ESF Outreach, 221 Marshall Hall, SUNY-ESF, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210
Tel (315) 470-6817 Fax (315) 470-6890 Email outreach@esf.edu
www.esf.edu/outreach

Agency Information
Project Title : ESF SCIENCE – Collaborative Summer Camps for Stewards of Syracuse
Organization Name : SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF)
Contact Information : 1 Forestry Drive, 221 Marshall Hall, Syracuse, NY 13210
Tel. (315) 470–6817, Fax (315) 470-6890
Project Director : Dr. Richard Beal (ESF)
Project Coordinator : Terhi Majanen (ESF)
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
(SUNY-ESF) located in Syracuse, New York, is one of only nine doctoral-granting institutions in the 64 campus State University of New York system. ESF is an urban campus with eight regional campuses and field stations distributed across 25,000 acres in central and northern New York. ESF is one of the largest campuses in the U.S. dedicated to education, research and outreach in environmental science, engineering and technology, policy and management, and planning and design. ESF’s mission is to advance knowledge and skills and to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both the natural and designed environments.
ESF serves approximately
2,500 students annually and over 4,000 people through community Outreach programs.
SUNY-ESF is uniquely qualified to deliver summer camp programs to youth in the City of Syracuse. Stewards of Syracuse (SOS) builds upon and extends a proven ESF
SCIENCE (Summer Camps Investigating Ecology in Neighborhood and City
Environments) summer program model and organizational infrastructure established through National Science Foundation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants.
A pilot SOS program was successfully completed in 2007, followed by programs in 2008 and 2009. The summer programs are led by the ESF Science Corps comprised of undergraduate and graduate students, ESF alumni, staff and faculty, and other professionals. Through the ESF Science Corps, the College has developed successful summer camp models by collaborating with partnering community agencies including
Girls Inc., Boys and Girls Club, Spanish Action League, and the Syracuse City School
District to offer summer programs since 2003. Through these programs, nearly 300
Syracuse-area students in 2009 alone engaged in experiential learning activities.
2 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Project Description
Stewards of Syracuse provides a six week summer program for at-risk youth that combines education and employment opportunities into an exciting form of experiential learning. ESF SCIENCE, in partnership with CNY Works and City of Syracuse
Department of Parks, Recreation & Youth Programs, aims to inspire youth to appreciate nature and its influence in their daily lives. This is accomplished by exploring urban ecology through hands-on environmental conservation stewardship programs specifically designed to enhance participants' awareness and appreciation of natural resources in the urban environment. Programs engage youth in the improvement and maintenance of their communities, including park clean-ups, water quality assessment, trail building, and planting of rain gardens. Service projects in Syracuse and field trips provide fun opportunities to see the practical applications of what they are learning. Summer activities are led by ESF Science Corps members, with support from ESF in the High
School educators.
In 2009 the Stewards of Syracuse removed water chestnut from the Seneca River, built
American kestrel nesting boxes with the Montezuma Audubon Center, assisted the with a fish survey at Clark Reservation, removed invasive species in City and County parks, cleared vegetation for the DEC along Onondaga Creek, and taught visiting youth groups about Onondaga Lake fish and stream ecology. The group also learned about the scientific method with Dr. Chris Nomura, made biodiesel and soap at ESF, practiced using GPS units with Dr. Ted Endreny and Paul Szemkow, participated in a chemistry lab with Dr. Neal Abrams, toured the greenhouses, and made liquid nitrogen ice cream. For a full list of activities, please see p. 9 of this report.
Program participants can expect to acquire valuable experiences that will serve them well in future work endeavors. Skills such as communication, leadership, team work, initiative, and networking are emphasized in Stewards of Syracuse activities. Youth also have an opportunity to safely handle scientific equipment and work tools that they have had little previous experience with.
3 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Summary of Goals
The Stewards of Syracuse program is designed to serve the achievement of three related goals:
•
Enriching student science and community service learning using inquiry, experiential, and critical thinking approaches in the urban environment.
•
Strengthening partnerships between ESF, CNY Works, City of Syracuse
Department of Parks, Recreation & Youth Programs, and other urban community and environmental organizations.
