Black Rock Forest News Fall 2012 The Black Rock Forest Consortium Volume XXII, No. 3 Summer + Students + Science: Under the Canopy Classes and Research The Understory and Woody Debris ummer always brings students to along with Katie Pavlis, the Consor- S the Forest for learning and re- tium’s research associate/envi- ak trees form much of the can- search, but the Consortium added a ronmental educator. The students O opy of our northeastern for- new feature this summer by running stayed in the Forest Lodge, super- ests, but what is happening be- a series of three week-long science vised by two retired local teachers, neath the canopy and how will this classes as a pilot for a larger program Jamie Kamlet and Chris Lee-Kamlet. be affected by the potential loss of in the years to come. The high The students were enthusiastic oaks? As part of the Black Rock school students who participated in about the program, which also in- Forest Consortium’s Future of Oak this program enjoyed the Forest, as cluded movies, walking to and telling Forest project, researchers are in- did middle school groups and college ghost stories in the Stone House, and vestigating changes in understory and graduate students who helped recreation such as ping-pong, volley- vegetation and how changes in with Forest research or worked on ball, and water balloon fun. Com- coarse woody debris (dead wood) their own projects. ments included “The camp helped me may influence the carbon cycle. discover who I wanted to be,” “I think Led by a team of faculty-level Science Classes that this made me more enthusiastic scientists, the oak study is the first From July 8 through 13, 23 high about the outdoors. It surprised me direct, manipulative investigation of school students, mostly from Consor- how calm I was about the mice and the cascade of impacts likely to fol- tium member schools, attended a insects,” and “I wanna come back low from the loss of oaks, in ad- summer science camp in the Forest next year!” All of the students said vance of what may occur should that offered they enjoyed the they succumb to current or future three intensive summer science threats. It uses a species removal field classes. camp and technique (girdling) to mimic tree The students would recom- loss to a pathogen, such as sudden could either take mend it to oth- oak death, in a series of experimen- an all-day class, ers; 96% said tal plots (some with all oaks girdled, Field Ecology they were more some with half the oaks girdled, and Survey interested in some with all non-oaks girdled, and Methods: A Bio- learning about some controls); part of each plot is diversity Blitz, nature after fenced to exclude deer. Each treat- taught by Bar- participating in ment type is replicated at lower, nard’s Dr. Terry- the program. middle, and higher elevations. Be- anne Maenza- One parent fore girdling, scientists obtained Gmelch, or the noted that the baseline data; more than a dozen two half-day program pro- investigators from eight institutions classes: The vided “terrific have examined biogeochemistry, World of Insects: access to the plant diversity and ecology, micro- Infinite Variety scientists in the bial ecology, insects, small mam- on a Common field . [It] defi- mals, modeling, and more. Theme, taught nitely helped my by Dr. Julian son to be able to The Understory Stark who came Dr. Julian Stark, with students in the insect see himself in a “The understory is a particularly from Queens- class. career in sci- important aspect of the ecosystem borough Com- ence.” The in- to study for several reasons,” ex- munity College, and Mysterious structors were also excited about the plains Dr. Matthew Palmer, a Colu- Mammals: Trapping and Tracking the camp. “I was very pleased with the bia University ecologist. “Since the Creatures of the Night, taught by students’ interest and motivation,” diversity of plants is much greater Stephanie Seto, a Browning School said Dr. Stark. “They definitely re- than in the canopy, we can ask science teacher and a former gradu- sembled young entomologists.” ate student researcher in the Forest, (continued on page 5) (continued on page 3) 2 Black Rock Forest News Fall 2012 Report from the Executive Director lack Rock Forest Consortium’s nisms (see “New Use for Data,” p. 6). B new Strategic Plan (to be high- The Consortium did indeed have the lighted in our next newsletter) repre- required type of data, including his- sents the continuing growth of our torical records collected by staff as organization. It also mirrors changes far back as 1930. But the capability taking place in our society, in science has not existed – the technological and many other endeavors. In our infrastructure and staff expertise – to Strategic Plan, collaboration, use of make these data widely known and new technologies, and sharing infor- easily accessible to anyone inter- mation through universal access are ested. Once Joel and his postdoctoral The Black Rock Forest Consortium ad- central