This capstone project served as the academic foundation for a 10-year, community-driven urban forestry management plan for Irvington Woods Park. The plan aligns directly with the goals and rubric of New York State’s Climate-adaptive Core Capacity Grant (CoRe), from which our project was awarded $382,000 in 2025—making Irvington one of only 16 recipients of the $15 million statewide fund announced by Governor Kathy Hochul.
The work synthesizes the park’s conservation history, key policies, and the dedicated individuals who helped consolidate its many parcels into the 251-acre preserve it is today. It also outlines a framework for adaptive, long-term stewardship grounded in civic ecology, youth engagement, and local collaboration. The capstone emphasizes Irvington Woods Park as a living case study in urban forest resilience, with national recognition from the Old-Growth Forest Network and active research partnerships with institutions like Cornell University and Harvard Forest.
You can read the full capstone thesis below
For publication inquiries or permission to use the work, please contact me directly.
— CJ @ cjr272@cornell.edu
— CJ @ cjr272@cornell.edu