•
Improving communication and teaching skills of ESF Science Corps participants.
The educational and service learning curriculum for the SOS program provides an opportunity for participants to advance academically while gaining work experience and enjoying a recreational summer camp. This model for learning promotes further social, academic, and career development for the at-risk youth in the program. We hope that participant benefits from SOS experiences will be evident as students return to school in the fall. The vision is that the program will result in enhanced student interest in STEM
(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and careers; improved attendance rates; and increased participation in extra-curricular activities, including volunteer community service and paid employment.
In addition to building a solid foundation for environmental education and discovery for its participants, this ESF SCIENCE program (SOS) provides important linkages to other programs designed to enhance students’ academic and career opportunities. The summer program serves as an introduction or launching point for many of its participants to several programs available to them, including school-year mentoring from ESF Science
Corps for curricular and extra-curricular activities and participation in ESF in the High
School . In addition, environmental stewardship initiatives introduce students to the mission and responsibilities of several public, private and non-profit organizations, including the City of Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation & Youth Programs, CNY
Works, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).
4 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Participants and Staff
Participants in the Stewards of Syracuse program are in-school Syracuse area residents,
14-16 year old students (typically upcoming 9 th
and 10 th
graders). The summer camp program in 2009 consisted of a six week non-residential camp session delivered in partnership with CNY Works and City of Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation &
Youth Programs and local community-based organizations. In 2009 fourteen students participated in the program, with everyone completing the entire six weeks.
In 2009 the Stewards of Syracuse program engaged a total of 14 youth:
•
Participants were between ages 14-17, and all but two were 14-15 year olds.
•
Participants attend six different schools: Corcoran High School, Fowler High
School, Nottingham High School, Henninger High School, Syracuse Academy of
Science, and Expeditionary Learning School.
•
All but one participant attend Syracuse City School District schools.
•
Of participants 43% are in 9 th
grade and 36% are in 10 th
grade.
•
Participants were 71% male and 29% female.
•
All participants live in Syracuse.
5 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

One graduate student, three undergraduate students, and a project manager comprised the
ESF Science Corps educational staff (see p. 7).
In addition, the following ESF faculty, staff, and students contributed to the educational curriculum:
•
Dr. Christopher Nomura, Department of Chemistry
•
Dr. Ted Endreny, Department of Environmental Resources & Forest Engineering
•
Mr. Paul Szemkow, Mapping Sciences Lab
•
Dr. Sharon Moran, Department of Environmental Studies
•
Dr. Neal Abrams, Department of Chemistry
•
Dr. Myrna Hall, Department of Environmental Studies
•
Mr. Terry Ettinger, Greenhouse Manager
•
Ms. Heidi Busa, ESF in the High School Adjunct Instructor
•
Graduate students Jessica Bohn, Matthew Brincka, Som Mukherjee, Inger
Tyssebotn, and Ryan Tappel
6 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Terhi Majanen - ESF SCIENCE/Stewards of Syracuse Project Manager
Terhi is the manager for the ESF SCIENCE and Stewards of Syracuse programs and the
National Science Foundation GK12 project. She has a BA in Geography from University
College London and a Masters in Environment & Development from the University of
Cambridge. Terhi’s interests include protected areas and biodiversity, sustainable development, and environmental education.
Brandon Murphy - ESF SCIENCE/Stewards of Syracuse Team Leader
Brandon is a graduate student in the department of Environmental and Forest Biology working with Dr. Don Leopold on inland salt marsh restoration on the Solvay waste beds around Onondaga Lake. Since 2008, Brandon has also been working with the ESF
Outreach office helping to develop the ESF Online program and courses. He enjoys teaching, both formally and informally, and is particularly interested in stress tolerant plants. In his free time Brandon enjoys running, biking, snowboarding, golfing, playing guitar, and playing softball and soccer.
Amanda Giangiobbe – ESF SCIENCE/Stewards of Syracuse Team Member
Amanda is currently a senior Environmental Studies Communication and Culture major at SUNY ESF. Growing up in Marcellus, NY on the Nine Mile Creek, Amanda became a nature lover at a very young age. Upon graduating from ESF she plans on attending graduate school and becoming a science teacher. She is very excited to be part of ESF
SCIENCE!
