SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse is one of 13 schools across the state to win a new grant to help get more people outdoors.
SUNY Chancellor John King said the “Outdoors for All” program is designed to get more New Yorkers on SUNY campuses engaging with New York state’s natural beauty.
"There are so many opportunities for students to take advantage of trails and parks, but sometimes they don't know, and so the goal of this initiative is to make sure our campuses are doing everything possible to engage students in outdoors experiences," King said.
At SUNY ESF, exploring the outdoors is already essential to the school’s mission. President Joanie Mahoney said this $8,000 grant will allow them to expand programming that is already in place that connects students to young people in the community.
She said the school already has a successful Timbuctoo Climate Science and Careers Summer Institute in the Adirondacks that teaches high schoolers from across the state more about the outdoors.
Now, with this grant, ESF plans to work with students from kindergarten through 12th grade, guiding them through area streams and teaching them about how communities interact with water.
"This opportunity with this grant is going to expose ESF to more young people that can experience what ESF has to offer and launch them into these wonderful careers that take place in the great outdoors," Mahoney said.
Mahoney said she has seen firsthand the benefits of nature on people of all ages.
“If a student grows up and never experiences nature, it is utterly and completely different than just getting out there once and feeling it for yourself and knowing you belong in the outdoors.”
SUNY Oswego will also receive a grant to make improvements at the Rice Creek Field Station. Other winning proposals from SUNY schools include teaching wilderness first aid, providing free bicycle rentals, and improving accessibility to nearby outdoor spaces.
