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blackrockforest.bsky.social
Black Rock Forest
@blackrockforest.bsky.social
33 followers 27 following 80 posts
Our mission is to advance scientific understanding of the natural world through #research, #education, and #conservation & maintain our 3920-acre #Forest.
www.blackrockforest.org
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blackrockforest.bsky.social
Save the Date 05.13.26
Join us at Tavern on the Green for our annual Benefit Luncheon! 🌳 Honoring Ellen V. Futter & featuring keynote Dmitriy Aronov, PhD @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social on the extraordinary memory of chickadees. 🐦🧠

Details: www.blackrockforest.org/benefit2026 #SaveTheDate #NYC #Science
Black Rock Forest Benefit Luncheon - Black Rock Forest
Tavern on the Green, NYC Wednesday, May 13th, 202612 – 2 PM Honoring: Ellen V. Futter with the William T. Golden Award for Innovative Leadership in Science and Education Keynote […]
www.blackrockforest.org
February 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
White-tailed Deer can affect heavy browse pressure on tree seedlings. Protecting seedlings with fencing can go a long way in encouraging tree regeneration. 🦌

We installed “deer exclosure fences” in some areas of the forest to limit deer browse and give native seedlings a chance.
Fenced deer exclosure in Black Rock Forest
February 2, 2026 at 2:13 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Winter 2026 at Black Rock Forest is here! ❄️

🚌 Grants: Connect Kids to Parks funding for school field trips. 🐾 Wildlife: Insights into bobcat ecology & the legacy of "LYRU 2." 🏗️ Infrastructure: 5 new bridges. 📸 Plus a nature photo contest!

Read more: www.blackrockforest.org/blog/winter-...
Winter 2026 - Black Rock Forest
Connect Kids to Parks Grant The Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip Grant Program connects New York’s school age children with nature, outdoor recreation, and history by reimbursing eligible costs […]
www.blackrockforest.org
January 23, 2026 at 7:00 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
@cuny.edu Dr. Mitchell Baker’s winter ecology course was a success! ❄️ @queenscollegecuny.bsky.social students sampled stream life, studied tree rings, & joined @cornellbirds.bsky.social Project FeederWatch. Best of all: Ravensbeard Wildlife Center’s Birds of Prey, including Hudson the Barred Owl! 🦉🌲
Queens College students counting tree rings in the Moretti Center. Queens College students donned hip waders and used aquatic kick nets to sample benthic macroinvertebrates along Reservoir Road. Hudson the Barred Owl from Ravensbeard Wildlife Center. Photo by Mitch Baker, PhD. Queens College students enjoy the beaver ecology hike around Upper Reservoir.
January 16, 2026 at 5:10 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Please share: two weeks left to apply! 🔭 🔬
blackrockforest.bsky.social Black Rock Forest @blackrockforest.bsky.social · Dec 9
Please apply and share! #Funding! We're offering $10000 grants to do #research with #conservation application here in the Forest. Send us your proposals: www.blackrockforest.org/david-redden...
Deadline: January 30. 2026
January 15, 2026 at 1:55 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
📸 Calling all nature photographers! Submit your best high-res photos from Black Rock Forest for our 2027 Calendar Competition. Deadline: October 1st.

Details & link to submit: www.blackrockforest.org/blog/calling...

#NaturePhotography #BlackRockForest #PhotoContest
Calling All Nature Photographers! - Black Rock Forest
Calling all nature photographers! We want your best shots of Black Rock Forest for our 2023 Calendar Competition!
www.blackrockforest.org
January 9, 2026 at 7:04 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
New Year, new discoveries! Every winter we deploy dozens of cameras across the Forest to collect data on the resident wildlife. Our New Year’s resolution? To better understand which species live in our forest and to share more pictures with all of you.
Eastern coyote Two white-tailed deer A BRF camera trap Dr. Jennifer Wall setting up a camera trap for the winter field season
January 2, 2026 at 3:05 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Happy New Year from Black Rock Forest! 🎉
Start 2026 with a First Hike of the Year! We have trail suggestions on our website & our FREE map is on Avenza.
➡️ Hike Info/Map: www.blackrockforest.org/trail-map
➡️ Become a Monthly Donor: www.blackrockforest.org/donate #BlackRockForest #SupportConservation
BRF staff under the new picnic pavilion behind the Science Center
December 29, 2025 at 9:07 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Wishing all our friends and neighbors a safe and inspiring New Year 2026! 🎉

We are grateful for the individuals whose support helped sustain our mission throughout 2025, making our work possible.

See you on the trails in the New Year! 🌲
#HappyNewYear #BlackRockForest #Conservation #BRF2026
Scott setting up transects to measure oak acorn productivity Hanna sharing her research on maples at the Friends of Forest Hike day Nancy Lowe teaching how to incorporate art & nature into the classroom for teachers Aaron teaching water ecology during the Educator Open House
December 23, 2025 at 9:46 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Happy Winter Solstice from Black Rock Forest! ❄️ Even during the longest night, our research continues.

Help us support these vital programs — make your solstice gift today to power our work into the new year! www.blackrockforest.org/donate #WinterSolstice #BlackRockForest
White-tailed deer from BRF Research cameras Entrance to Sibyl’s Path Red-bellied woodpecker observed during Project FeederWatch Upper Reservoir
December 19, 2025 at 3:48 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
We hope you enjoy this highlight reel of 2025—from a Prairie Warbler to a black bear to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

✨ Help us protect this magic for 2026! If you are able, please consider a year-end gift to support our programs.