Kate Hibbard – ESF SCIENCE/Stewards of Syracuse Team Member
Kate grew up in the suburbs of Syracuse and is currently a senior in Conservation
Biology. Her curiosity for nature exploration comes from the love and respect of the environment that she has learned from her parents. Kate’s interests include science education, traditional ecological knowledge, and responsible environmental stewardship.
Kate is excited to be a part of ESF Science Corps and to have the opportunity to share her passion for nature and positive attitude.
Fernando Maldonado – ESF SCIENCE/Stewards of Syracuse Team Member
Fernando is a senior at SUNY ESF studying Environmental Biology. Born and raised in
New York City, just a few blocks away from Yankee Stadium, Fernando had very few nature experiences in the city that never sleeps until he saw a wild rabbit around the premises of his high school. As he saw the wild rabbit survive in a heavily populated area, his curiosity grew enough that he enjoys teaching others about nature. Fernando hopes to one day educate youth about the world they live in and help aid them in becoming closer to and respect nature.
7 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Community Partners
Through the program’s traveling classroom approach and community stewardship projects, several unique and sustainable collaborations between ESF and urban community and environmental organizations were enhanced or formed in 2009. This year partners included: CNY Works, City of Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation &
Youth Programs, Onondaga County Parks, Montezuma Audubon Center, NYS Office of
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation, Izaak Walton League, Honeywell, and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The Stewards of Syracuse participants and staff also hosted other youth groups and led programs at various sites for them. Visiting groups included the Onondaga Earth Corps
(Cornell Cooperative Extension), CNY Works Horticulture Program at Nottingham High
School, Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Baltimore Woods Nature Center, and Liverpool
School District.
The role of community partners was instrumental in providing the youth with unique and enriching recreational and learning experiences. In addition, the overall program costs were reduced, in part, due to the in-kind contributions of time and materials from the partners. Most importantly, the SOS participants benefited from the inter-generational and cross-cultural influences of their “neighbors” within the community and became more aware of the opportunities available to them in the Syracuse area.
8 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Activities
SOS worked at a variety of sites throughout the six week program, with numerous community partners.
Activities included:
•
Trail maintenance and litter removal in Elmwood Park
•
Testing stream health through water chemistry and aquatic invertebrate sampling in Furnace Brook
•
Landscaping in Elmwood Park with elementary school students from Baltimore Woods Nature Center
•
Removing hundreds of pounds of invasive water chestnut from the Seneca River with the Montezuma
Audubon Center and Honeywell
•
Learning about mercury with Dr. Sharon Moran (ESF)
•
Assisting the NYSDEC with a fish survey
•
Improving gardens at St. Marie Among the Iroquois
•
Touring Salt Museum Onondaga Lake history exhibits
•
Leading Onondaga Lake fish activities for Onondaga
Earth Corps (Cornell Cooperative Extension)
•
Teaching children from the Greater Ithaca Activities
Center about filtration
•
Removing buckthorn at Clark Reservation State Park
•
Watching bald eagles while canoeing
•
Building American kestrel nesting boxes at the Inner
Harbor with the Montezuma Audubon Center
•
Clearing vegetation along Onondaga Creek for the
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
•
Exploring the scientific method and making soap with
Dr. Chris Nomura (ESF) and graduate students
•
Fishing with the Izaak Walton League
•
Participating in citizen science bird monitoring
•
Making and testing blackberry solar panels in the lab with Dr. Neal Abrams (ESF)
•
Practicing using GPS units with Dr. Ted Endreny and
Paul Szemkow (ESF) at the Rand Tract/Webster Pond
•
Cleaning up the biodiesel facility at ESF
•
Maintaining park grounds at Webster Pond
•
Exploring plant adaptations in the ESF greenhouses
•
Hosting the Nottingham High School horticulture program (CNY Works) for water quality testing
•
Touring the ESF college campus and meeting faculty, staff, and students
•
Making and enjoying liquid nitrogen ice cream
9 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Evaluation
The participants were surveyed during the program to assess learning and enthusiasm for science and career opportunities. Participant information, including age, grade level, address and school, was collected. We will provide these data to the
Syracuse City School District, and this information will facilitate the tracking and monitoring of students as they return to school in the fall and participate in other ESF programs like ESF in the
High School .
