Environmental Science

Frost Valley is committed to furthering the understanding of our environment through research.  We operate two long-term monitoring stations that track pollutants in precipitation, a rain gauge, and a weather station. In addition, Frost Valley collaborates with research agencies and educational institutions to further environmental science research. Research at Frost Valley has provided knowledge and understanding of environmental processes within the ecosystem.  Continuing this research and collaboration allows Frost Valley to further knowledge for science-based decision-making and practice environmental stewardship.

Frost Valley YMCA Research Partners

Frost Valley believes that Environmental Stewardship requires an investment into scientific research. For over 30 years research has been conducted through a collaborative effort to better understand the Catskill ecosystem. This effort includes federal, state, university and regional non-profit partners.

Biscuit Brook & Neversink River Research Watershed

Since 1983 the U.S. Geological Survey and Frost Valley have been partners on research and education.  The Biscuit Brook watershed is home to numerous scientific studies and long term research.  Biscuit Brook is home to a USGS Gaging Station as well at the NADP stations operated by Frost Valley Staff.

The Biscuit Brook Watershed monitors the following:

1. Precipitation and Deposition: Wet and Dry Deposition
2. Soils: Chemistry and Toxicity
3. Water: Organic contaminants, inorganic chemistry, trace metals, aquatic biota, and discharge

Stream data for Frost Valley’s Biscuit Brook is available from the USGS website. For more information regarding Biscuit Brook and the Neversink, see the U.S. Geological Survey link below.

Luke Roehm Technology Center

The Frost Valley Environmental Science Department is housed in the Luke Roehm Technology Center in the solar-powered Quirk Lodge. The staff oversees all scientific research conducted on Frost Valley property and serve as liaison to scientists and assists in data collection. Data is archived in the Roehm Center’s computer lab; selected data are stored on this web-site under the Environmental Monitoring tab.

Frost Valley operates three National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Stations. Frost Valley staff collect and process weekly water samples for the NADP: National Trends Network (NTN), Mercury Deposition (MDN) Stations, and Ammonia Monitoring Network (AMoN).  The NTN is the largest North American network that provides a long-term record of precipitation chemistry.  Each site has a rain gage and a precipitation collector.  The samples are tested for pH, specific conductance, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, and ammonium ions.  The MDN station is tested for total mercury in precipitation.  It is the only network providing a long-term record for the concentration of mercury (Hg) in precipitation in North America. Frost Valley also operates a station for the US EPA’s Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET)

Research Partners

• CARY Institute of Ecosystem Studies
• Central Connecticut State University
• Cornell University
• National Audubon Society
• NY State DEC/Biodiversity Research Institute
  
• Rondout-Neversink Stream Management Program
• Stroud Water Research Center
• SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
  
• SUNY Plattsburgh
• Syracuse University
• USDA Forest Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Watershed Agricultural Council

Environmental Monitoring

Our Environmental Science Department staff collects data from several environmental monitoring stations listed below.

USGS Biscuit Brook Gage Station

Location: Biscuit Brook
Data Collected: flow (ft 3 /s), stage (ft)
Type of Instrument: Campbell Scientific CR10X datalogger with pressure transducer
Link to Data

National Atmospheric Deposition Program, National Trends Network

(Site: Biscuit Brook-NY68)
Location: Sequoia Loop
Data Collected: daily, monthly, and yearly precipitation and Total precipitation and chemistry
Type of Instruments:  Pluvio E-gage, Belfort Raingage, Aerochem Metrics precipitation collector
Link to Data

National Atmospheric Deposition Program, Mercury Deposition Program

(Site: Biscuit Brook-NY68)
Location: Sequoia Loop
Data Collected: daily, monthly, and yearly precipitation, mercury chemistry
Link to Data

NYS Mesonet

NADP AMoN (Ammonia Monitoring Network)

Permanent Forest Inventory Plots