Environmental Education Research Programs

The environmental education research programs supported by Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators provide students the opportunity to perform fieldwork on Long Island rivers and within local communities to learn more about the environment.

Open Space Stewardship Program (OSSP)

The Open Space Stewardship Program provides environmental research opportunities to students from kindergarten to twelfth grade by exploring their own communities, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for the open space within their neighborhoods. Visit the OSSP website. 

A Day in the Life Program

"A Day in the Life" of a River (ADITL) is a collaboration between the Central Pine Barrens Commission, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and Brookhaven National Laboratory that annually provides over 2500 students and teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools across Long Island (LI) the opportunity to learn more about their local habitats with a focus on aquatic ecosystems. Participants collect information about LI rivers, streams, and estuaries, including physical properties and water quality data, as well as analyze biological specimens such as fish and macroinvertebrates.  Collected data is compiled into shared spreadsheets that can be accessed by all the schools for further longitudinal analyses and observations of long-term trends. ADITL helps to educate participants on the unique characteristics of New York State designated wild and scenic environments.

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Brookhaven National Lab Research Initiative

A partnership between SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and Brookhaven National Lab provides ESF graduate students and faculty the opportunity to utilize areas within Brookhaven Lab's 5,000 acre campus as a New York downstate field station for research and outreach activities. Visit the Environmental Science and Forestry website.