BRF Education: Year in Review
Dear BRF Consortium Educators,
In previous years, we have featured multiple Consortium schools in our annual Education newsletter. This year, I am so happy we are highlighting stories from teachers at Balmville Elementary School (Newburgh Schools), The School at Columbia, and Riverdale Country School!
The 2025–2026 school year was a better season for Black Rock Forest than previous, marked by ample snow, sufficient rainfall through the spring season, and no signs of drought or pest explosions yet. In contrast, the rest of the US experienced its worst spring drought on record since April, with more than 60% of land in the lower 48 states experiencing moderate drought or worse. This extreme climate variability reminds us how critical our work is in teaching future generations about climate change, and how students can help to combat it.
Thousands of students and their teachers have been able to visit, some of which were made possible by our education team securing vital bus grants. We have also benefited from the research team installing new meteorological technology, and the conservation team providing some native species to plant. Our community of educators together have worked tirelessly to deepen the connection between our Forest and its learners. We are proud to highlight the milestones that made this year truly transformative, reflecting our shared commitment to environmental stewardship and hands-on discovery. I look forward to teaching with you in the Forest soon!
See you on the trails,
Jessica Schnell
Director of Education
Highlights from Education:
- Last year, we had 8,901 student visits to the Forest through classes, young researchers, or volunteers doing community service projects! We hosted 374 buses, 2,635 overnight visitors, and 38 campfires. This would not have been possible without the 467 BRF staff requests to facilitate these research, education, and conservation efforts!
- We tested two sites this past summer for the Dragonfly Mercury Project: Upper Reservoir and Aleck Meadow Reservoir. These were collected with the Science Research Mentoring Program (AMNH) and Teen Camp Chadwick groups, respectively. You can find our earlier data online to learn more, by selecting the year “2024” and selecting Black Rock Forest (BLRO) from the dropdown menu. The 2023 and 2024 testing showed moderate contamination.
- Thanks to our postdoc Dr. Jennifer Wall, we have a live Weather Underground meteorological station located in our Native Pollinator Garden. You can even look up historical environmental data! The station was finished in September 2025.
- In 2025, we applied for several Connect Kids to Parks grants so that 496 students could come to the Forest! They made connections with mathematical patterns in nature, experienced hiking orientation for the first time, and observed local biodiversity. In the 2026 semester, we applied on behalf of four schools to bring 256 students and 23 adults to the Forest.
- Thanks to an anonymous donor, we were able to hire a part-time Outdoor Educator for the calendar year of 2026. If you haven’t met Flannery yet on the trips and trails, please stop by to say hi to her!
- This is our third winter participating in Project FeederWatch, and we submitted 16 counts observing 15 species! This brings our total number of birds across all three years to 28 unique species, many of which the 244 students and 47 adults who participated this season were able to observe. Highlights from this year included the new-to-feeder Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), and an abundance of 71 individual birds across March 3-4, 2026!
- On Earth Day, the Conservation team provided 25 native seedlings, which were planted by volunteers that included Consortium teachers and students. Beforehand, volunteers used garden tools and gloves to pull out over 500 stems of invasive shrubs, clearing the area for native plants!
- We received 50 silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) seedlings from the School Seedling Program – NYSDEC in May. These native shrubs reach about 8 feet at maturity and are adaptable but prefer partial sun. They need moist soils, so they’re great for wet areas and streamside plantings. Newburgh Free Academy’s Main campus students from Jessica Benson and Matt Mayer’s College Biology classes helped us plant the seedlings near Upper Reservoir.
- If you haven’t checked out our menu of school programs, you can find that here!
If you haven’t already, watch our 2025 recap video of Black Rock Forest through the seasons!
Finding the Nature School: Bringing the Wild to Newburgh’s Second Graders
by Zoe Fonseca, Balmville Elementary School
We crossed the creaking wooden bridge leading us toward the steep and rocky Honey Hill trail. Later, we trekked through multitudes of blueberry bushes and navigated the narrow trail that winds through conifers down to Aleck Meadow. It’s one of the moments on our second grade field trips that I anticipate the most. What will the students exclaim when they see the water flowing over the dam at the Aleck Meadow Reservoir? They are always stunned by the sight of the cascading water.
“It’s the Egyptian pyramids!”
“It’s Niagara falls!”
“It’s a cave!”
