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

Students pose for a photo holding their awards.

News

Three students win Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Awards
Matthew Borinshteyn ’25, Jennifer Lee ’23 and Avery MacLean ’22 received the 2022 Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Awards in recognition of their significant involvement in community service.
  • Agriculture Sciences Major
  • Natural Resources and the Environment
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Two people sit in a boat on an Adirondack Lake

News

Brook Trout hook for Cornell climate change research and extension outreach
In 1975, New York officially recognized the Brook Trout as the state fish. A favorite of anglers and a symbol of the pristine Upstate wilderness, this species also contributes to New York State’s annual $2 billion freshwater fishing industry...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Little Moose Field Station
  • Natural Resources and the Environment
Wooden fence.

News

Migrations grants fund worldwide interdisciplinary projects
Funded projects this cycle reflect the Migrations initiative’s interdisciplinary priorities of racism, dispossession and migration in the United States and international, multispecies migration.
  • Lab of Ornithology
  • Department of Global Development
  • Natural Resources and the Environment
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