New programs at Black Rock Forest
This year, we were fortunate enough to be awarded a number of small grants from a variety of donors.
by Jessica Schnell
This winter, we were able to kickstart Project FeederWatch, a citizen science project by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, allowing students to learn as they observed birds in the Forest. This was made possible by the Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) Small Grants Program. In partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Trust developed the EKO grants to support schools and organizations focused on connecting elementary school-aged youth to public parks, lands, and waters. As National Park Trust notes, “The lack of transportation is often one of the greatest barriers to youth connecting with the outdoors”, and so we are thrilled this funding will also help to fund one school bus of students to experience BRF programming this year.
This spring we were also awarded a GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant from KidsGardening and Scotts Miracle-Gro! With the award, we will be building a Native Pollinator Garden that will act as an outdoor classroom and introduce students to native plants, forest pollinators including birds and bees, and composting. We were also able to secure funds from the Orange County Think Differently program, whose mission is to make Orange County’s schools and businesses more accessible for individuals of all abilities, to increase the accessibility of the outdoor classroom garden for all visitors to the Forest. Our garden beds will be built at either end of the Forest Lodge, and feature native plants from our community partners, the Wild Woods Restoration Project.
This summer, with generous support from the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation and an anonymous donor through the Community Foundation of Orange County and Sullivan County, we are partnering with local organizations to provide science programming on field trips for Newburgh students. Newburgh Enlarged City School District (NECSD), Newburgh Armory Unity Center (NAUC), City of Newburgh Recreation, Newburgh Free Library, MARCS Friends, and Town of Newburgh Recreation will bring groups to Black Rock Forest to experience BRF Summer Science Adventures this summer. BRF has been hosting summer STEM for NECSD students for many years.
Sample of this Year’s Field Trips
Elementary School in Winter
by Jessica Schnell
Although warming winters meant less days for snowshoeing and learning ice safety, teachers and students could count on seeing winter resident birds persisting through the coldest weather. Between January – April, we connected 285 students from 14 classes with wildlife observation and participation in data collection during the FeederWatch season. When Black Rock Forest became a 2024 Every Kid Outdoors Small Grant awardee, the newly available programming for the winter months was felt by many.
Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: “The field trip was a great experience for me. It was super cool and really fun! I liked looking at birds and learning their names,” one Cornwall third grader said. Teachers are excited about the trips as well: “I love Project FeederWatch. I’ve taken part for several years now,” said Caryn Mante, teacher at Willow Avenue Elementary School. “I hope that by taking part in FeederWatch at Black Rock Forest, I will get to see new birds that I have not been able to observe before.”
Middle School in Fall
by Aaron Culotta
The School at Columbia held their annual Middle Division trip which has been a school tradition dating back to 2007. Nearly 150 students and 30 teachers traveled from Manhattan for a day of hiking, team building, and fall colors in the Forest.
This trip welcomes 6th graders to the middle school, allowing them to meet their teachers while experiencing a natural wilderness. This fall’s trip provided an interesting dynamic as visibility dwindled as students gained elevation on their hikes. The dense fog from the peak on Hill of Pines created a unique experience for students who referred to it as being “up in the clouds”.
This experience lays the foundation for each grade as they tackle new obstacles both in the classroom and in the Forest. Grades 5, 6, and 7 return for a winter camping trip at the Stone House where they focus on their integrated projects and team building activities. Grade 8 students return in the spring to cap off a week of social action and issues that are important to them. The Forest experience takes students out of their comfort zone and allows them to focus on their appreciation of each other and natural spaces.
High School in Spring
by Alicia Reid
Dalton’s ninth grade Biology classes recently visited Black Rock Forest to investigate stream ecosystems. Students took a deeper look into the diversity of macroinvertebrates within stream ecosystems and investigated stream water quality. Macroinvertebrates are known to be bioindicators of stream health.
While at the Forest, students collected data about stream water chemistry factors, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, salinity, and temperature. Ninth grade students will compare all recent data (including data collected by Dalton’s fourth graders who also recently visited Black Rock Forest) to data from a 2073 future scene in order to determine what macroinvertebrate adaptations are beneficial for their survival and what factors impact the health of ecosystems.
Connecting with Curriculum
Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip Grant Program
by Jessica Schnell
The Connect-Kids-to-Parks Field Trip Grant Program (Connect Kids) is designed to connect students in New York State with nature and history. Each grant provides reimbursement of up to $80 per student (and $160 for Special Education students) for field trips to state and federal parks, forests, historic sites, fish hatcheries and outdoor recreation areas. This includes trips to Black Rock Forest!
- All applications must be submitted at least one month before the trip.
- Expect to receive a response within 1 to 3 weeks of your submission. Your award letter will include a maximum award cap based on the number of students and chaperones.
Eligible organizations include: public schools; county, city, town or village youth bureaus; schools for the deaf and blind; and BOCES programs. Public and Private schools that are eligible for Title 1 funding can also apply!
Reimbursable field trip expenses include transportation costs, as well as program, entry, pavilion fees, on-site equipment rentals (boat rentals, snowshoes, etc.), and camping at state-owned facilities. Talk with your administrator.
Contact:
Connect Kids Field Trip Grant Coordinator
parksbusgrant@parks.ny.gov (preferred)
(518) 474-6736
Did you know?
Permits are available for school buses to travel on the Palisades Parkway from the Palisades Interstate Park Commission! For some schools, the Palisades, a controlled-access highway, can be a significantly faster route to the Forest from NYC. The Palisades Interstate Parkway, completed in 1958, provides a scenic 42-mile ride from the George Washington Bridge to the Bear Mountain Bridge
School buses are permitted only when transporting students or children to and from a school or children’s camp or during an educational or cultural field trip. Therefore, operation of school buses while empty on the Palisades Interstate Parkway is prohibited.
Please contact Debbi Fleckenstein (Debra.fleckenstein@parks.ny.gov or 845-786-2701 ext. 232), to obtain a Permit Application and Bus Policy Acknowledgement. These are the two forms that need to be filled out (one by the bus company that you will be using and one by you) to request the permit. Return the completed forms to Debbi and she in turn will mail the permit to you!
Acknowledgements
Volunteer affiliates who are providing expertise and labor:
Wild Woods Restoration Project
Upcoming Events
Educator Open House
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Friday, August 30th 2024.
The Forest Lodge.
Fall Forest Fest
Saturday, September 28th – Sunday, September 29th.
**Lodging options available.**
Contact info@blackrockforest.org for more information!