ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009
(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
SUNY-ESF
NAME:
I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Regular Course Offerings
Course No.
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
No. of Lab.
Sections
FALL
EFB 406 Great Naturalist Seminar
1
10
EFB 416/616 Introduction to Environmental
Interpretation
3
35
EFB 215 Interpreting Science Through Art
3
83
EFB 797 Readings in the Field of Interpretation
1
7
.
Credit
Course No.
Title
EFB 420
Internship EFB
EFB 498
Independent Study
EFB 798
Independent Study
EFB 898
Professional Experience
EFB 796
Adv. Interp. Design I (II)
Hrs.
3
3
3
12
3 (3)
No. Students
5
1
2
1
3 (3)
2
3
1
16
31
4
SPRING:
EFB 405 Literature of Natural History
EFB 521 Principles of Interp. Programming
EFB 797 Readings in the Field of Interpretation
2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)
Course No.
EFB 420
EFB 498
EFB 898
EFB 796
Title
Internship EFB
Independent Study
Professional Experience
Adv. Interp. Design I (II)
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
3
3
3
3 (3)
6
2
1
2 (2)
2
3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)
Naturally New York: A Program Connecting Kids and Communities to the Natural History of CNY
(10-month program series)
4. Guest Lecture Activities
Course No.
EFB 132. Orientation Seminar
Title
Freshman Learning Community Retreat
No. of Lectures
2
5
II. STUDENT ADVISING
A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor 28 (and unofficial advisor ~15 )
B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give
date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).
MAJOR PROFESSOR
Completed:
1. Liz Schmidt (MPS 5/09)
2. Robert Kiley (MPS 12/08)
3. Frank Morehouse (MPS 5/09)
4. Virginia Collins (MPS 5/09)
5. Patricia Cole (MPS 12/08)
Continuing
1. Anne Schlesinger (9/0
III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY
B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting
and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)
John Ben Snow Foundation: Title: Naturally New York: Connecting children and communities to
the natural history of Central New York .Amount: $11,000 (2008-2009) (stipends for Virginia Collins and Robert
Kiley)
Ed Smith School – PTO. Phase I: Morningside Nature/Science Trail $750 (2008-2009) (stipend for student artist)
Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation: Catch the Nature Bug: A Program series for country libraries to supplement the
national library reading theme of Catch the Reading Bug. Amount: $3,876 (Summer of 2008). Virginia Collins
IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only
publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts
in preparation).
B. Non-refereed Publications
The Science Trail: Investigations into Ecology and Conservation Biology for Students at the Intermediate
Level in New York State. 30 pp. Elizabeth Schmidt and D. Andrew Saunders. 2009
Science Trails: Connecting Classrooms to Nature. The Morningside Nature-Science Trail, Syracuse, NY.
Activity Booklet for students and teachers. 70 pp. Robert Kiley, Anne Schlesinger, and D. Andrew Saunders
2009.
Exploring Morningside Nature-Science Trail: Multidisciplinary Activities for Teachers and Students. 19 pp.
Anne Schlesinger and D. Andrew Saunders. 2009.
Illustrated Self-guiding Faust Trail Booklet for Clark Reservation State Park, Revised. 2009.
Illustrated Morningside Nature/Science Trail Self-guiding Booklet. 2009
Illustrated Sleeth Park Nature Trail Self-guiding Booklet. Pilot Edition. 2009.
Large Format Interpretive Posters, etc.
Mosses of New York State. (Robby Carr, Jessica Bohn, Robin Kimmerer, Keith Bowman, Donald J. Leopold,
D. Andrew Saunders, and Virginia Collins)
Natural History Interpretation at ESF, (Anne Schlesinger and D. Andrew Saunders)
Stalking Science Opportunities in EFB’s Environmental Interpretation Program (Frank Morehouse and D.
Andrew Saunders)
CDs: Morningside Nature-Science Trail Digital Resources. Winter Tree Identification Guide and Nature
Jeopardy
EFB’s Greenhouse Poster Series, Brochure
D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and
attendance)
Naturally New York: Educating Entertainingly.
1) Basic Methods for Connecting Audiences to Natural Resources; 2) The Dynamics of a Professional
Interpretive Walk; 3) Going Nuts…an interpretive experience with the Black Walnut. December 18, 2008. 18
Healthy Steps to Albany Kick-Off Expo. Program for Syracuse Area Teachers and Students. March 16, 2009. 300
St. Alban’s Earth Day Go Green Festival.
Reconnecting Kids and Communities to Nature, averting the calamity. April 25, 2009. 25
V. PUBLIC SERVICE
B. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.
