New York City Watershed Environmental Education Resource Directory A field trip guide for teachers and educators October 2008 New York City Watershed Environmental Education Resource Directory compiled and produced by the Watershed Environmental Education Alliance with support from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection About this directory: This directory is designed to be a comprehensive resource guide for school teachers and other educators who are seeking to enhance their water-based curriculum with hands-on learning experiences about the New York City water supply through watershed field trips and outdoor education opportunities. About the Watershed Environmental Education Alliance (WEEA): WEEA is an alliance of environmental facilities, organizations, and agencies based in and around the New York City water supply watersheds that develop, support and implement school-based education programs • The mission of WEEA is to reinforce watershed education programs, enhance professional development opportunities for school teachers and environmental educators, and encourage partnerships that provide New York City and watershed students with inspirational environmental learning experiences. How to use this directory: This directory is divided into two color-coded sections for easy reference: n o Environmental Education Centers & Facilities Watershed Education Programs & Resources Beginning on page 2, this section highlights environmental education Beginning on page 14, this section describes watershed centers, facilities, and other outdoor field trip destinations that are located education programs, professional development throughout the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountain region. opportunities, teacher training programs, environmental education curricula, watershed grant opportunities, and additional agency resources that are available to Facilities listed in BLUE are located WITHIN the boundaries of the school teachers and non-formal educators in the New York City water supply watersheds. five boroughs of New York City or the upstate water supply watersheds. Please refer to pages 2-3 for an alphabetical overview of major programs and services offered at each facility based on the following icons: Many of the programs listed are designed to support and promote urban/rural educational partnerships between New York City and watershed classrooms. Wheelchair accessible Trout release site [ N y y y y y \ Restrooms available onsite O Tree planting site Overnight accommodations Water studies F m Please refer to page 14 for an alphabetical listing of all ´ Food service available ³ Farm activities watershed education programs and resources that are described in this directory. < Camping available onsite F Hiking trails Q Picnic spaces available f Program fees apply Please refer to individual entries on pages 15-22 for e Parking for charter buses Reservations required complete program descriptions, agency services and ® resources, and necessary contact information. Please refer to individual entries on pages 4-13 for complete facility Please refer to the inside back cover (page 23) for descriptions and additional contact information. specific educational resources within New York City. Watershed Environmental Education Directory • Page 1 Location Facility Audience Accommodations Program Activities (Distance from NYC) Greene County Agroforestry Resource Center All grades & ages (125 miles) [ \ Q e ® m Y f Ulster County Ashokan Center All grades & ages (100 miles) [ \ F ´ < Q e N m Y ³ f ® Orange County Black Rock Forest Consortium All grades & ages (50 miles) [ \ F < Q e ® N O m Y f Westchester County Cabbage Hill Farm Grades 9-12 N (25 miles) \ F e m ³ Dutchess County Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Grades K-12 (90 miles) \ Q ® m Y f Catskill Fly Fishing Center Sullivan County Ages 8-18 N O Y and Museum (90 miles) [ \ F Q e m f Sullivan County Catskill State Fish Hatchery Grades K-12 e (100 miles) ® N Putnam County Clearpool Education Center Grades 3-12 (50 miles) [ \ F ´ e ® N m Y f Putnam County Constitution Marsh All grades & ages (55 miles) \ Q e ® m Y f Westchester County Cranberry Lake Preserve All grades & ages (40 miles) \ Q e ® m Y Westchester County Croton Gorge Park All grades & ages N Y (50 miles) [ \ Q e m Westchester County Croton Point Nature Center All grades & ages (40 miles) \ < Q e ® O m Y f Delaware County 4-H Camp Shankitunk Ages 8-16 (150 miles) [ \ F ´ Q e ® Y f Ulster County Forsyth Nature Center Grades K-12 [ \ Q e Y (90 miles) ® m f [ Wheelchair accessible \ Restrooms onsite F Overnight accommodations ´ Food service < Camping onsite Q Picnic spaces e Parking for charter buses N Trout release O Tree planting m Water studies Y Hiking trails ³ Farm activities f