NATURAL AREAS CONSERVANCY INC

RESEARCH & CONSERVATION: IN 2024, THE NAC'S FORESTS IN CITIES PROGRAM GREW TO REPRESENT THE WORK OF 21 CITIES WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW CITY TEAMS. WE HOSTED A WORKSHOP IN MIAMI, FL, TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND SHOWCASE INNOVATION. WE STUDIED THE CAPACITY OF FORESTED NATURAL AREAS TO ABSORB STORMWATER AND REDUCE RUNOFF. NAC LED A CITYWIDE EFFORT, ALONG WITH NYC DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF SCIENTISTS TO COLLECT ECOLOGICAL DATA ON THE HEALTH AND EXTENT OF NEW YORK CITY'S NATURAL AREAS, LAST COMPLETED IN 2014. THE EFFORT INVOLVED DATA COLLECTION IN 77 PARKS ACROSS ALL 5 BOROUGHS AND WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN NYC'S ENVIRONMENT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) WE ASSESSED CHANGES IN THE HEALTH OF NYC'S NATURAL AREAS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. WE LAUNCHED A NATIONAL RESEARCH EFFORT TO MAP NATURAL AREAS IN 21 CITIES.

NYC PUBLIC PROGRAMS: IN 2024, OUR WORKFORCE AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (CUNY), LAUNCHED OUR NEW YEAR-ROUND URBAN NATURE, ECOLOGY, STEWARDSHIP, AND TRAINING (NEST) EFFORT. THIS FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES OVER 800 HOURS OF TECHNICAL TRAINING, STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE OUR FELLOWS COMPETITIVE FOR EARLY-CAREER POSITIONS IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. OUR CUNY STUDENT INTERNS SUPPORTED STAFF SCIENTISTS FROM THE NAC AND THE NYC PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT (NYC PARKS) ON THE 10-YEAR RE-COLLECTION OF ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT DATA IN NYC FORESTS AND WETLANDS, AS WELL AS TRAIL MAPPING IN FLOYD BENNETT FIELD AND NATIVE SEED PROPAGATION. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)WE ALSO SERVED 15 HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS WITH OUR EXPANDED STUDENT URBAN NATURE (SUN) HIGH SCHOOL PAID INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, SERVING LOCATIONS IN BOTH QUEENS AND STATEN ISLAND. OUR HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS PRESENTED THEIR RESEARCH PROJECTS ON NYC FORESTS AND WETLANDS AT A SYMPOSIUM AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY WITH NEARLY 300 OTHER HIGH SCHOOL STEM STUDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE NAC'S TRAILS TEAM CONTINUED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO NEW YORK CITY'S 300 MILES OF NATURE TRAILS WITH MORE PROGRAMMING FOR SEASONAL NATURAL AREAS TOURS AND WEEKLY TRAININGS, MADE POSSIBLE BY EXPANDING THE TEAM WITH A TRAILS VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR. WE ALSO HOSTED OUR 6TH ANNUAL TRAIL TECHNIQUES TRAINING FOR PRACTITIONERS AROUND THE CITY WHO WORK ON TRAILS AND PROVIDED A WEEK-LONG TRAINING AND SYMPOSIUM TO MEMBERS OF NYC PARKS AND OTHER LOCAL CONSERVANCIES. FINALLY, WE WORKED WITH OVER 400 VOLUNTEERS, WHO COMPLETED MORE THAN 2,300 HOURS OF WORK TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO NYC'S NATURAL AREAS.