Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

09/01/2026

On Monday, faculty from Millbrook School spent an afternoon volunteering at Cary. We are grateful for the many hands that weeded ragweed and mugwort from the restored meadow in front of our main building, giving native plants more room to establish.

Native plant meadows are more than beautiful landscapes; they provide critical ecosystem services, from sequestering carbon and building soils to protecting water quality and supporting birds, pollinators, and other biodiversity.

Thank you to Millbrook School faculty for helping care for this important habitat!

09/01/2026

Late summer and early fall are prime times for harmful algal blooms to form in lakes and rivers. These green, goopy waters can produce toxins harmful to people, pets, and wildlife — and they’re becoming more common. In this 101, learn how to spot them, protect yourself and your loved ones, and how we can reduce them. Expert advice from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Department of Health, and Riverkeeper.

With harmful algal blooms (also known as HABs) on the rise throughout New York State, the U.S., and around the world, it is increasingly important to learn how to recognize them and what to do if you encounter one.

08/28/2026

Seeking three Changing Hudson Teacher Fellows—one elementary, one middle, and one high school teacher—to collaborate on Cary’s Changing Hudson 2.0 curriculum.

Apply by August 31.

Teachers will help develop materials about the ecology of the Hudson River, field test new curricula, and act as Peer Mentors to other teachers across the watershed. Earn a stipend and CTLE credits.

For more information and to apply, visit caryinstitute.org/education/educators/changing-hudson-20

Twenty years ago, Cary Education embarked on a curriculum project to develop materials to help students understand the ecology of the Hudson River and how it changes over time. The Changing Hudson Project curriculum lives on as foundational lessons in Hudson River ecology, but new phenomenon are eme...

08/28/2026

Now accepting applications for Cary’s 2027 Fundamentals of Ecosystem Ecology (FEE) course. This 2-week ecosystem science immersion, taught by Cary scientists, runs from January 4-15, 2027. Application deadline: October 2.

Graduate students in ecology, environmental studies, or related fields will explore the ecosystem concept, energy dynamics, food webs, biogeochemical cycles, current hot topics in the field, and more. Upper-level undergraduates may be admitted if space allows.

Held in-person at Cary Institute’s Millbrook, NY campus. The cost of the class is $915 per student, which includes course fees, materials, and lodging. Students are encouraged to apply early; spaces are limited and fill quickly.

Learn more: https://www.caryinstitute.org/education/graduate-opportunities

08/25/2026

What goes up must come down. A new study coauthored by Cary's Kathleen Weathers finds that wildfire smoke mixed with rain can deliver unusually large bursts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to downwind ecosystems.

Kathleen Weathers, a co-author of the study, notes that nutrient-rich rain associated with wildfire smoke may provide a fertilizing effect in nutrient-poor ecosystems while potentially contributing to pollution in nutrient-rich ecosystems. “Where it lands makes a big difference. The broader ecological consequences of these nutrient pulses remain uncertain and will be a focus of our next study.”

The study was published in Global Change Biology and authored by Alexandra Ponette-González (The University of Utah), Janice Brahney (Utah State University), Heather Holmes (The University of Utah), Bryn Spielvogel (The University of Utah), and Kathleen Weathers (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies).

Read the paper: Smoke-Affected Rain Fertilizes Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.71050



Image: NASA Earth Observatory

08/25/2026

Cary ecologist Richard Ostfeld weighs in on the rise of Lone Star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome in this New York Times piece by Benjamin Wallace. The story also features memorable images by Ben Salb.

“Never knowing whether your next hamburger might be your last is a hugely attention-getting proposition,” says Richard S. Ostfeld, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/20/magazine/tick-season-lone-star-alpha-gal-syndrome-lyme.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8FA._X2T.xmcvWg-6WCuY&smid=url-share

The New York Times

08/24/2026

This article by Eric Niiler and photojournalist Nic Coury features Cary ecologist Winslow Hansen, who leads the Western Fire & Forest Resilience Collaborative, as well as WFFRC member Johan Eckdahl of UC Berkeley. It examines how high-intensity fires are reshaping Western forests, with major implications for water resources and carbon storage.

At a field site in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, even fire-dependent species like ponderosa pine are failing to regenerate. Hansen noted, “We haven’t found one ponderosa seedling. Ponderosa seeds have adapted to fire. That’s how they live. But the fires are just too hot for them.”

The New York Times
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Towering woodlands in the West are being permanently replaced by tracts of spiky shrubs. Conditions “just aren’t normal anymore,” one researcher said.

08/21/2026

Cary research technician Sam Mateo Jr talks about how to be a community naturalist for the Defining Urban Biodiversity (DUB) project. A smartphone is the only tool needed to participate. This park visit focused on birds and the and apps, but the (iNaturalist.org) can also be used to identify and record any local flora and fauna. If observations are in the city boundaries of Kingston, Newburgh, or Poughkeepsie, they can be included in the research.

https://www.caryinstitute.org/science/research-projects/defining-urban-biodiversity

08/18/2026

Are you a K-12 teacher in the Hudson Valley?

We are seeking three Teacher Fellows to collaborate on our Changing Hudson 2.0 project to develop new ecology curriculum material based on emerging phenomena in the Hudson River.

Join us in creating powerful lessons rooted in Hudson River datasets that support student data literacy and engage students in scientific storytelling. Teachers of all grade levels are encouraged to apply–we are seeking one fellow each from elementary school, middle school, and high school levels.

This is a 60-hour paid opportunity over the course of the 2026-2027 school year.

Cary Institute Education

Application deadline: August 31, 2026
https://www.caryinstitute.org/education/educators/changing-hudson-20

08/17/2026

New paper documents some of the biggest surprises from 35 years of monitoring ticks and Lyme disease ecology at .

Among them: mice, rather than white-tailed deer, play a major role in Lyme disease risk. Acorns can provide an early warning for increases in tick abundance. And, unfortunately, ticks can withstand cold winters.

The findings underscore the value of long-term ecological research. Insights emerged after decades of monitoring an ecological community.

Long-term research funded by Science Foundation (NSF).

For more than 35 years, researchers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York have been studying how interactions between acorns, rodents, ticks, predators, and climate shape Lyme-disease risk in people. A new paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science...