Ferry Sloops' 2015 Spring Lecture Series kicks-off on Wednesday, April 1, 2014 at 7:30pm, with "The Unknown Palisades: A Slideshow Through Time" presented by Eric Nelsen, longtime historical interpreter for Palisades Interstate Park.

The cliffs and forested talus slopes of the Palisades rise to more than 600 feet above the river. In the mid-19th Century, New York builders quarried the Palisades for building materials, ship ballast, and for concrete aggregate. With the efforts of the New Jersey Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission was established in 1900, and was granted the authority to purchase and manage the land.

Through images and narrative, Eric Nelsen, brings the story of the Palisades to life: its fishermen's villages and palatial estates, the epic struggle to preserve the ancient cliffs, and the thriving beaches and campgrounds of the Depression and New Deal era.

Admission is FREE and open to the public. Come with a dish to share at 6:30PM and enjoy a potluck dinner or arrive a little before 7:30PM for the presentation. No reservations needed (seating will be first-come, first-served), and will be about an hour long, followed by a question-and-answer period.