A living laboratory…
Mianus River Gorge (MRG) was founded in 1954 by a group of conservationists and natural scientists who recognized the unique value of our old-growth hemlock forest and its tremendous biodiversity. The early founders protected our land as a living laboratory to develop sound land and watershed management strategies.
Drawing on our scientific tradition, the Gorge has developed three innovative, interrelated research-based education programs to address real-world conservation problems brought on by urbanization. Students engaged in these programs work together to create a rich scientific learning community tasked with developing a better understanding of our local ecology through multi-year collaborative studies.
- Research Assistantship Program (RAP, for master and doctoral candidates),
- College Internship in Suburban Ecology (CISE, for college students), and the
- Wildlife Technician Program (WTP, for high school students)
In addition to our various student-based research projects, MRG staff scientists are involved in a number of on-site research studies, often in conjunction with other research and academic institutions. These studies all focus to some extent on applied ecology and forest management.