Expanding Collaborative Research and Education Opportunities to Protect Biological Diversity on Public Lands in Upstate New York

Hartwick College, Oneonta NY

Investigators

Abstract

Hartwick College is awarded a grant to develop a five-year strategic plan for the Robert R. Smith Environmental Field Station (Smith EFS), located on the Pine Lake Environmental Campus (PLEC). The funding expands opportunities for research and education in collaboration with state agencies responsible for the recently created Riddell State Park (RSP), which borders Pine Lake. The Smith EFS will produce a five-year strategic plan that will enable two specific goals, 1) create a unique partnership between the Smith EFS and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Places (OPRHP) involving research and education focusing on the impact of recreation on the biological and ecological diversity of public lands, and 2) enhance the capacity of the Smith EFS to support the partnership and expand its role as a center for research, education, and training. Understanding the effects of non-consumptive outdoor recreation on wildlife in different habitats will become increasingly important as the popularity of such activities continue to increase. To this end, Riddell State Park is an ideal location for establishing research on the impacts of recreation on ecosystems because plans to develop its public facilities have not yet begun. The collaborative partnership at RSP provides an opportunity for Hartwick science students and faculty to work with state agency biologists and external researchers to design thoughtful studies that investigate the potential long-term impacts of recreational use on public lands, including pre- and post-development comparisons of population abundances and distributions. The strategic management plan will greatly enhance the statewide profile of Smith EFS and enable the field station to meet the collaborative research and education initiatives planned for RSP. This project will advance discovery and understanding of ecological impacts of public lands use at the species, community, and ecosystem levels. The involvement of college and pre-college students, K-12 teachers, underrepresented populations, and the local public in Smith EFS educational initiatives will increase ecological literacy among the general population and enhance the participation of these stakeholders in the sustainable management of public lands via their connections to and influences on the greater community.