Geared toward high school level Regents exams and AP Environmental Studies classes to expose students to the concepts, methods, and modes of field analysis used by biologists and research ecologists working in urban freshwater and forest ecosystems.

Once booked, VCPA staff will contact you to select an aquatic or terrestrial study.

• Freshwater Ecology: Includes water quality measurement, benthic macroinvertebrate identification, and pond health assessment. Approx. 90 minutes

• Invasive Species Project: Includes causes and effects of invasive plants as well as how ecosystems respond, using a real site in the park as a field study. Features videos for in-school lab time and field work in Van Cortlandt Park. Approx. 120 min

Each topic is customizable to fit the needs of your class. VCPA will provide a lab that contains pre-visit work and hands-on, day-of trip components that focus on topics most likely to appear on AP or Regents exams.

Note: This program is now booked through the VCPA Volunteer Page at https://vancortlandt.org/programs-overview/community-stewardship/

With miles of hiking trails and hundreds of acres of natural areas within Van Cortlandt Park, your students can help maintain a healthy park. Depending on the season, students will help with trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, or planting projects to promote a healthy ecosystem.

Best for older students, middle school and up, the average volunteer day is 2-3 hours long and is customized to fit each group.

This program is designed to get students outside to explore the park’s trails with an experienced guide. Hikes range in length but average 2-3 hours and can include beautiful lookout points, forest and wetland areas, and geological features of the park. Great for getting those steps in and with so many trail options is appropriate for all levels of hiking ability.

Visit the VCPA Youth Run Farm Stand where you’ll meet the teens who manage a real-life farmers market!

Pre-k kids learn to identify locally grown vegetables. Older kids learn what parts of the plant we eat, sample local produce, decorate pumpkins during the fall, and talk with VCPA’s high school interns about running the market.

Activities (and veggies!) vary with the season. Each child gets a $2 voucher to shop–and work on their math skills while trying new foods and building ownership over choices that build healthy eating habits.

The market is located on the corner of Orloff Avenue and Gale Place. Trips are available from July through October after 2 pm.

Explore an urban forest, learn what a forester does, and lend a hand with a stewardship project in the park. First, students take a gentle hike through Van Cortlandt Park’s woodlands, then they investigate a forest site and spend time removing invasive plants or planting native trees.

Using all of their senses to observe the park around them, students experience the forest, field, and wetlands of Van Cortlandt Park.

This program can be customized to fit any age or topic and can focus on the seasons, trees, animals, ecosystems, or simply getting your students outside and making observations.
Program length: 45-75 minutes, depending on age and ability.

Is the pond a healthy ecosystem? How can we tell?
Students explore the ecosystem of Hester & Piero’s Mill Pond in search of answers to these questions. By observing and identifying macroinvertebrates found in the pond, students will determine the diversity of the pond ecosystem and learn how that information helps scientists gauge the health of that system.
Note: Students do not enter the water.

Everything in the garden is connected! Students will learn that familiar vegetables they eat are actually parts of plants grown in the garden; they will see how bees and butterflies help the garden grow; and they will explore the role worms and other decomposers play in making rich soil for planting. Get ready to get your hands dirty!

Help plant or harvest vegetables, turn food scraps and weeds into compost, and make sure our garden is running smoothly. Tasks vary by group and season but include general maintenance of the site: weeding and watering the vegetable beds; harvesting produce; adding organic material to compost bins; chopping, turning, and sifting bins; and lots more!

We provide tools, gloves, and garden information. You provide eager students, ready to spend some time giving back to the park and their community.

Enter the park at Broadway and Mosholu Ave.