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Adirondack Ecological Center
Newcomb, NY 12852
(518) 582-4551
While the primary mission of the Adirondack Ecological Center is to support research, an active instructional program fulfills the public service spirit of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). This program includes annual continuing education courses for teachers and area residents, workshops for teachers and secondary science students throughout New York State, and the summer Huntington Lecture Series emphasizing natural history and ecology of the Adirondacks. Substantial numbers of students gain research experience by helping with the field studies each year. Interpretive trails and informational leaflets assist the adjacent Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Center and more than 10,000 casual visitors annually.
Historical Background:
Archer and Anna Huntington donated their Adirondack estate to SUNY-ESF in 1932 to be used for research and education. Huntington and Arbutus Lodges, once joined as an original Durant Adirondack camp, served as the Huntington's summer retreat where Archer came to fish and Anna to prepare field studies for her acclaimed sculptures.
In 1932, ESF established biological surveys and a tradition of research that continues to this day. The early studies have expanded to become a more sophisticated system monitoring ecological parameters on a long-term basis, and an increasingly valuable base of data. This monitoring system, which presently encompasses more than 100 biological, chemical and physical attributes, forms a foundation for contemporary research programs.
The Adirondack Ecological Center was established in 1972 on Huntington Wildlife Forest to provide the scientific community and the people of New York with a greater understanding of the Adirondack ecosystem through research.
