Unmoored Yet Unbroken: The Meaning of Land and Resilience in the Catskills – Feb. 13
Unmoored Yet Unbroken: The Meaning of Land and Resilience in the Catskills
Friday, February 13, 2026 | 4:00–5:30 PM
Stamford Library, 117 Main Street, Stamford, NY
What does the land mean to you? How does where we live shape who we are—especially in times of change?
Stamford Library invites the community to Unmoored Yet Unbroken: The Meaning of Land and Resilience in the Catskills, a free, participatory conversation centered on land, farming, resilience, and belonging. This gathering is inspired by the book Unmoored Yet Unbroken: Ecopsychology for a Changing World and reframed as a local conversation rooted in the lived experiences of the Catskills.
More than a traditional book talk, this event is designed as a space for community reflection and shared storytelling. Editor Susan Bodnar will be joined by Betty Mattice, farmer and chapter author, and Carrie Sutton, counselor and chapter author, for short personal reflections. These remarks will open into an inclusive, facilitated discussion, inviting attendees to share their own relationships to land, caretaking, endurance, and place.
No academic background is needed—this conversation is for the town. Come as you are, listen deeply, and add your voice to a collective reflection on what it means to remain rooted and resilient in a changing world.
This program is free and open to all, with no registration required.
For more information, contact Stamford Library at 607-652-5001.
About the Speakers:
Susan Bodnar
Susan Bodnar is a practicing psychologist and a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, where her research focuses on people’s relationships with their environments. She lives in Hobart with her human and animal family and, with the help of friends and neighbors, is learning how to be a gardener.
Carrie Sutton
Carrie Sutton is a mental health counselor at the Stamford Wellness Center, where she has been part of the team since the center first opened its doors. Raised in Conesville in nearby Schoharie County, Carrie maintains deep roots in the region, with her daughters representing the fifth generation on the family farm. In her counseling practice, she draws from a variety of therapeutic modalities, with a strong emphasis on person-centered and mindfulness-based approaches. Carrie is passionate about creating a supportive, compassionate space where individuals can better understand themselves and build meaningful change.
Elizabeth Marie Mattice
Elizabeth Marie Mattice was born in Prattsville, New York, in 1938 and raised on Catskills farms. The daughter of a tenant farmer, she grew up moving often, working hard, and learning early that country life is about survival, adaptability, and togetherness with the land. She spent her life on local farms, witnessing the region change while remaining deeply rooted in rural traditions and resilience.