Rory Paltridge and Willem Light-Olson

Mentor: Caleb Centanni

Riparian buffer zones are known to provide essential ecosystem services for the prevention and mitigation of flood risk, damage from agricultural runoff, and habitat loss. Recovering and bolstering existing riparian buffers by actively introducing plants is an endeavor that organizations like the NYSDEC and their program, Trees for Tribs have seen some success in. The emerging field of bioacoustics allows for the passive monitoring of calling species in a given area. Studying the prevalence and identities of calls from various birds, amphibians, and insects have also been used to define "indicator species." These are species whose populations can be used as a proxy for measuring environmental health and sustainability. Thus, in order to evaluate the progress of various riparian recovery efforts, monitoring the calls and population health indices of indicator species proves to be an effective and simpler solution than alternatives like point counts. This project aimed to use Cornell SwiftOne recorders at a number of different riparian buffer zones where active plant introduction takes place to monitor bird populations at each one. Specifically, ground and shrub nesting birds were identified as potential indicator taxa, helping to limit the scope of the project. Investigating potential correlations between the health of these populations and environmental stressors relevant to a buffer zone such as distance to agricultural and urban development was carried out to allow for conclusions to be drawn concerning the progress of these riparian recovery zones.

Flood Resilience Planning, Emergency Management, and MyCoast in Tompkins County and New York State

Ali Hartung, Maddie Miele, and Yiting Zhang

Mentor: Dr. Kristen Hychka

Frequent and severe flooding poses growing threats to communities across New York State (NYS). Communities need to develop strategies to address current and future conditions. Traditional emergency management approaches and flood resilience planning often rely on existing datasets. However, these datasets often focus on major flood events and overlook smaller scale events, areas of recurrent flooding, and headwater systems. Moreover, planning efforts often do not engage with broad sections of vulnerable community members. MyCoast, a public portal to share reports of flooding and hazardous weather impacts, provides a channel for community input to help bridge these information gaps in flood data. This project aims to increase community engagement in flood resilience planning and flood emergency outreach by promoting the use of MyCoast in New York and Tompkins County specifically. We conducted outreach across Tompkins County via tabling events to the public and scheduled presentations to municipal stakeholders. We have also compiled a county package to advertise MyCoast across NYS counties that includes general background information on MyCoast and its application, MyCoast Data Visualizations, and an Outreach Plan including guidance on incorporating historic photos into MyCoast and using social media to promote the use of MyCoast. Community-based tools, such as MyCoast, are essential for building community resilience against increasing chronic and extreme flood risks.

Responding to Invasion: Insecticide Prevalence & Impacts to the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario Aquatic Ecosystems in Response to Spotted Lanternfly Invasion

Mariacamila Villa-Perez and Brune Boukobza

Mentor: Dr. Evie Brahmstedt

The invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) (Lycorma delicatula) poses a rapidly growing threat to agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability in the northeastern United States. In response to its spread, it is expected that neonicotinoid insecticides, highly effective but environmentally persistent, will become a primary control strategy. These compounds are frequently detected in surface and groundwater, where they affect aquatic invertebrates and disrupt freshwater food webs. The Finger Lakes and southern Lake Ontario regions are especially vulnerable due to intense agricultural land use, expanding SLF infestations, and hydrologic connectivity. Despite emerging regulations like New York State's Birds and Bees Protection Act, pesticide application is still expected, and significant data gaps remain regarding environmental prevalence and impacts. We predict overall higher pesticide concentrations in areas with intensive agricultural or urban land use. Neonicotinoid use is expected to rise in grape and apple-growing regions (2026-2027) but decline in urban and corn areas. Sites with elevated pesticide levels will likely show reduced macroinvertebrate diversity and particularly lower functional diversity indices where neonicotinoid concentrations are highest.

This project is looking to establish baseline data on insecticide concentrations in water bodies and aquatic invertebrates, assess community structure, and evaluate ecological risks. Field sampling, chemical analyses and biodiversity metrics are paired with public outreach material to inform growers and communities about the consequences of neonicotinoid use. The project aims to contribute quantifiable data and communication tools to support integrated pest management strategies and science-based pesticide regulation in vulnerable regions.

How to Avoid Making Things Worse: Planning to Avert Maladaptation and Disservices in Local Climate Adaptation Planning

Maddie Miele and Charlotte Nelson

Mentor: Shannon Duerr

This project aims to address the risks of maladaptation and disservices in local climate adaptation planning. Climate change is a treat to communities in New York State (NYS) and around the world, increasing the frequency and severity of extreme heat, drought, wildfire, flooding and other environmental hazards. NYS must adapt to the effects of climate change that cannot be avoided, alongside existing efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, even well-intentioned adaptation efforts can have unintended consequences, increasing vulnerability. This project seeks to develop a practical guidance questionnaire tool to help municipalities anticipate and avoid these risks during the planning phase.

The tool is based on a foundational understanding of maladaptation and NYS climate hazards, a review of relevant literature and planning tools, and insights gathered from expert interviews. Findings have been developed into open-ended questionnaires for two target audiences. The primary tool consists of questions geared toward municipalities and local organizations considering adaptation actions; a secondary questionnaire enables local leaders to solicit input from residents and other individual stakeholders. Both are formatted into section-specific sections (e.g. environment, health and safety, transportation, social factors). Questions in each section provide a sample response for clarity and an area for the user to explain their reasoning. The sections are designed to guide users in evaluating potential maladaptive outcomes that might have not been considered. These final products will contribute to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Ecosystem-based Adaptation Implementation Guide - a collection of tools and guidance under development which will help communities develop and implement successful, equitable and impactful climate change adaptation projects.

