Visiting Researchers in the Forest

The Forest is a living laboratory and the Garden encourages its use by visiting researchers and classes. All projects and classes need to be pre-approved and scheduled with the Manager of the Forest. Submit requests of proposed research or classes to Jessica A. Schuler. All requests should include a description of the activities including title, background, materials, methods, and hypotheses.

A list of recent visiting researchers and projects are:

Researchers

Dr. Jason Munshi-South, Baruch College, City University of New York (2010 to present)
"Rapid Evolution of White-footed Mice in New York City's Urban Forests"

Dr. Eric Sanderson, Wildlife Conservation Society (2010 to present)
''The Welikia Project''

Dr. Chanda Bennett, Wildlife Conservation Society (2011 to present)
''Urban Bat Survey''

Dr. Craig Frank, Fordham University (2011 to present)
''The effects of climate change on hibernation of eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus)''

Dr. Dena Vallano, Cornell University (2008)
“Partitioning the relative influence of soil N, mycorrhizal associations, and direct leaf nitrogen uptake on foliar δ15N patterns along a temperate forest N deposition gradient”

Dr. Mark Weckel, Mianus River Gorge Preserve (2010 to present)
“Mapping coyote habitat and dispersal corridors in the greater NYC metropolitan area”

Dr. Catherine Burns, WildMetro, University of Maine, Earthwatch (2008-2009)
“Urbanization’s impacts on flora and fauna in the New York metropolitan region”

Graduate Students

Alison Cucco, Fordham University (2009 to present)
“Urbanization effects on nitrogen cycling and plant productivity”

Rosalind Becker, Fordham University (2011 to present)
“Genetic approaches for characterizing soil microbial communities”

Lea Johnson, Rutgers University (2010 to present)
“Long-term outcomes of urban forest restoration: Assessing trajectories in plant community ecology to improve environmental health”

Eric Morgan, Bartlett Arboretum
“Determining the Invasive Capabilities of the Exotic Tree Phellodendron amurense in Northeastern North America”

Chris Nagy, City University of New York (2010)
“Abundance, Survival, and Landscape-Level Selection in Screech Owls in New York City”

David Waring, Fordham University (2010-2011)
“Population dynamics of the invasive plant Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) along an urban-rural gradient”

Undergraduate Students

Alyssa Beasley, College of New Rochelle (Fordham University CSUR Program 2011)
“The Future of the Forest: Vegetation Change Over Time and Invasive Plant Species in an old-growth Forest”

Rolando Rojas (Fordham University CSUR Program 2011)
"New York's Melting Pot: Forest Fragmentation Effects"

High School Students

Leah Buchman, South Side High School, Rockeville Centre, NY (2010 to 2012)
“Effects of biotas on pollinator Apoidea (Anthophilia) diversity.”

Francesca Giordano, Yorktown High School, Yorktown, NY (2010 to 2012)
“Increasing plant species richness by managing Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) in an urban forest.”

Rebecca Policello, Ossining High School, Ossining, NY (2010 to 2012)
“The effects of urbanization on cutaneous bacteria ability to inhibit the threatening Chytrid fungus on eastern redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus).”

Erik Zeidler, Bronx Science High School, Bronx, NY (2009 to 2010)
“Investigating the ecology of Chelydra s. serpentina, the common snapping turtle, in a highly urban setting.”
The New York Times City Room blog - The Turtle Gatherer of the Bronx