Gifford Zoo
Chittenango Falls State Park
Jewish Community Center
Great Swamp Conservancy
Green Lakes State Park
Jamestown Audubon Society
Clark reservation State Park - Council of Park Friends
Onondaga County Public Libraries
Town of North Syracuse
National Audubon Society – Project Puffin
Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Centers
Beaver Lake Nature Center
Baltimore Woods Nature Center
Syracuse City School District – Ed Smith Elementary School
Wayland-Cohoctin Central School
NYSDEC
VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2. Professional Society Membership
National Association for Interpretation
American Association of Museums
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)
A. Department-level
Produced Assessment Protocol for NHI major
Coordinator: Natural History and Interpretation major
Advisor: Environmental Interpretation Study Area
Participated in all phases of Open Houses including the development of brochures, displays, posters
Produced public relations products, education materials and supervision of GTA’s
Information and Exhibits
Exhibits-designed/supervised/constructed/maintained for Illick Hall and Roosevelt Wildlife Station, e.g.,
publication board and additional pictures
Assisted colleague and directed undergraduate and graduate students in the design and construction of
posters, brochure, and the new Docent program promoting EFB Greenhouses
Stalking Science/Roosevelt Wild Life Station projects and duties:
Continued network of regional Science Trails and associated products for: 1) APA Newcomb Visitor
Interpretive Center, 2) Corcoran High School, 3) Baltimore Wood Nature Center, 4) Beaver Lake Nature
Center, 5) Wayland Cohoctin Central Schools
Completed:
draft edition of the Chittenango Chips Nature Trail Self-guiding Booklet.
Gifford Zoo Science Trail
Phase II of the new Morningside Nature/Science trail and associated teacher/students materials at
for Ed Smith Elementary School
Assisted North Syracuse administrator to develop pilot Sleeth Park Nature Trail Self-guiding Booklet
Major Contribution: Implemented Master Naturalist Program, Naturally New York, working with Virginia
Collins.
B. University-wide, including Research Foundation
Major contribution: EFB Environmental Interpretation students delivered 494 hours of community
programming. This excludes the efforts of graduate students working on comparable programs and special
projects.
VIII.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS
REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO
THE COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION
Students: Offering students, both undergraduate and graduate, the methods, encouragement and opportunities to
practice and test their professional skills by interacting with a range of audiences in the region and beyond has
been one of my most important contributions this past year. Developing and supervising these opportunities is a
demanding task. I am proud of the students accomplishments and contributions of approximately 494 hours. On
some weekends, both fall and spring semesters, my students were simultaneously presenting program in many
locations in this region. We seemed to be operating at optimal capacity. Despite other difficult challenges, this has
been one of my most enjoyable and more productive years working with students on and off campus. The
completed assessment protocol, while consuming an enormous amount of thought and time, I see as not just a
yardstick on performance but also as a dynamic means of enlivening and advancing all efforts within the NHI
major.
Department/college: Promotion and education are key words to highlight these contributions. I am especially
pleased to have been able to implement the pilot Master Naturalist program: Naturally New York with Virginia
Collin’s assistance, and with the generous contributions of so many colleagues and their graduate students. The
program extends into many CNY organizations and institutions by hand-picking participants from many
professional venues who interact with youth, including scout leaders, teachers and others, e.g., from the medical
professions. We look forward to continuing, and to improving, this program based on our formal and informal
evaluations and experiences. Coordinating the growing NHI major (largest to date) and advising a large group of
graduate students are other ongoing and important accomplishments to honor and share departmental and campus
missions.. We have continued to serve the Open Houses, the summer program series for children in all Onondaga
County public libraries, and the growing network of nature/science trails, including the new one at the Rosamond
Gifford Zoo, which offers possibly a unique slant to zoo education. Initiating an improved natural history
experience for Chittenango Falls State Park visitors, at the request of its staff is yet another example of enlarging
influence and recognition.
Personal professional growth: Efficiency is a word I would choose to use in this context although shrewdness
comes to mind as well. This evidenced by the documented products and programs. Certainly, there have been the
traditional lines of growth, some acquired in unexpected quarters by renewing efforts to rub shoulders with
colleagues on and off campus and to network with professionals in other organizations. For all of us, the literature
is always a source of expanded learning and wisdom; I am no exception. However, I would point up one of my
more fruitful pathways. The graduate seminars I offer each semester have in retrospect probably done more for my
professional growth than through other means. Engaging sharp minds and exuberant idealism in debating and
addressing contemporary issues presented by noted authors and editors within entire books and within the context
of communication and the relevant science of the day exercises critical thought. This tends to keep one at the front
and sometimes even ahead of the professional curve.
IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
Next year is likely my last before I retire. I would like to go out on a high note, and I intend to make this coming year’s
courses and projects productive and successful, and my experiences with students at all levels just as enjoyable as in
this past year.. I am fortunate to enjoy my work now as much as when I started 35 years ago.
B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR
1. Summer 2009. I have been invited to contribute a chapter on interpretation for a book for zoo
professionals; I also will prepare for a heavy course load in the year ahead, with two courses that will
require revision because of the need for formal assessment of the majors.
2. Fall Semester 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered:
EFB 406.
Great Naturalist Seminar
EFB 416/616. Introduction to Environmental Interpretation
EFB 215.
EFB 797.
Interpreting Science Through Art
Readings in the Field of Interpretation
c. University, Professional society, and public service:
Continue and expand: Naturally New York, the Greenhouse Docents programs and finish Sleeth
Park and Morningside Projects; Initiate projects at Baltimore Woods at the request of its staff.
3. Spring Semester 2010
a. Course(s) to be offered
EFB 404. Natural History Museums and Modern Science
EFB 405. Literature of Natural History
EFB 417. Perspectives of Interpretive Design
EFB 797. Readings in the Field of Interpretation
c. University, professional society, and public service: Complete all projects