BRF Education: Year in Review
May 30, 2025
A big big thank you!
A heartfelt thank you to our entire Consortium community and partners! As Director of Education, my primary goals are to expand K-12 educational opportunities, develop and share our curriculum, and provide valuable professional development for educators. This past year, we’ve seen remarkable progress, including reservations for 3,839 students on day trips and 1,138 students on overnight trips since September 2024 (some even to beautiful spots like Arthur’s Pond, pictured above). None of this would be possible without your incredible support and feedback.
We are dedicated to connecting students with our lands through hands-on learning experiences. You can explore a few of our most recently updated lesson plans below, designed to bring the Forest’s wonders into your classroom. For educators looking to deepen their skills, we invite you to join our upcoming Open House in August – a fantastic opportunity for professional growth.
Time and again, we hear inspiring stories from students about the long-lasting and memorable impact of their field trips to the Forest. We extend our sincere gratitude to all the educators who organize these invaluable experiences for their students.
We look forward to seeing you in the Forest soon!
Sincerely,
Jessica Schnell
Director of Education
Highlights since last year:
- In May 2024, we participated in NYS DEC’s School Seedling Program, and planted white cedar and silky dogwood saplings. This counted toward New York’s goal to plant 25 million trees by 2033, and we shared our plantings on the 25 Million Tree Initiative Tree Tracker! We also installed natural brush fencing to protect seedlings and create improved habitat for native pollinators, birds, and small mammals near the Science Center.
- In November 2024, we became an Artemis I Moon Tree Steward when we received an American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) from NASA. Despite frost damage, there is growth this season! We look forward to transplanting our moon tree from the Tree Nursery to our Science Center campus this year.
- We were able to continue data collection for Project FeederWatch. 193 students from 11 classes participated in this observation, helping us document 14 different species this winter. The 2025 U.S. State of the Birds report shows that more than one-third of U.S. bird species are of high or moderate conservation concern. In addition to providing evidence that U.S. birds continue to decline, this adds to the importance of students participating in data collection, to foster environmental stewardship at a formative age.
- We hosted a free professional development workshop exclusively for BRF Consortium educators on April 5th, “Art & Science in the Field – Drawing to See” with Nancy Lowe. Art and science teachers from five Consortium member schools and all grades applied, and 15 participants learned about basic drawing tools and techniques, color pencil tools and techniques, blending, color theory, etc. Teachers were even able to take away a goodie bag
- This spring we were awarded one flat of milkweed plants from Monarch Watch! We received our Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) plugs on May 8th. These will be added to enhance our offerings for native pollinators.
- This spring Black Rock Forest was approved to be an official part of the NYS Birding Trail! The New York State Birding Trail provides access to exceptional birding and a high-quality, sustainable nature experience.
- We were awarded a 2025 Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund Award by the Open Space Institute to continue another year of our Summer Science Adventures program for students in Newburgh. This summer program will include outdoor experiences with nonprofit partners through a curriculum covering science, art, and social-emotional activities.
Dalton Fourth Graders Explore Water Quality and Macroinvertebrates at Black Rock Forest
By Jake Henin, The Dalton School
How can we get over 90 highly inquisitive and energetic 4th grade scientists excited to evaluate ways of interpreting if an ecosystem is healthy? Through offering an experiential learning opportunity at Black Rock Forest! The rich biodiversity and varied topography of the 3,920-acre forest fully engaged the awe of our young students during their pursuit of investigating stream ecosystem health.
Donning their waders, the fourth graders went forth unafraid into two of the aquatic ecosystems found in Black Rock Forest. Students collected data by measuring air and stream temperatures, and conducting water chemistry tests to learn the pH levels and dissolved oxygen concentrations of the stream water. While in the water, the fourth graders did their “river dances” in order to collect, count, and identify macroinvertebrates found in each ecosystem as part of their inquiry into how macroinvertebrates are bioindicators for the health of stream ecosystems.
In addition to completing field work, the students participated in an outdoor picnic and a short hike which included a look at some truly stunning views.
Back at Dalton, the fourth grade built upon their findings at Black Rock Forest by compiling and analyzing their data for the Forest scientists and also shared their data with Dalton’s ninth grade Biology students. As the cumulation of their Evolution and Ecosystems Assignment, students will take what they’ve learned about Ecosystems and apply it to their Biome Research Project where they will create a diorama museum exhibit of a biome.
South Bronx Sixth Graders Do Science, Team-building in their Overnight Trip
By David Krulwich, South Bronx Early College Academy
The whole sixth grade of the South Bronx Early College Academy visited the Forest for an overnight stay in the Lodge to learn science lessons, explore the forest, and build community.
The students rotated in small groups through a series of activities on the first day. For their science experiment in the Moretti Education Center, they used thermometers, wind meters, and barometers — measuring the temperature, wind direction, and air pressure to try to make predictions about changes in the weather.
They also played community-building games, circled the Upper Reservoir, and ate a big spaghetti dinner, with s’mores around the campfire. The next day, they woke up and hiked — and made it to the top of Black Rock Mountain (see photo).
It was the 6th grade’s first opportunity to explore the Forest, and an exciting opportunity for an overnight trip with their classmates.
Senior Class Makes Memories and Sets Goals at Senior Retreat
By Elizabeth Taviloglu, Storm King School
The Storm King School Class of 2025 took some time in September to get to know one another, set goals, and have some fun at Senior Retreat. Senior Retreat is a yearly tradition where the entire class leaves campus together to get closer to nature and reflect as they work on team-building, leadership, and community. The event helps solidify the bond between new and returning class members, and sets a positive tone for the students’ final year at Storm King.
The Retreat was held at the Black Rock Forest Lodge in neighboring Black Rock Forest. As in the past, the group trekked up to the Lodge on a Saturday afternoon. When they arrived, the class was greeted with pizza, sushi, ice cream, and other treats as they immersed themselves in the evening’s activities.
To break the ice, the seniors got to know one another more closely with a “Circle of Questions” activity. Students were placed in two circles, both facing each other. Each pair took turns answering questions such as “What do you value most in a friendship,” “What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?” and other deep knowledge questions.
To help them pinpoint their future expectations, the students were also tasked with writing letters to themselves answering questions about their goals and potential challenges: “What do you hope will happen this year? How will it play out? What is your dream for life?”, “What is your greatest obstacle and what action step will you take to overcome it?” The students’ letters were collected at the end of the exercise and will reappear in an end-of-year activity.
The ‘Marshmallow Challenge’ was another fun engineering challenge to find out which group could build the highest freestanding structure using spaghetti, string, masking tape, and a marshmallow.
For their final task, each senior was asked to write down their fears on a card which they placed in a box before heading back to campus. The following evening, a senior bonfire was held at the fire pit near the Art Center where the students threw their cards into the fire, thus burning their fears.
By the end of the weekend, the seniors were tired but smiling and the Senior Retreat’s mission was accomplished: a great time was had by all, the senior class had grown much closer, and each student had a clearer vision of how they planned to make their final year at The Storm King School a great one.
A few of our most recently updated lesson plans
Shortcut to the Forest: school bus permits available for the Palisades Parkway!
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!
Upcoming Events
Educator Open House 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Friday, August 29th. Forest Lodge. Registration opens May 1st.
Fall Forest Fête 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM on Saturday, September 20th. Stone House. Look for ticket sales starting in July!
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all of the gifts and grants we were awarded: NYS DEC, Open Space Institute, NASA, and Monarch Watch.
Contact info@blackrockforest.org for more information!