In mid-October on a warm, sunny fall weekend, a group of graduate and undergraduate students at ̽̽ traveled across Lake Champlain toward the Adirondack Mountains. Their destination was High Peaks Wilderness Area in Adirondack State Park. They were on their way to a two-day field intensive for their graduate-level Advanced Field Ecology course, taught by Dr. Bill Keeton, a Professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.
The 16 students in the Advanced Field Ecology course span multiple programs of study at ̽̽ including Geography and Geosciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, Master of Science in Natural Resources in the Rubenstein School, and the Field Naturalist program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Upon arriving at Huntington Lodge, which is a part of the SUNY ESF Huntington Wildlife Forest located in the center of the Adirondacks, the group settled into their idyllic cabin accommodations.
The purpose of traveling to the High Peaks Wilderness Area was to observe and study large expanses of primary old-growth, something that is unavailable in the Green Mountain State, which experienced extensive deforestation during the 18th and 19th century. The Adirondacks also afford exposure to large wild forests – uninterrupted by development.
“The Adirondack State Park itself is an exceptional 6 million acre protected area with myriad interesting ecological, socio-economic, and forest management issues,” said Dr. Keeton. “From its expanses of old-growth to its hemi-boreal makeup (a mix of boreal and temperate species), it is an invaluable outdoor teaching laboratory less than three hours from campus.”
Alison Spaysk, a graduate student studying Natural Resources in the Rubenstein School spoke about the opportunity to experience the state park firsthand. “I really enjoyed spending so much time off-trail in a primary old growth forest and taking the time to stop and appreciate all the characteristics that make these forests so unique and ecologically important. It was also great to get some real hands-on experience using many of the field data collection methods and tools commonly used in forestry science.”
The students worked in groups to design and then collect field data for pilot studies that will comprise the core of the grant proposals they are writing for their term projects in the Advanced Field Ecology course. Some examples of their proposal topics include:
- Impacts of hiking trails on forest structure and carbon storage in an old-growth forest
- Effects of large woody debris on pool formation in an old-growth stream
- Effects of tip-up mounds (when a tree falls, and its exposed root system changes the topography of the forest floor) on tree regeneration and competition with Beech trees
- Effects of coarse woody debris and tip-up mounds on microhabitat availability for red-back salamanders
A student in the Field Naturalist program, Veronica Magner, explained the value of reinforcing classroom learnings in the field. “After having discussed in class the ways in which old-growth forests are a sort of living manifestation of continual change, the opportunity to explore among wind-tipped trees, deep shade and sunlit openings gave these ecological concepts a tangibility that only field-based study can provide.”
The proposal projects are predominately designed to help the students practice the important professional skill of grant writing. But each of the proposals includes a pilot study using real field data collected in the Adirondacks, statistical analysis and, in some cases, modeling. In this sense the proposals incorporate original research used to support larger questions and inferences. In some instances, the proposals from the Advanced Field Ecology course can evolve into successfully funded grant applications.
“I was thrilled to get into the field with Dr. Keeton,” shared Steve Root, another Field Naturalist student. “His hands-on approach ensures that students gain experience with field methods we will use in our careers. As graduate students we need more field-based class opportunities like this.”
The students cooked breakfast together, collected field data during the day, and returned to the lodge to cook a shared dinner in the evening, followed by evening group project work. To unwind at the end of a long day of work, they gathered by the indoor fire to play music and relax.
Annie Jackson, a Rubenstein School student in the Sustainability, Ecology and Policy program, gained a new perspective during the trip. “Thanks to all I have learned in this course, I will never look at a forest the same again. I’ve spent time hiking in the Adirondacks High Peaks region but stepping foot in the Ampersand old-growth forest, after having gleaned so much new knowledge this semester, was an entirely different experience. It’s one thing to conceptualize topics in the classroom, but nothing can replace the learning that happens in the field. This weekend of integrating our knowledge—and enjoying laughter, community and music along the way— was a highlight of my semester and ̽̽ experience.”
