Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) environment programs engage individuals and communities in conserving and sustaining the quality, diversity, and accessibility of New York's natural resources and environmental assets. 

A man sitting at a table wearing head phones and talking into a microphone

News

  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
Fall foliage reaches its peak

News

Cornell Cooperative Extension has named David Kay the critical issue lead for extension programming in the areas of climate change and sustainable energy, effective September 1. The appointment, envisioned as a two-year commitment, reflects CCE...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension

Featured Programs

To learn about the programs that are offered in your area, visit or contact a local CCE office.

Soil sample pulled from field

A team of Climate Smart Farming educators and researchers help NYS farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production and energy use, increase farm resiliency to extreme weather and climate variability, and sustainably increase productivity and income.

Educator with group of volunteers in NYC park with city skyline in background

Cutting edge and research-based, the Climate Steward program teaches volunteers strategies for increasing their community’s resilience to climate change, and reducing their community’s impacts on the climate.

Child holding fish on fishing poll

This program engages educators and youth in authentic inquiry and experiential learning as they explore the natural environment.

Group of people with hard hats in front of forest

A network of over 140 experienced master forest owner volunteers provides private woodland owners of New York State with the information and encouragement necessary to manage their forest holdings wisely.

Karen Snover-Clift, professor of plant science (SIPS) and Jennifer Kotary of the NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation assess Oak Wilt in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

This science-based training program is designed to teach adults about New York’s natural resources, empowering them to educate others and participate in on-the-ground conservation and monitoring projects.

A orange-gloved hand holding an oyster with an ocean in the background

NYSG is a cooperative program of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Cornell University which promotes the informed stewardship of coastal resources through integrated research, education, and extension services.

Research Spotlight

Solar Energy

New York state has set ambitious goals to wean its economy off fossil fuels by 2050 while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 85%. To help reach those goals, Cornell researchers are partnering with CCE to study ways the state’s mix of sun and farmland will factor into plans.

Research Spotlight

The Digital Divide

The National Science Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to Cornell engineers and researchers to help them bridge New York’s digital divide by designing the nation’s first statewide Internet of Things public infrastructure.

Research Spotlight

Nature Rx

Associate Professor of Plant Science, Donald A. Rakow shares the health benefits of getting outdoors, He says, "a wealth of evidence in recent years shows that being active in nature, just sitting outside in nature, or even looking at a picture of nature have benefits to your overall wellbeing." 

Dryden solar farm
Two men drilling technology into the side of a house
Girl in garden examining a plant

Partner organizations and programs

Programs throughout Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences partner with CCE educators on environment, natural resources, sustainable energy and climate change work.

Stories

Pile of yellow and green computer chips of various sizes

News

From e-waste to gold: a pathway to CO2 sustainability

A Cornell-led research team has developed a method for extracting gold from electronics waste, then using the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, to organic materials.

  • Food Science
  • Environment
  • Natural Resources
Close up of a green leaf with water droplets

News

New research elucidates a raindrop’s impact on a leaf - the equivalent in mass of a bowling ball hitting a person - and the physical dynamics that help the leaf survive.

  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Biology
  • Plants
coyote in a field

News

Researchers in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment have developed a new model to understand wildlife interactions. They’ve found that coyote populations in upstate New York may benefit fishers but not American martens.

  • Natural Resources and the Environment
  • Animals
  • Environment