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Brining Science to the Adirondacks and the Adirondacks to Science

Educational Programs

The AEC’s educational outreach program is dedicated to translating AEC research and staff knowledge into hands-on educational experiences for groups of all ages. Educational programs at the AEC are unique because we can provide access to primary research, data, and field sites on Huntington Wildlife Forest and we work with you to custom-design educational experiences that meet your needs. Our educational programs are appropriate for high school, college students, and adults; however we are willing to consider younger groups of advanced students.

Our educational program topics align with the main areas of research at the AEC: ecology, wildlife biology, and forest ecology and management. In addition to these core content areas, we develop and provide programs for a wide range of interdisciplinary experiences, which include but are not limited to philosophy and ethics, geographic information technology, Adirondack history and natural resource management, land-use policy and management, and art and nature journaling. Other topics of AEC research that we can incorporate into your programs include biogeochemistry, dendrochronology, wildlife movement and disease spread, and acid deposition among others. To get a sense of the full breadth of research conducted at the AEC, please see our publications page.

We can provide on-site educational programs year-round. Our programs range from day trips to multi-day residential experiences, which take advantage of our housing and dining facilities. We can also augment our on-site programming with off-site programming via classroom visits or our nationally accessible distance-learning network.

We charge a fee of $75 per hour of your program, which is flexible to accommodate your group’s needs. Please contact Annie Woods (amwoods@esf.edu) to explore educational program opportunities and discuss the details of your visit to the AEC.

Sample program topics:

Ecological succession - Students visit sites on Huntington Wildlife Forest in different stages of ecological succession following both natural and anthropogenic disturbance. At these sites, students can inventory, measure, and compare and contrast the biotic and abiotic components of each site including but not limited to canopy cover, temperature, tree species, soil invertebrates, salamander and other wildlife species.

White-tailed deer ecology and research techniques – Huntington Wildlife Forest has perhaps the longest on-going white-tailed deer research program in North America including over 40 years of live-trapping and monitoring. Students are introduced to white-tailed deer trapping and monitoring methods with hands-on demonstrations in the field.

Small mammal ecology and research techniques – Students learn methods for monitoring biological diversity and populations, drawing on nearly 20 years of AEC research on small mammals. Students learn about the ecological role of several Adirondack small mammal species then get the chance to collect data by live-trapping small mammals at one or more demonstration sites.

Adirondack geology, history, and natural resources – Students investigate the ecological and economic impact of almost two centuries of mineral extraction at the abandoned towns of Adirondac and Tahawus, which are less than 20 miles from the AEC.

We have the technology and know-how to supplement any of our programs with components such as data collection and management techniques, statistical analysis, GPS (geographic positioning system) technology, and GIS (geographic information system) mapping and analysis. For example, during the small mammal program students can use GPS technology to record live-trap locations then display and analyze the data using GIS software and computing resources available at the AEC.

Sample programs and presentations that can be delivered off-site or on-site include:

The ABCs of Observation – Students learn how to be better observers of nature, and more greatly appreciate the natural world. This presentation is a fantastic lead-in to programs about wildlife species and nature journaling.

The Natural History of Literature – Students learn the importance of understanding natural history to articulate a sense of place. This program uses excerpts from well-known literature and image-based descriptive writing exercises to highlight the process of creating an accurate and rich sense of place.