A 15-Year Profile of Chemical Discharges into New York's Water Bodies

Brune Boukobza and Alison Hartung

Mentor: Dr. Rassil Sayess and Dr. Anna Haws

Industrial discharge of heavy metals into surface waters poses a growing environmental and public health concern, especially in states like New York with dense industrial activity and extensive freshwater systems. This study compiles and analyzes 15 years (2009-2024) of surface water discharge data from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), focusing on facilities associated with heavy metal use in manufacturing and battery production. Using statistical tools in R and spatial mapping in ArcGIS, the project identifies patterns in discharge quantities, temporal variability, and geographic distribution of reporting facilities across New York State. Preliminary results suggest that while some metals appear consistently across facilities, a small number of industrial sites contribute disproportionately to overall release volumes. Spatial clustering of discharge sites further reveals that contamination is concentrated in specific industrial regions, often near major water bodies such as the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. The study also considers potential environmental justice implications by evaluating whether higher discharge levels occur near disadvantaged communities. Findings indicate that several high discharge facilities are located near or upstream from areas classifies as disadvantaged, raising concerns about cumulative exposure risks and equitable resource protection. These findings aim to inform regulatory updates, guide targeted monitoring efforts, and support sustainable management of New York's freshwater resources.

Comparison of Macroinvertebrate Abundance and Diversity in Water Chestnut Monocultures and Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Beds of the Seneca River, NY

Willem Light-Olson, Rory Paltridge, and Mariacamila Villa-Perez

Mentor: Dr. Anna Haws

Water chestnut (Trapa natans L.) is an invasive aquatic plant that has spread extensively throughout the Northeastern United States since its introduction in the mid-1800s. Its dense floating leaf rosettes alter aquatic environments by reducing dissolved oxygen and reshaping macroinvertebrate communities. While previous studies have examined these impacts on tidal systems like the Hudson River, few have analyzed this plant's impact outside of the Hudson River. This study focuses on the Seneca River to evaluate the effects of T. natans on macroinvertebrate communities. Samples were collected from T. natans and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds, and both epiphytic (plant-associated) and benthic (sediment-dwelling) macroinvertebrates were identified and quantified in the lab. Because macroinvertebrates are critical to ecosystem functioning, including supporting fisheries, through food web dynamics, understanding how T. natans influences these communities is essential. Our results found that the greatest macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness and evenness were found in SAV beds, while more taxonomic diversity was found in beds of T. natans. The latter result conflicted with our original hypothesis, so an expansion of this study would be required to validate the results.

Returning to Lenapehoking

Charlotte Nelson

Mentor: Ben Maracle

Due to a history of dispossession, the Lenape and Mohican-Munsee peoples currently reside hundreds and even thousands of miles from their homelands - Lenapehoking - what is now known as the Hudson Valley, Delaware, New Jersey, and parts of Pennsylvania. Returning to Lenapehoking is a scoping project working with Lenape and Mohican-Munsee peoples to support current and future meaningful engagement and stewardship of their homelands. During a week-long homelands trip with Lenni Lenapexkweyok, an organization of Lenape matriarchs dedicated to revitalizing Lenape presence in their homelands, a presentation about Hudson River environmental history was developed to guide conversations around current and future stewardship opportunities.

Through conversations with Lenape partners, this project also included the creation of a medicine garden planted with native traditional medicine plants significant to the Lenape people, with accompanying informational signage. The signage includes a short history of Lenape presence in Lenapehoking despite forced dispossession and the names of medicine plants in Munsee, Unami, Mohawk, Spanish, and English. There are also plans to develop a memory game with pictures of flora and fauna of Lenapehoking with English and Lenape names to promote learning in Lenape and Mohican-Munsee communities. Due to their forced removal, access to important flora and fauna is limited to homelands trips, and many of the Lenape words associated are seldom used, so the memory game helps put those words back into conversation. This project cultivates an understanding of intentional Indigenous engagement methodologies in theory and practice, cross-cultural competency, and overall community engagement and outreach skills.

New York State Road-Stream Crossings as Barriers to Aquatic Connectivity

Yiting Zhang

Mentor: Jared Popoli

Under sized, maintained, and installed road-stream culverts pose serious risks to both humans and wildlife. They are prone to overtopping, which often results in roadway damage and endangers the safety of road users. They can fragment stream connectivity, limiting the movement of aquatic organisms, and consequently, leading to declines in their abundance and the possibility of extripation for already vulnerable species.

The North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) is an organization that provides road-stream crossing data to assist stakeholders in prioritizing the removal of such failing structures and barriers to aquatic connectivity. Beginning in 2015, NAACC has developed an interregional crossing database, assessment protocols, and a network of trained surveyors. NAACC currently operates across 13 Northeastern states, with expansion efforts underway, including recent advancements toward a national-scale program. While its road-stream crossing data has been instrumental in informing barrier removal and connectivity restoration efforts, the current NAACC Stream Continuity Portal can be challenging to navigate for non-technical stakeholders. This project seeks to bridge this engagement gap through a StoryMap and supporting resources. These materials can help identify high-priority projects, support asset management planning, secure funding opportunities, assist with permit applications, and strengthen overall public awareness about aquatic connectivity.