The Laura Flanders Show hosted a fundraiser event for their PBS production at the Catskill Provisions Distillery in the hamlet of Callicoon on October 16, featuring an interview of environmentalist author Bill McKibben and performance from activist Taina Asili.

The fundraiser was co-hosted by Catskill Mountainkeepers and Catskill Mountains Pollinator Spirits. Sponsors for the event included WJFF-90.5 FM Radio Catskill, the Hurleyville Performing Arts Center (HPAC), One Grand Books in Narrowsburg, and the Western Hotel in the hamlet of Callicoon.

The Laura Flanders Show is a public TV and radio show that airs on PBS network, produced out of the hamlet of Smallwood. The broadcast is hosted by journalist and reporter, Laura Flanders.

One reason the show is produced out of Sullivan County is because, according to Flanders, the change “has to happen locally.”

“Change happens from the bottom up. The closer we can bring our reporting to where change is happening, the better,” Flanders said.

The Laura Flanders Show will reach its third year of being produced out of Smallwood in March.

Due to the Laura Flanders Show being entirely crowd-funded as a non-for-profit broadcast, public fundraising is the life-blood of the reporting done by Flanders. A handful of people in attendance pledged their financial support on the spot.

In addition to an interview of environmentalist author Bill McKibben conducted by Flanders, McKibben held a book signing for his most recent publication “The Flag, The Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened” which is available for purchase at One Grand Bookstore in Narrowsburg.

A performance from environmentalist, singer, songwriter, and activist Taina Asili brought attendees to their feet in harmony and song. Asili is a founding board member of Soul Fire Farm, an Afro-indigenous centered farm in her community.

Taylor Jaffe from Catskill Mountainkeeper, whose focus pivots on environmental justice issues, was invited to speak before the crowd to remind voters to flip the ballot on November 8 and vote on the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, and the Birds and the Bees Act.

From this event alone, the community managed to raise enough funds in support of the show to produce an entire episode of the show.

For further information on the show, its outreach, or to donate to help produce further episodes, check out the Laura Flanders Show website at www.lauraflanders.org.