ESF Science Corps participants’ experiential and learning experiences were collected using a program evaluation form.
The Stewards of Syracuse evaluation model is based on those used in other successful ESF
Outreach grant-funded ESF Science Corps programs (e.g. National Science Foundation and
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
Evaluation results are used to measure and ensure successful project outcomes, including the effect of the project on collaborators and participants. ESF
Outreach utilizes collected information to support communication, monitor progress in achieving project goals, and to make necessary adjustments and improvements throughout the life of the project.
A summary of participant final evaluations can be found below. Overall, participant comments indicate that the youth were receptive towards the scientific and environmental nature of the work program. Favorite activities included water chestnut removal and canoeing and the GPS activity at the Rand Tract/Webster Pond. 86% would consider participating in the Stewards of
Syracuse program again. We believe these responses are very indicative of the relative success of the program in reaching the youth with regard to creating environmental awareness and providing enriching learning opportunities. In terms of job skills, the participants reported that they had learned about teamwork, listening, and leadership, and gained more specific skills such as water chemistry, plant identification, and fish handling.
10 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Stewards of Syracuse 2009 – Summary of Participant Final Evaluations
1. What was your favorite activity or work project this summer? Why?
Favorite activities included water chestnut removal and canoeing and the GPS activity at the Rand Tract/Webster Pond. “My favorite activity was using the GPS to learn how to find where you are in the world. Then going out into the woods and finding your way back. I think this was fun because it let me find a way to be independent.”
2. What was your least favorite activity or work project this summer? Why?
Participants listed some landscaping activities as their least favorite. “I did not like that because it was so hot and we had to dig rocks. There were so many rocks and we did a lot of work but it didn’t seem like it because there were too many.”
3. Name and describe at least three important job skills that you have learned this summer.
Participants reported that they had learned about teamwork, listening, and leadership, and gained more specific skills such as water chemistry, plant identification, and fish handling. “To be more responsible and appreciate what we have, help our environment, and learn to work together.”
4. How has your appreciation for nature and the environment changed through your experiences with the Stewards of Syracuse program?
Participants reported that they felt good because they had made a contribution to improving the city environment and that their appreciation for nature had increased.
Participants stated that they had stopped littering and could set an example for others.
“Now I know that every plant and animal that I have come in contact with this summer has a meaning.”
5. What jobs, if any, that we talked about this summer could you see as your personal career path? Why?
Participants reported being interested in biology, chemistry, teaching science, helping animals, GIS, fisheries, and plants. “A college professor at ESF. I would like that because
I kind of like the idea of being a teacher and working with students.”
6. Would you consider participating in the SUNY-ESF Stewards of Syracuse program again? Why or why not?
All but two participants would consider participating in the Stewards of Syracuse program again. Of the two who were not interested, one lived too far and the other did not like working outdoors. “Yes, it was a very fun experience and I learned a lot from it.
The people/coworkers were cool too!”
11 Stewards of Syracuse 2009

Web Resources
Stewards of Syracuse http://www.esf.edu/outreach/esfscience/sos.htm
ESF SCIENCE http://www.esf.edu/outreach/esfscience/
Science Corps http://www.esf.edu/outreach/sciencecorps/default.htm
ESF in the High School http://www.esf.edu/outreach/esfhs/
ESF Outreach http://www.esf.edu/outreach/
Photos
A CD of Stewards of Syracuse program photos was submitted to CNY Works with this report. Media release forms for all participants are on file at ESF Outreach.
Photos from Stewards of Syracuse are also available online at http://www.esf.edu/outreach/esfscience/sos.htm
.
For more information, please contact ESF Outreach:
1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210
Tel (315) 470-6817, Fax (315) 470-6890
12 Stewards of Syracuse 2009