Pitcher plants grow in a bog in upstate New York. Photo by Chris Kitchen

Natural Resources and the Environment

Our vision

The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment is a world leader in scholarship addressing social and ecological dimensions of natural resources and the environment to improve environmental sustainability, promote the well-being of communities, and ensure access to sustainable energy and environmental resources.

What we work on

We create knowledge and facilitate learning to improve society’s stewardship of the environment and promote a conservation ethos for a sustainable planet.

People standing in a river spearing fish
Aquatic and Fisheries Ecology and Management
Three researchers with mountains in the background
Climate and Energy
A multi-plot garden with crops and shed in the foreground, with a blue sky and the tops of buildings of New York City off in the distance.
Conservation Social Sciences and Policy
Three researchers look into the distance through binoculars.
International Conservation
Three white terns fly in a group against a bright blue sky.
Terrestrial and Wildlife Ecology and Management

Commitment to diversity and inclusion

We are a diverse department of researchers, educators, students and staff that seek science-based solutions to environmental problems and sustainable natural resource management. In our research, teaching and outreach, we recognize that the acknowledgement and respect of all stakeholders’ perspectives is essential for achieving just and sustainable solutions to today’s environmental problems.

Read more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

News

A marsh with an open section of water in the center, surrounded by plants growing in the water. Multicolored trees circle the marsh, and mountains lay behind their reach. A beautiful fall day at this marsh in New Paltz, New York.

News

Cornell, DEC team up for green Hudson Valley land planning

Through a long partnership between Cornell and the DEC, communities in the Hudson watershed have received training, tools and assistance to advance conservation land-use planning and policy.

  • Department of Global Development
  • Natural Resources and the Environment
  • Land
Evon and Sydney Antonio in red fall attire, standing next to a lake, surrounded by trees. Fallen yellow leaves cover the ground.

News

Outreach supports Black rural landowners in Northeast

A new outreach publication shares the stories of Black forestland owners in the Northeast to raise awareness of legacies of discrimination and recommend policies for expanding access for minority landowners.

  • Department of Global Development
  • Natural Resources and the Environment
  • Landscape

News

Cornell group to comb data from Lake Superior sailing drones

Seafaring drones soon will allow Cornell scientists to examine the abundance and distribution of forage fish – like zooplankton and shrimp – that nourish species higher on the food chain.

  • Natural Resources and the Environment
  • Organisms
  • Water
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