The Red Hook Public Library presents
Jana Mader
The 2025 Ascienzo Naturalist-in-Residence
I am honored to be named the 2025 Ascienzo Naturalist-in-Residence at the Red Hook Public Library and excited to begin in this position at the end of the month! Over the past six years, I have had the privilege of calling the Hudson Valley my home. Its landscapes—the river, forests, and mountains—have become deeply meaningful to me, shaping both my work and daily life. This region has a way of awakening the senses and inspiring creativity, and I look forward to sharing that experience with you.
Over the course of six nature walks, we will explore the beauty of spring through art and poetry. Walking is one of the simplest yet most profound ways to engage with the world around us, and together, we will use this practice to slow down, observe, and reflect on the season’s renewal. No prior experience in art-making or writing is required—just curiosity and a willingness to explore.
📅 Program Schedule:
📍 Monday, March 31, 6 PM – Red Hook Library
📍 Monday, April 14, 6 PM – Poets’ Walk
📍 Saturday, April 19, 2 PM – Ozone at Greig Farm
📍 Monday, April 28, 6 PM – Clermont
📍 Saturday, May 3, 2 PM – Old Growth Forest, Bard College
📍 Monday, May 12, 6 PM – Cookingham Trail
📍 Friday, May 16, 5 PM – Final Exhibit, Red Hook Library
As a writer, scholar, and professor of Environmental Humanities at Bard College, my work focuses on the connections between nature, art, and literature, particularly in the Hudson River Valley. My most recent book, Walk Her Way: New York City (Hardie Grant, 2025), is an illustrated walking guide to women’s history in the city, and I am currently working on a book about the Hudson River.
I hope you’ll join me in discovering the stories, beauty, and quiet transformations that unfold in the landscapes around us. I look forward to walking and reflecting together!
THE PROGRAM
Session 1 : The Art of Walking | Setting the Intention
Monday, March 31 | 6 PM | Red Hook Public Library
Session 2 : A Poet’s Path | Finding Words in Nature Monday
April 14 | 6 PM | Poets’ Walk Park
Session 3 : The Artist’s Eye | Visual Journaling
Saturday, April 19 | 2 PM | Ozone at Greig Farm
Session 4 : Walking with Words Writing the Landscape
Monday, April 28 | 6 PM | Clermont State Historic Site
Session 5 : The Art of Slow Looking | Observing Details in Nature
Saturday, May 3 | 2 PM | Old Growth Forest, Bard College
Session 6 : A Celebration of Spring | Art, Words, & Sharing
Monday, May 12 | 6 PM | Cookingham Trails
Session 7: Final Exhibit
Friday, May 16 | 5 PM | Red Hook Public Library
Reading Selections
Reading Selections for Each Meeting
- Monday, March 31, 6 PM – Red Hook Library (Introduction to Walking & Nature through Art & Poetry)
📖 Frédéric Gros, “Walking Is Not a Sport” (from A Philosophy of Walking)
A reflection on walking as an act of freedom, not driven by competition or utility but by a deeper engagement with the world. - Monday, April 14, 6 PM – Poets’ Walk (Poetry and the Landscape)
📖 Mary Oliver, “Instructions for Living a Life” (from Devotions)
A meditation on paying attention to the natural world and finding poetry in everyday moments. - Saturday, April 19, 2 PM – Ozone at Greig Farm (Observing Spring and Sensory Awareness)
📖 Nan Shepherd, “Touch” (from The Living Mountain)
Shepherd’s exquisite descriptions of sensory immersion in nature offer a model for deep attentiveness. - Monday, April 28, 6 PM – Clermont (Landscapes, History, and Memory)
📖 Robert Macfarlane, “Paths” (from The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot)
A meditation on how landscapes hold stories and how walking through them connects us to history and memory. - Saturday, May 3, 2 PM – Old Growth Forest, Bard College (The Power of Trees and Forests)
📖 Annie Dillard, “Seeing” (from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek)
A lyrical essay on the art of seeing nature anew, exploring how perception shapes our relationship to the environment. - Monday, May 12, 6 PM – Cookingham Trail (Walking, Solitude, and Thought)
📖 Henry David Thoreau, “Walking” (excerpt)
A foundational text on walking as a philosophical and spiritual practice. - Saturday, May 17 – Exhibit at Red Hook Library (Reflection & Creative Expression in Nature)
📖 Ross Gay, “The High-Five from Strangers, Etc.” (from Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude)
A joyful reflection on gratitude, nature, and the unexpected beauty of connection.
Reading List for “The Art of Walking: Exploring Spring Through Art & Poetry”
On Walking & Nature Observation
- Frédéric Gros, A Philosophy of Walking – A philosophical meditation on the act of walking and its connection to freedom, solitude, and thought.
- Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking – A deep dive into the cultural, historical, and philosophical significance of walking.
- Henry David Thoreau, Walking – A classic essay on the art of walking and its connection to nature and self-reflection.
- Nan Shepherd, The Living Mountain – A poetic meditation on walking in and experiencing the natural world.
- Robert Macfarlane, The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot – A beautifully written exploration of landscapes, memory, and the paths we take.
On Art, Landscape, and the Hudson Valley
- John Brinckerhoff Jackson, A Sense of Place, A Sense of Time – A reflection on how landscapes shape our sense of history and identity.
- Kenneth Clark, Landscape into Art – An exploration of how artists have translated the natural world into artistic expression.
- Frederic Edwin Church, The Hudson Valley Paintings – A visual journey through the work of one of the Hudson River School’s most iconic painters.
Poetry & Reflections on Spring and Nature
- Mary Oliver, Devotions – A collection of poems that beautifully capture the essence of nature and mindfulness.
- Wendell Berry, A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979–1997 – Poetic meditations on nature, solitude, and renewal.
- Ross Gay, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude – A joyful and deeply moving collection that celebrates the small wonders of the natural world.
- Gary Snyder, The Practice of the Wild – Essays and poems blending Zen philosophy with environmental thought.
- H.D. Thoreau, The Journal of Henry David Thoreau – Observations on seasonal change, plants, and the natural world.
Creative Practice & Writing with Nature
- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek – A poetic and philosophical engagement with observing nature.
- David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous – A fascinating look at the relationship between humans and the more-than-human world.
- Kerri Andrews, Wanderers: A History of Women Walking – The untold history of women who walked to think, write, and create.
- Kim Stafford, 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do – A lyrical exploration of memory, landscape, and the art of paying attention.