leaf Can Be, Laura Purdie Salas, author, and Violeta Dabija, illustrator, Lerner
Publishing Group/Millbrook Press, (2012).

Moonbird, Phillip Hoose, author, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/FSG, (2012).

Rachael Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, Laurie Lawlor, author, and
Laura Beingessner, Illustrator, Holiday House, (2012).

Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed The Seas, Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm,
authors, Molly Bang, illustrator, Scholastic Inc./The Blue Sky Press, (2012).

Wild Horse Scientists, Kay Frydenborg, author, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, (2012).

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New Trails at Slabsides Grand Opening

Slabsides Day, Oct. 6, 2012

After four years of designing, planning, and building, the new trails at John Burroughs' Slabsides officially opened with the cutting of the bittersweet vine across the Ridge Trail in front of the cabin.  Many of the trail volunteers, neighbors and friends looked on and the Hudson River Crossing entertained with fiddle music.  Ed Kanze, Burroughs biographer and wilderness guide gave the keynote address, "Meeting Burroughs Deep in the Woods."  Full story. Download the full 2-page Trail Guide as a PDF.

SUPPORT THE TRAILS

We are close to meeting the required match under the grant from NY Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation that financed most of the Slabsides Trails Project.  We need your help to finish.  Donors of $100 or more will receive a keepsake thank you gift.  Read more