to achieveing our mission of associate Meng Xu obtained these vances scientific understanding through advancing scientific understanding of data, they proved to be a treasure research, education and conservation the natural world. trove. Their first paper, published in programs It is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) The Consortium’s previous stra- the Proceedings of the National Acad- organization supported by membership tegic plans focused inward as we emy of Sciences, confirms their theo- dues, grants, and gifts. built a functional organization that retical predictions with Black Rock Institutional Members served institutions and people. Fol- Forest data. A second manuscript, America Museum of Natural History lowing our Master Plan of 1998, we now in review, helps explain Taylor’s Barnard College built our Science Center and Forest Law, a widely recognized but incom- The Browning School The Calhoun School Lodge, which have enriched the ex- pletely understood pattern in popula- Central Park Conservancy periences of more than 100,000 stu- tion ecology; more are planned. How Columbia University dents, teachers, and scientists. Fol- much farther will science advance Cornwall Central School District lowing our Long Range Plan of 2004, when voluminous historical data The Dalton School we hired an Operations Manager, a from places like the Forest become Frederick Douglass Academy Director of Education, and a Director easily accessible around the world? The Hewitt School of Development to establish our core Information not properly pre- Hunter College staff structure and capabilities. served, documented, and shared too Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole—The Ecosystems Center We will now begin to implement easily becomes knowledge lost forever. Metropolitan Montessori School our 2012-2017 Strategic Plan. Core That is why many journals now re- Newburgh Enlarged City School District foci are development of collaborative quire that underlying data sets be New York City Department of Parks teams to take advantage of the tre- published along with the resulting and Recreation mendous resources of our Consor- papers. The National Science Founda- New York – New Jersey Trail Conference tium, outreach to a broader audience tion now requires that all funded stud- New York University than ever before, and universal infor- ies implement data management plans The School at Columbia University mation accessibility. Our shared to ensure that data will be preserved The Spence School Storm King School goal, and challenge, are to maximize for use by others. New insights into Teacher’s College the benefits of a true Consortium large-scale patterns are becoming pos- Trevor Day School with renewed commitments from sible through the ability to access and Urban Assembly for Applied Math each of our member institutions. And simultaneously analyze large numbers and Science we have included a commitment to of data sets over vast regions. Consortium Staff and Officers interact productively with the rest of When I examined data and tree William Schuster, Ph.D., Executive Director the world to achieve a more sustain- populations in the field, from Penn- John Brady, Forest Manager able future. The first stated goal, of sylvania through Connecticut, for a Emily Cunningham, Director of Program fifteen in the plan, is to provide sim- chapter in The Highlands (see “New and Resource Development plified and universal access to the Book,” Winter 2012), I found that the Jeffrey Kidder, Ph.D., Education Director vast scientific information and collec- most important factors driving Jack Caldwell, Operations Manager Barbara Brady, Office Manager tions developed at the Black Rock change (e.g., excess herbivory, inva- Matthew Munson, Data/Network Manager Forest over the past 82 years sive species, altered disturbance re- Kate Pavlis, Research Associate/ A recent example illustrates why gimes, climate changes) are not local, Environmental Educator this is so important. Dr. Joel Cohen, but shared across the region and Sibyl R. Golden, Chairman of Rockefeller and Columbia universi- sometimes the globe. To address and Frank Moretti, Ph.D., President ties, asked last year if we had certain solve issues like these will require Geoffrey W. Dann, Treasurer types of spatially and temporally ex- thinking outwards, working collabo- Christie Van Kehrberg, Secretary plicit data available from studies of ratively, and a willingness to share. 65 Reservoir Road, Cornwall NY 12518 the trees in Black Rock Forest. He Effective information sharing can Phone: (845) 534-4517 was working on a grant from the Na- only make the scientific process more E-Mail: brfoffice @ blackrockforest.org tional Science Foundation to investi- robust and advance understanding Web: www.blackrockforest.org gate mathematical relationships un- and produce societal benefits we can- Editor: Sibyl R. Golden derlying variations in the spatial dis- not even envision today.