Suddenly, energy is restored to their weary limbs and I need to remind them to walk carefully, as they begin bounding and tumbling towards the dam. When we arrive, one of our wonderful Black Rock Forest educators, either Mr. Aaron or Dr. Jess, explains more about how the Forest helps protect the drinking water of the local towns and how this particular body of water is an important part of an ongoing turtle population study. We pick a spot on a rock outcropping next to the water for lunch. Some students find seats on a log, and one points out how one end of the log might have been clawed apart by a bear.
The branches from the trees around this group of boulders create a frame, turning the water and the flora around it into a painting. The colors are especially vibrant on our autumn trip. Although my students do appreciate the scientific knowledge they gain on our visits to the Forest, it’s often these opportunities to sit and enjoy lunch by the water that the kids cherish most. When we return to school and I ask them to illustrate their memories, without fail, most of the class will draw the entire class eating lunch by the water, even adding the names of each student to the picture. The image of all the students together with their names above them reinforces that there is something about being in the Forest that brings the kids closer not only to nature, but to one another.
Eleven years ago, I had longed to work at a nature-based school after six years of teaching in NYC. I loved education, but I felt that I could only find the job sustainable if I was able to incorporate nature into the healing that many students needed. The outdoors have always been my medicine, and I needed to be in a school where students had access to this salve. I wanted to be at a school that understood that kids who learn the healing power of the woods can become adults who know they can rely on this gift for the rest of their lives. My search revealed that at that time, the only nature-based schools in the U.S. were either private schools or some pre-K programs.
When I first started teaching in the Newburgh district, the truth was that I had given up on finding a nature-based school, but was happy to be serving in a district with a diverse population, both culturally and economically. One day, the science teacher at my school mentioned to me that our district has a special relationship with a forest only 15 minutes away. He explained that Black Rock Forest has an educational Consortium and our district pays an annual fee which enables all classes from any grade to visit the Forest throughout the year. The Consortium fee also allows my district to run a month-long summer program for Newburgh students, where students engage in science and hiking activities every day.
I was amazed that I had landed in a district where access to the outdoors was not limited to students that could afford private school tuition. For the last four years, my second grade team from Balmville Elementary School has visited the Forest each fall and spring, and for three years, I was fortunate enough to work on-staff for the district’s summer program. There are some who may take this opportunity for granted, but having grown up going to public schools in the Bronx, I know the relationship the district has with the Forest’s Consortium is a rare treasure. I can’t wait for our next adventure!
Rooted in the Forest: Celebrating Two Decades of Partnership with The School at Columbia
by Talía González Cigliano, David Lebson, Lisbeth Uribe, & Michele Damiano, The School at Columbia
Black Rock has been an integral part of The School at Columbia’s (TSC) story since our founding in 2003. Before the building’s construction had been completed, founding teachers had gathered at Black Rock Forest (BRF) to begin conceptualizing the promise and possibility of TSC. Twenty years later, it’s a tradition we’ve adapted to annually welcome the new cohort of teachers and staff with an orientation day in the Forest before the start of the school year. Our longstanding partnership with BRF continues to nourish both the TSC community and TSC’s curricular development, and in doing so, each student has a series of touchpoints to connect with Black Rock throughout their journey at TSC.
Each year, students in the Primary and Intermediate Division (Grs. K–5) experience the Forest through various lenses. Kindergartners are introduced to the Forest’s trails near the lodge by their fourth grade “buddies.” First graders spend a day at Black Rock immersed in nature exploring hiking trails, while second graders closely investigate rotting log microhabitats and the organisms within them. These experiences at Black Rock closely connect to their study of forest ecosystems in the science classroom. In addition to the kindergarten and fourth grade’s “buddy” trip in the spring, fourth graders also visit the Forest in the fall. During their fall trip, they learn about animals significant to the Native Americans that once lived in the area, and explore the spiritual life of these mammals by examining the pelts and skulls of white-tailed deer, black bear, eastern coyote, and cottontail rabbit. Fourth graders also take on the added challenge of hiking to the top of Black Rock Mountain or Hill of Pines.
In the winter months, third graders have the opportunity to try snowshoeing, learn about ice safety, and participate in citizen science through Project FeederWatch. During their visit, students also consider the ways in which scientists identify trees in the winter. The third grade curriculum is further reinforced as they revisit the Forest again in the spring time, continuing to challenge themselves by hiking new peaks.
TSC’s Middle Division students (Grs. 6–8) interact with Black Rock in different, yet equally meaningful ways. During our annual Integrated Projects Week (IPW), a group of roughly twenty students in Grs. 5–7 sign up for the Black Rock Leaders project. Our young leaders spend three days and two nights in the historic Stone House (alongside teachers, of course), learning to pitch tents, read trail blazes, identify scat, build a campfire, and manage the Forest’s unexpected adventures! Their unique extended time in the Forest allows students to expand their horizons and collaborate as a team while stepping outside of their comfort zones.
