Model Forests

The Four Model Forests

• Clearpool Model Forest

  At 264 acres, the Clearpool Model Forest in Putnam County is owned and managed by Green Chimney’s Clearpool Campus and is located near the Boyds Corner Reservoir. The Clearpool Model Forest provides Best Management Practice (BMP) demonstrations, an active sugarbush, and miles of trails and roads.  

  Clearpool Model Forest is managed by Green Chimneys. The site features a dining hall that overlooks a 10 acre lake, accommodations for workshops and events of all sizes, and is situated in the geographic center of the Model Forest. 
  People interested in visiting the Clearpool Model Forest should visit Green Chimney’s Clearpool Campus website for event listings, or call or email for more information.

  33 Clearpool Road 
  Carmel, NY 10512 
  Phone: (845) 225-8226 
  E-Mail: info@greenchimneys.org 
  Website: https://www.greenchimneys.org/ 

• Frost Valley Model Forest

  Located in Ulster County the Frost Valley Model Forest was opened in 2003, becoming the second operational forest in the New York City Watershed Model Forest Program. As one of the nation’s leading environmental education institutions, Frost Valley YMCA provides top-notch educational resources and a welcoming atmosphere that greatly enhances the model forest experience. Visitors to this model forest, located in Ulster County, are blessed with amazing scenery, well-maintained recreational trails, and comprehensive learning opportunities, all leading to an unforgettable outdoor educational experience. 

  In its short history, the Frost Valley Model Forest has hosted informative woods walks and recreational hikes for landowners, local leaders, international dignitaries, foresters and loggers, interested citizens, and thousands of YMCA campers. It also supports a wealth of scientific research and forest health monitoring. Interpretive signs have been placed next to demonstration sites and other interesting locations along the forest’s road and trails. In addition to outdoor opportunities, the Frost Valley Model Forest includes an indoor classroom. The classroom helps bolster the visitor’s experience by providing a venue for indoor educational presentations, which can be followed by outdoor walks. The Frost Valley Model Forest is open during hours of daylight, year-round. 
   
  The Model Forest is open Monday through Saturday 8:30am-5:00pm, Sunday 8:30am-noon. Visitors to the Frost Valley Model Forest are asked to register at the Frost Valley Administration Building, one mile from the trail head.  

  2000 Frost Valley Road 
  Claryville, NY 12725 
  Phone: 845-985-2291 
  E-Mail: info@frostvalley.org 
  Website: http://frostvalley.org/

• Lennox Model Forest

  Located in Delaware County, the Lennox Memorial Model Forest became the first operational forest in the Model Forest Program. The completion of this model forest marked a realization of the late John A. Lennox’s vision for the property. As the former landowner and first director of 4H Camp Shankitunk, John A. Lennox willed this property to Cornell Cooperative Extension with a mandate to use the property as an outdoor classroom for natural resources education and outreach. In association with the Delaware County 4-H Camp Shankitunk, the Model Forest Program Partners have helped solidify John A. Lennox’s legacy by creating a Model Forest on this central Delaware County property in his honor. 

  Since coming on-line, the Lennox Memorial Model Forest has hosted numerous outdoor events attracting visitors from around the world. It also supports scientific research and forest health monitoring. It is open year-round during hours of daylight to any individual or group interested in learning about applied ecology in an outdoor setting. 

  Visitors to the Lennox Model Forest are asked to call CCE Delaware County at (607) 865-6531 before visiting. 

  2420 Arbor Hill Road 
  Delhi, NY 13753 
  Phone: (607) 865-6531 
  E-Mail: delaware@cornell.edu 

• Siuslaw Model Forest

  The Siuslaw Model Forest is located on Route 23 in Greene County, one of the most traversed pathways into the Catskill region. It is easily accessible to major metropolitan areas and an ideal location for educational programs consistent with WAC’s mission of sustaining the ecologic and economic value of forestland. The Siuslaw Model Forest provides innovative demonstrations in the field of agroforestry such as the cultivation of mushrooms and ginseng. The goal is to raise visitors’ level of knowledge of agroforestry and the different opportunities it can provide. 

  The model forest is managed by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia & Greene Counties and is part of the Agroforestry Resource Center. The ARC features a 5,000 sq ft educational facility with a classroom and exhibit area that hosts local events and workshops. Across the street from the educational facility is the 142-acre Siuslaw Model Forest. 

  Visitors to Siuslaw Model Forest are asked to sign in and sign out at the Agroforestry Resource Center, directly across the road from the trail head. Trail maps are also available there. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30am, to 4:00pm. 
   
  The Model Forest Program is a partnership between the Watershed Agricultural Council, the State University of New York – College of Environmental Science & Forestry (SUNY-ESF), and the various Model Forest hosts.

  6055 Route 23 
  Acra, NY 12405 
  Phone: (518) 622-9820 
  E-Mail: columbiagreene@cornell.edu  
  Website: http://ccecolumbiagreene.org/