Program fees apply ® Reservations required Watershed Environmental Education Directory • Page 2 Location Facility Audience Accommodations Program Activities (Distance from NYC) Sullivan & Ulster County Frost Valley YMCA All grades & ages (120 miles) [ \ ´ F Q e ® N O m Y ³ f Westchester County Hilltop Hanover Farm All grades & ages ³ (50 miles) \ e Dutchess County Hudson River Sloop Clearwater All grades & ages (80 miles) \ e ® m f Westchester County Lenoir Nature Preserve All grades & ages (25 miles) [ \ e ® O m Y f Greene County Mountain Top Arboretum All grades & ages Y (125 miles) \ e m Westchester County Muscoot Farm Grades pre-K-5 (35 miles) [ \ ´ Q e ® Y ³ Westchester County Old Croton Aqueduct State Park All grades & ages (30 miles) ® Y f Westchester County Rockefeller State Park Preserve All grades & ages (30 miles) [ \ e ® N m Y f Westchester County Rye Nature Center All grades & ages (30 miles) [ \ < Q e O m Y Stone Barns Center for Food Westchester County All grades & ages and Agriculture (30 miles) [ \ ´ Q e ® ³ f Stony Kill Farm Environmental Dutchess County All grades & ages Education Center (75 miles) [ \ Q e ® m ³ Y Putnam County Taconic Outdoor Education Center All grades & ages (65 miles) [ \ ´ F Q e ® m Y ³ f Westchester County Teatown Lake Reservation All grades & ages (40 miles) [ \ Q e ® N m ³ Y Westchester County Ward Pound Ridge Reservation All grades & ages [ \ Q < e N O m Y f (50 miles) ® [ Wheelchair accessible \ Restrooms onsite F Overnight accommodations ´ Food service < Camping onsite Q Picnic spaces e Parking for charter buses N Trout release O Tree planting m Water studies Y Hiking trails ³ Farm activities f Program fees apply ® Reservations required Watershed Environmental Education Directory • Page 3 Agroforestry Resource Center 6055 Route 23 The Agroforestry Resource Center is an educational center that is affiliated with Cornell Acra, NY 12405 Cooperative Extension of Greene County • Our mission is to sustain the ecological, aesthetic and economic values of forested lands • Our facility is open year-round and includes a modern http://arc.cce.cornell.edu conference & classroom space, a model forest, streams & ponds, hiking trails, and picnic spaces • We offer educational programs, interpretive displays, 4-H curricula and other published materials (518) 622-9820 for youth and adults covering the topics of agriculture, forestry, agroforestry, freshwater ecology, [email protected] the environment, and land use planning. Ashokan Center 477 Beaverkill Road The Ashokan Center is an outdoor education center and conference/retreat facility located one Olivebridge, NY 12461 mile from the Ashokan Reservoir • Our mission is to provide a learning environment for schools, families, and individuals in outdoor education, living history, art, music and dance • Our facility www.ashokancenter.org includes forests, streams, ponds and hiking trails in a 19th century setting • Our three main program modules – Natural History, Living History, and Adventure Education –cover topics such as (845) 657-8333 watershed ecology, pond ecology, forest ecology, animal tracking, colonial craft making, maple [email protected] sugaring, and Leafpack upon request • Indoor spaces can accommodate up to 120 people. Black Rock Forest Consortium The Black Rock Forest Consortium operates a pristine 4,000-acre forest preserve with a reservoir, 129 Continental Road streams, lakes & ponds, hiking trails, and a fish hatchery • Our mission is to promote scientific Cornwall, NY 12518 research and excellence in education, while managing the ecosystem of the Black Rock Forest • Our “green” facility includes state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, composting toilets, and www.blackrockforest.org working examples of geothermal heating/cooling and solar energy • We offer youth programs that study watersheds, habitats, forestry, streams, reservoirs, ponds, animals, and plants • We also (845) 534-4517 provide teacher training and professional development opportunities • Indoor activity spaces [email protected] accommodate 75 people. Watershed Environmental Education Directory • Page 4 Cabbage Hill Farm 115 Crow Hill Road Cabbage Hill Farm is a 175-acre mixed forest, farm, pasture and greenhouse aquaponic facility Mount Kisco, NY 10549 situated near the Muscoot and New Croton Reservoirs • Our mission is to teach sustainable methods and techniques in agriculture, aquaculture, and alternate energy • Our campus www.cabbagehillfarm.org includes a farm, forest, streams, lakes & ponds, and a fish hatchery • We offer year-round tours and programs that are free-of-charge and teach the concepts of agriculture, aquaponics, (914) 241-2658 alternative energy, water & macro-invertebrate studies • Limited overnight programs and indoor [email protected]