Additionally, all Middle Division students (roughly 200 students and teachers) participate in a yearly Black Rock day trip in the fall focused on forging intergrade relationships, introducing sixth graders to the greater middle school cohort, and further exploration of the Forest. Students and teachers are divided into mixed-grade groups, where half the day is spent hiking (Black Rock Mountain and Mount Misery are fan favorites) and the other half is spent engaged in community activities, such as leaf rubbing, bubble bonding, field games, salsa lessons, yoga, or observational nature watercoloring. The activities shift yearly as they are dependent on the interests of the teachers and students.
Lastly, eighth grade students and teachers visit BRF for a full-grade three-day, two-night retreat at the main Forest Lodge. The goals of this retreat are twofold: to strengthen our Grade 8 community bonds and to kick off the year-long Social Action Project (SAP) program. Students spend three days immersed in place-based activities focused on the following guiding questions: What is social justice? What is social action? How can youth take action? During our stay, we invite The Redhawk Collective for an outdoor educational performance related to themes of stewardship, social justice, and indigeneity. To tackle these questions, eighth graders participate in workshops during the day and take the classroom outdoors with a night hike to Upper Reservoir. Activities include a night-vision exploration, hiking a variety of peaks (Black Rock Mountain, Mt. Misery, Hill of Pines), making s’mores around the campfire, watching documentaries, setting up meals, creating core community memories, and brainstorming ideas for their SAP.
When asking eighth graders what makes Black Rock special, they remark on the beauty of the space. “I love Black Rock because it’s so beautiful and you learn that there is another world outside of the bustling city.” They also comment on how awe-inspiring nature is, sharing that they love “the environment and how everything is naturally made” and they particularly enjoy “the hard hikes and the rewarding view.” Students develop deep appreciation for the small moments: “A magical moment was when we arrived to the Stone House and it was pouring, so we made s’mores by the indoor fireplace and watched the fire as our clothes steamed off. It was really incredible.” Most importantly, they value the way our TSC community is shaped in part by our relationship to BRF, noting, “ever since kindergarten, we’ve gone every year and Black Rock is an amazing space for our grade to connect and grow as a community.”
Thank you, Black Rock, for the many years of partnership with TSC! And cheers to many more!
Summiting, S’mores, and Stewardship: A Student-Led Overnight at the Stone House
by Jake Crowley-Delman, Riverdale Country School
Over a chilly Veteran’s Day in November, 17 students and three faculty members from the Riverdale Country School camped overnight at the conifer grove adjacent to Black Rock Forest’s Stone House. The primary organizers and leaders of the event were two high-school students and leaders of Riverdale’s Outdoors Club. These student-leaders had three programmatic goals: to forge new friendships between middle schoolers, to practice their outdoor leadership skills, and to introduce middle-school students to Black Rock Forest and the basic principles of environmental stewardship.
Activities included hiking to the summit of Black Rock Mountain, cooking over an open fire, and sleeping in tents in very cold—and windy!—conditions. Fires in the Stone House warmed frigid toes and kept spirits up. And first-time campers discovered the joy of a post-dinner s’more and an early morning hot chocolate. One middle-schooler, who had lived in a warm-weather climate for much of his life until moving to New York recently, saw his first snowflakes in over six years.
The student leaders took a lot away from the experience. Adi Ang mentioned, “I love Black Rock Forest, and I’ve been visiting it since kindergarten. Leading the middle schoolers definitely had a learning curve, but it was a lot of fun!” Eric Chudy added, “It was nice to have a full-circle moment, introducing younger students to the experience of camping and the outdoors akin to the way I was introduced.”
Upcoming Events
Check our website for when registration opens.
- “Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America” Book Tour by Trent Preszler Wednesday, June 24 | 5:30–6:30 PM. Location: Forest Lodge Commons.
- The Lore of the Highlands with Jonathan Kruk. Saturday, June 27 | 10:30 AM–12:30 PM. Location: Black Rock Forest.
- Educator Open House. Friday, September 4 | 10:00 AM–2:00 PM. Location: Forest Lodge Commons. Teachers can register now!
- Into the Woods Dinner. Saturday, September 19 | 5:00–9:00 PM. Location: Stone House.
Acknowledgements
Thank you for all of the gifts and grants the Education department was awarded by NYS DEC, The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), and an anonymous donor.
