Staff
EMMA Member Organizations
Black Rock Forest Consortium
Black Rock Forest Consortium works to advance scientific understanding of the natural world through research, education, and conservation programs. The Consortium collaborates with its members–universities, schools, scientific and cultural institutions– to bring scientific research and create educational programs. Located in , the 3,838 acre forest is a living laboratory for field-based research and education. Black Rock Forest Consortium partners with many stakeholders in the Hudson Highlands and Hudson Valley Region on conservation initiatives. Visit the Black Rock Forest Consortium website.
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies’ mission is the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge about ecological systems. This knowledge is created through scientific research, disseminated through teaching, writing, and exhibits, and applied through participation in decision-making regarding the ecological management of natural resources and through promotion of a broader awareness about the importance of ecological relationships to human welfare. Visit the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies website.
Columbia Land Conservancy
The Columbia Land Conservancy works with the community to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat, and rural character of Columbia County, strengthening connections between people and the land. Since our founding in 1986, the Columbia Land Conservancy has collaborated with partners to preserve the County’s vibrant rural character. We have conserved more than 30,000 acres of farmland, forests, and wildlife habitat to ensure clean air and water, healthy ecosystems, a strong agricultural sector, and a rich variety of outdoor recreational opportunities. CLC works with the community to cultivate connection to the land by providing outdoor and educational activities at our10 Public Conservation Areas, to support agriculture by ensuring prime farmland continues to be available to the next generation of farmers, and to promote land protection and smart land use planning.
Highstead
Highstead works to inspire curiosity and build knowledge about plants and wooded landscapes in order to enhance life, preserve nature, and advance sound stewardship practices. Originally an arboretum, Highstead has evolved its focus to include more rigorous woodland research and conservation. The preserve is located in Redding, CT, but Highstead is also involved in collaborative conservation efforts across the New England Area as part of the Wildlands and Woodlands initiative. Visit the Highstead website.
Hawthorne Valley Farmscape
The Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program is a non-profit research and outreach organization dedicated to creating informed compassion for the nature of this semi-agricultural landscape. Our research has focused on land use history, agroecology, and biodiversity. We are working on a cultural and ecological field guide to Columbia County, NY, while continuing our work to explore the agroecological consequences of on-farm habitat management and the power of then / now phenological comparisons for raising awareness about climate change. Visit the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape website.
Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station
The Huyck Preserve is a non-profit organization located in Rensselaerville, NY. Their mission is to preserve the natural beauty of the Rensselaerville Falls, the watershed of Lake Myosotis and surrounding lands, to conduct long-term research on natural systems as part of a global effort to understand and protect the Earth’s biodiversity, and to increase appreciation of this effort through innovative, field-based educational programs for students, teachers, and the community. Visit the Huyck Preserve And Biological Research Station website.
Louis Calder Center
The Louis Calder Center is the biological field station of Fordham University. The Calder Center supports scientific and interdisciplinary research in ecology, evolution, and conservation. The station is in close proximity to New York City, providing opportunities to study the connections between human actions and the changing landscape in laboratories integrated within a field environment. We provide hands-on education for students of diverse backgrounds and academic levels. Our researchers engage the broader community in scientific understanding of the environment. Visit the Louis Calder Center website. Mianus River Gorge
The mission of Mianus River Gorge, an independent, non-profit organization, is to preserve, protect and promote appreciation of the natural heritage of the Mianus River watershed through land acquisition and conservation, scientific research and public education throughout the region. Visit the Mianus River Gorge website.
Mohonk Preserve
Mohonk Preserve’s mission is to protect the Shawangunk Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world. Visit the Mohonk Preserve website.
New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant kingdom. The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and through the wide-ranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center. Visit the New York Botanical Garden website.
Scenic Hudson
Scenic Hudson preserves land and farms and creates parks that connect people with the inspirational power of the Hudson River, while fighting threats to the river and natural resources that are the foundation of the valley’s prosperity. Scenic Hudson’s properties range from large forested preserves to small waterfront parks totaling over 6,000 acres, and are located in towns on both sides of the Hudson River Estuary.
Teatown Lake Reservation
Teatown is a 1000-acre nature preserve and education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley. The mission of Teatown is to inspire their community to lifelong environmental stewardship. Visit the Teatown website.
Vassar College
The mission of Vassar College is to make accessible “the means of a thorough, well-proportioned and liberal education” that inspires each individual to lead a purposeful life. The College makes possible an education that promotes analytical, informed, and independent thinking and sound judgment; encourages articulate expression; and nurtures intellectual curiosity, creativity, respectful debate and engaged citizenship.
Vassar Ecological Preserve Mission: The mission of the Vassar Ecological Preserve is to protect and preserve the ecological diversity of the land to ensure that its educational value will be maintained in perpetuity. The Vassar Ecological Preserve promotes increased understanding and appreciation of the natural systems on the preserve through field-based education and research. Visit the Vassar Ecological Preserve website.
Westchester County Parks
The mission of Westchester County Parks is to create life-enriching experiences at safe, clean, affordable parks and preserve our natural resources through responsible leadership. Visit the Westchester County Parks website.
