Connect Kids to Parks Grant
The Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip Grant Program connects New York’s school age children with nature, outdoor recreation, and history by reimbursing eligible costs for field trips to eligible locations including Black Rock Forest. This is a reimbursement grant program funded through the Environmental Protection Fund and administered by The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
We applied on behalf of four eligible schools in the Newburgh school district in 2025: Meadow Hill School, Newburgh Free Academy-Main campus (NFA-Main), Gardnertown Leadership Academy, and Heritage Middle School. This grant supported 8 days of field trips to the Forest for over 300 students, from elementary through high school. We would like to thank Vicky Fiorisi, Tara Redican, Tori Wulf, and Bryan Graham for their organization and support in partnering with our education team to make these trips a success!
NFA-Main also applied for the grant themselves and was able to provide six days of field trips for over 60 high school students. We were very excited to support Mary Kerr and Amie Worley in their class programming, from nature journaling their environmental observations to sampling leaf packs as a seasonal test for water quality below Upper Reservoir. Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science and South Bronx Early College Academy were also able to apply for the Connect Kids to Parks Grant to support overnight trips in the Forest. We are thankful that this program allows so many kids to get outdoors!
—Jessica Schnell, PhD
Remembering “LYRU 2”: Insights into Bobcat Movement Ecology
On the morning of January 5th, I received a call from a DEC biologist. She shared that a fur trapper harvested an adult female bobcat (Lynx rufus) near Black Rock Forest. This is not particularly unusual. But this bobcat, “LYRU 2”, was special to me.
We are working to better understand bobcat behavior and ecology in the Hudson Valley, particularly their movements. Doing so requires assessing their distribution with camera surveys, capturing and fitting bobcats with a GPS-enabled tracking collar, and analyzing their data to infer their behaviors. The process is challenging, but we gain a powerful view of how these animals navigate (or fail to navigate) their environment.
Successfully navigating your environment is fundamental to life, whether salamanders heading to their vernal pool to breed, rabbits dodging a predator, or your trip to the grocery store. Failing to do so results in reduced opportunities, possible death, and increased extinction risk. We ought to then strive for less landscape features that impede movement and more features that facilitate animal movements.
Since 2020, we’ve captured and collared six bobcats near Black Rock Forest. We collared LYRU 2 (pronounced “Lee Roo Two”), a 2-year-old female, in 2021. After 7-months of data collection, LYRU 2’s collar battery died but not before recording 40,000 locations, revealing that she travelled approximately 9-km per day, moving at 1.1-km per hour across her nearly 36-km2 territory (Figure 1). We can also see that she was generally crepuscular (i.e., active around dawn and dusk) (Figure 2). Importantly, she also revealed when and where she crosses roads, including Interstate-87 (I-87).
Despite her collar dying, LYRU 2 continued to reappear in our work. One of our cameras recorded her passing through a culvert beneath I-87, but with a wonderful surprise: three kittens in tow. Over time we observed LYRU 2 and her kittens, two of which we eventually captured and fitted with their own collars, cross I-87 safely via culverts (Figure 3). This winter we are poised to learn more. With the help of our new seasonal technician, Emma Young, we are back in the field attempting to capture and GPS collar more bobcats.
Our postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Jennifer Wall, is leading our first deep dive into our existing data, investigating bobcat moving behaviors and the landscape features that impede and facilitate those behaviors.
I’ve often found female bobcat prints in the snow and wondered if it was LYRU 2. I no longer wonder. Instead, I smile knowing these footprints might belong to her kittens, navigating their own territories and crossing busy roads the way their mother showed them.
—Scott LaPoint, PhD
Stronger Crossings Ahead: Preparing New Bridges for Installation
On the coldest day of the year, to date, our five new trail bridges arrived at Black Rock Forest—marking the culmination of more than a year of careful evaluation, design, and fabrication. Now that they are here, the next step is transporting them to their final locations and preparing for installation. Winter conditions are ideal for moving over the forest roads and trails. Frozen soils and snow-covered ground allow us to slide and ski these bridges close to the site with the least amount of impact on the sensitive forest soils.
These bridges, funded by FEMA, are designed to improve trail crossings over waterways while minimizing disturbance to drainage areas—an especially important consideration as extreme weather events become more frequent. Along with native trees and shrub plantings, these bridges, will provide improved access while protecting surrounding areas from future erosion damage. Three of the bridges will be installed on Sibyl’s Path, one on the Stillman Trail and one will replace Ben’s Bridge on the Reservoir Trail. Although the new structures are made from weathered steel, the decking will be made with lumber that was harvested and milled at Black Rock Forest. This spring and summer will finally show the results of much preparation work and planning to support the conservation efforts within the forest and trails.
—Matthew Brady
STAY CONNECTED
Forest News in Brief
Save the Date!
Black Rock Forest’s annual benefit luncheon will be held at Tavern on the Green in New York City on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Come support our biggest fundraiser of the year.
Research Grants Available
Black Rock Forest is accepting applications until January 30 for the David Redden Conservation Science Fund Small Grants Program. Awards of up to $10,000 support research in any area of science with conservation relevanceand work must be completed, at least in part, within the Forest. Students, post-doctoral scholars, and senior researchers are welcome to apply. Please visit David Redden Conservation Science Fund Small Grants Program | Black Rock Forest on our website to learn more. website to learn more.
Deer Management Update
White-tailed deer are a natural part of our forest, but when their numbers grow too high, they can prevent young trees and native plants from regenerating. Overbrowsing reduces plant diversity, alters wildlife habitat, and can contribute to the spread of invasive species. At Black Rock Forest, responsible deer management helps maintain a healthy, resilient ecosystem for the future. We are grateful to the dedicated hunters from the Black Rock Fish & Game Club who support this important work. During the regular deer season, hunters harvested 14 bucks and 10 does. Youth hunter, Reggie Forester (side photo) was able to harvest his first deer during the regular season.
Calling All Nature Photographers!
We want your best shots of Black Rock Forest throughout the year for our upcoming 2027 calendar! Amateurs and professionals are welcome! In addition to bragging rights, winners will receive a BRF water bottle & 2027 calendar! The competition ends on October 1st. See Blog | Black Rock Forest for contest details.
Birds of Prey in the Forest Lodge
Barred Owls are the most commonly observed owl species within Black Rock Forest. Hudson came to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center after a vehicle hit caused permanent damage to her vision, making it impossible for her to hunt and survive in the wild. Today, she serves as a vital education ambassador. If you have spent a quiet evening in our enchanting forests, you may have heard the Barred Owl’s iconic rhythmic hoot: “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” Ask us about our evening program vendors to add a special educational session to your next class overnight trip!
Photo by Mitchell Baker, PhD (CUNY Queens College).
