Woodland Ecology Research Mentorship in 3 Phases

During Phase I, interns gain foundational knowledge of the principles of restoration ecology, standard data collection methods and essential tools for scientific analysis. Interns take two classes, Mapping New York City's Urban Environment: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Restoration of New York City’s Natural Areas. These classes are a combination of formal instruction in the classroom or computer lab, and hands-on fieldwork in our woodland to apply key ecological principles to real-world situations.

Phase II builds on learning from the summer fieldwork and courses. Through projects, lessons, fieldtrips and presentations, interns deepen their understanding of scientific research, ecological principles, “green careers”, and NYC urban green areas. Weekly workshops (referred to as WERMshops!) spend the fall and winter doing various activities at Wave Hill and around NYC. In the spring, interns form small teams and select a mentor to begin laying the groundwork for research projects. Some examples of WERMshops include:

• Freshwater ecology data collection in Van Cortlandt Park
• Visit to The American Museum of Natural History
• Soil ecology exploration and soil dissection at Wave Hill

In Phase III, interns work on mentor-led, small group research projects 4 days a week. They work both with their mentors and independently with their team members. Interns meet weekly on Fridays to take the course Research Methods and to participate in an improv class focused on developing communication and public speaking skills. The phase culminates with interns presenting their research at a celebratory graduation symposium in August. Interns also have the opportunity to present their research through the NYC Science Research Mentoring Consortium, with events held in June and August at The American Museum of Natural History.

Past projects include:

• Urban Green Spaces and COVID-19: An Exploration of Park Use and Sense of Belonging in NYC
  WERM interns created a survey and surveying methodology to investigate people's usage of and sense of belonging in New York City parks before and after the City's stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Watch the video of the interns presenting their project.
• Forest Heath and Human Involvement: Planted vs Unplanted Sites in Van Cortlandt Park
  WERM interns researched the impact of human restoration on forests, comparing the forest composition of planted versus unplanted sites two years after restoration ​occurred.
  Watch the video of the interns presenting their project.
• NYC Pollinator Project: Monitoring the Future of the Big Apple
  WERM interns investigated pollinator populations while piloting a community science pollinator data collection protocol around different Bronx green spaces.
• Tracing the Spread of Invasive Pests Through Remote Sensing in the Lower Hudson Valley
  WERM interns used remote-sensing data to determine the spread of the emerald ash b​orer and hemlock woolly adelgid over the past five years in the Lower Hudson Valley.
  Watch the video of the interns presenting their project.
• Being Coyote-Smart: Developing a Rapid Assessment Protocol to Aid Coyote (Canis latrans) Management in NYC WERM interns used GIS software to create a map as a tool to identify priority areas in the Bronx for coyote management.
• Population and Community Ecology of Crayfish in an Urban Brook: Tibbetts Brook in Van Cortlandt Park
  WERM interns setup crayfish traps to determine distribution of native versus non-native species.
• Assessing The Effects of The Bronx River’s Water Quality on Riparian Plant Communities
  WERM interns collected data to measure the health of the Bronx River and draw connections with existing vegetation surveys.
• Beech Leaf Disease and the Future of Our Forests
  WERM interns, in collaboration with the Hunter College, researched the impact of an emerging threat to beech trees in New York City.
• Exploring the Correlation Between Vegetation and Arthropod Community Diversity on Urban Green Roofs
  WERM interns investigated green roofs across New York City and the relationship between vegetation and arthropod communities using diversity indices.
• Spotted Lanternfly Host Preference in New York City
  WERM interns collected data on host plants for spotted lanternflies across New York City. They then examined if spotted lanternflies showed a preference for plants that they have a shared evolutionary history with.