➡️ Donate here: www.blackrockforest.org/donate
December 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Please apply and share! #Funding! We're offering $10000 grants to do #research with #conservation application here in the Forest. Send us your proposals: www.blackrockforest.org/david-redden...
Deadline: January 30. 2026
December 9, 2025 at 4:29 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
The Black Rock Forest is OPEN! 🎉 Welcome back!

Renew your 2026 Parking Pass TODAY! Passes expire 12/31/25. Your donation supports vital stewardship: trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, and road care.

Become a Friend of the Forest to get FREE parking & free admission to public programs.
2021 Friends of the Forest History Hike 2022 Friends of the Forest Hike 2023 Friends of the Forest Walk 2025 Earth Day volunteering event
December 8, 2025 at 8:23 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Find peace in the winter stillness! 🌲

Join us for a Silent Walk led by @Jackie Skrzynski at Black Rock Forest. Disconnect from the rush and connect with nature at twilight.

Date: Fri, Dec 19, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM EST
Register on www.blackrockforest.org/events

Dress warmly & bring a headlamp! 💡
Photo by Thom Munterich
December 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
It's #GivingTuesday! Your gift makes Black Rock Forest's science curriculum more inclusive.

Students say: "I really loved BRF so much, I created new bonds, connected with nature, had fun, experienced new things."

Support hands-on learning today! www.blackrockforest.org/donate
BRF summer science students learns how to use binoculars to observe wildlife at Upper Reservoir
December 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
As the holiday season begins, we send our sincere thanks to our researchers, educators, partners, & supporters. We are grateful for the dedicated community that helps us protect this vital ecosystem.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with peace & connection to nature! 🦃 & #OptOutside on Black Friday
Wildlife camera trapping by BRF research, 2025. Photo by Dr. Scott LaPoint.
November 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Thankful for our community of friends and supporters! Your belief in Black Rock Forest allows us to advance research and protect this vital Hudson Highlands ecosystem. Every donation makes a difference. 💚

You can support Black Rock Forest today at Year’s End: www.blackrockforest.org/donate
Camera trap of a family of four Black bears foraging in the woods. Photo courtesy of Dr. Scott LaPoint.
November 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
📢 Hiring 📢 Join the Black Rock Forest Education team as our Part-Time Outdoor Educator for 2026. Deadline to apply is November 30, 2025.

➡️ Apply now via our website: www.blackrockforest.org/work-with-us-2 or reshare with your network.

#OutdoorEducation #Hiring #BlackRockForest #K12Science
Students nature journaling on a hike around Upper Reservoir Practicing watercolors en plein air Leaf prints art Teaching students different nature art techniques
November 21, 2025 at 3:30 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Black Rock Forest is closed November 15 through December 7 for the NYS Regular Deer Hunting Season.

The Forest will reopen to the public on Monday, December 8th at sunrise.

For more information on deer management, visit our website:
www.blackrockforest.org/research/con...
Photo by Daniel P Olsen
November 14, 2025 at 2:29 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
We're hiring! 📢 Join the BRF Education team as a Part-Time Outdoor Educator for 2026.

Do you love connecting K-12 students with nature through hands-on science?

➡️ Submit via our website! Applications due 11/30. #OutdoorEducation #Hiring #BlackRockForest #K12Science
Lead bird-watching tours with students! Create community and leadership opportunities for students! Develop students’ skills in observation and nature journaling! Teach how to encounter wildlife on our hikes!
November 10, 2025 at 3:16 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Acorns are a vital food source for many of our resident wildlife, but production can vary drastically year to year. We've monitored acorn production for decades to better understand, and this year, our oaks produced practically zero acorns 🌰. We'll see what this means for our wildlife this winter!
Abscised (i.e. aborted) undeveloped acorns. Premature seed abscission is common on many trees. Permanent plot marker with our BRF tag. Dr. Scott LaPoint preparing the quadrat frame for acorn surveying. If you see one of our metal tags on a tree, congrats! You have found one of the sites in our Oak Tree Acorn Study.
November 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
The Fall Newsletter is OUT! 🍁 Feat: Riverdale students doing salamander research, a recap from @hannahgais.bsky.social , and forest updates. Read it now: www.blackrockforest.org/newsletter #BlackRockForest #FieldResearch #Science #FieldStation
Dr. Hanna Makowski using a LI-COR photosynthesis instrument Dr. Rachel Cox supervises a METER Weather Station installation by Riverdale students at a BRF field site. A clutch of juvenile timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) Reconstruction of the old pump house by Pecks Road
November 5, 2025 at 2:59 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
This Halloween, beware the forest's "tree-vampire"—the invasive Spotted Lanternfly 🧛‍♂️. They pierce and drain sap from our trees, leaving sticky honeydew behind.

To learn more: www.lhprism.org/spotted-lant... #BlackRockForest #SpottedLanternfly #InvasiveSpecies
Close-up of a Spotted Lanternfly adult Adult stage of Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) 3rd instar (early stage nymph) in July
October 31, 2025 at 1:03 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
It's #BatWeek !🦇 Did you know Black Rock Forest is a crucial haven for these incredible creatures? Surveys suggest BRF is home to EIGHT of the 9 bat species known to reside in New York State! Let's celebrate these vital, insect-eating neighbors. #BlackRockForest #WildlifeConservation
Little brown bat. Photo by Kevin Dumont Bat boxes donated by the The Dalton School Wildlife Club Photo of bat exhibit at American Museum of Natural History Dalton School bat box set up at BRF Old Headquarters!
October 24, 2025 at 7:44 PM
blackrockforest.bsky.social
Join "The Shotgun Scientist," Dr. Patterson, here on Saturday, Nov 8th (10:00 AM) for a FREE talk! Register now: www.eventbrite.com/e/roots-of-r... #BlackRockForest #TheShotgunScientist
October 17, 2025 at 1:31 PM