Friends of Recreation, Conservation and Environmental Stewardship (FORCES)
The FORCES Program was launched in 2008 with the intention of boosting and growing volunteerism within New York state parks. The program creates opportunities for a wide range of mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance state parks while simultaneously providing students real world experiences and the opportunity to further their academic programs, gain valuable resume experience, and develop personal connections to New York state parks.
FORCES' presence is currently concentrated and most active with students, faculty and institutions in the Central and Finger Lakes Regions and is looking to expand to other areas of the state.
Mission & Program Goals
Engage New York State college students to simultaneously improve park resources and enrich student academic, recreational and career opportunities
Primary Program Goals
- Harness student expertise, volunteer and service efforts to create meaningful park and natural resource improvement projects and to enhance patron experience.
- Support and nurture the interest of college students in environmental conservation, recreation and historic preservation activities and careers.
- Increase awareness of, and engagement with New York State parks among college students and college communities.
While FORCES continues to evolve, the program is defined by the following elements:
Friends: Engaging new and interesting experiences, with a willingness to help improve their local parks and historic sites, through projects and programs they can feel good about.
Recreation: Increasing awareness of different forms of and ways to recreate, and improvement and maintenance projects that enhance hiking, sporting activities in New York state parks, including golf, swimming, baseball/softball, mountain biking, skiing, playgrounds, etc.
Conservation: Conserving and protecting the rich heritage and culture found in New York state historic sites and unique areas. Activities could include archiving, historical research, program creation, guiding historical tours, staffing museums and libraries, and participating in capital improvement projects at historic sites.
Environmental Stewardship: Involves environmental projects and education that benefit the parks, including invasive species management, plant and wildlife protection, water quality assessment, litter pickups, and trail improvements. In addition, park staff can utilize FORCES vast knowledge and professional expertise for biology and ecology to design and implement environmental education programs and events.
FORCES Newsletter
FORCES Steward Biographies
To sign up for our newsletter or request older issues of our newsletter and/or Who’s Who biographies dating back to 2016, please email Program Coordinator Amy Kochem, amy.kochem@parks.ny.gov
Resources for Interested Students
Benefits of getting involved:
- Gain experience and make connections with New York state park projects and employees
- Enhance your resume with notable skills and experience
- Try a variety of projects and fields to find out what you like
- Fill internship or volunteer requirements while doing something you love
- Help protect the beauty and biodiversity of New York state parks
Internships: For a semester, summer, or other long-term commitment, students can consider applying for one of our existing internships or creating their own. All internships can be tailored to meet the needs of the students involved, and students are welcome to design their own internship based on their interests, the needs of the park they would like to work in, and their availability. We use the term 'steward' rather than 'intern' as it more accurately describes the roles and responsibilities of students who join our growing team. Stewards are caretakers, and by accepting one of these positions, you are agreeing to protect and conserve the areas or resources designated by your specific project or position.
Research: Students wishing to gain research experience may find that state parks can provide the necessary locations to conduct the study they have in mind, or may be able to adopt a research question that a park has posed. FORCES can help facilitate research projects with focus on natural resource topics, as well as in other fields such as history, and planning and development.
Club trips: Clubs can get involved with FORCES by participating in service projects ranging from trail repair, and park structures maintenance to invasive species removal, trash pick-up, surveying and mapping, environmental outreach and education. Club trips to parks can be one-time events, or regular trips occurring once or twice a year. The best way to find options for your club is to contact the FORCES staff in your region with a description of your club and what types of projects you would be interested in.
FORCES clubs: There is currently an official FORCES club at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF).
Resources for Interested Faculty
University faculty can take advantage of FORCES and state parks to enhance their labs and classes, as a resource for information, as a destination for trips or a location for long-term research.
Class trips: Professors can use state parks as a destination for class trips to utilize resources that are not available on their campuses. Though these are, of course, park and school specific, some examples include gorges, streams or wetlands, specific invasive species, and wildlife. These specific areas may allow professors to illustrate their lessons and provide hands-on activities that would not have been possible in a classroom or on campus. FORCES staff can often accompany class trips when requested and can share their knowledge about the topic being discussed. Professors can also discuss the option of having FORCES staff or other park staff join their class for a lecture period and then lead an activity at a park as a follow-up. Options and opportunities for professors are very much dependent on the subject and interests of each individual professor. Contact FORCES staff to discuss options and possible collaboration.
Long-term projects and research collaboration: Professors can also involve their classes in long-term projects or research in parks. Some possible projects include monitoring of weather stations, conducting deer density studies, invasive species mapping, creation or monitoring of bird conservation areas, conducting wildlife track and sign surveys, and conservation of rare or threatened elements like the American hart’s tongue fern or the Chittenango ovate amber snail. Projects like these could be adopted by a class or professor and maintained as part of the course work. Long-term projects are often mutually beneficial for the classes and the parks, as they provide hands-on experience in unique settings for the students, and provide maintenance or data for the parks.
FORCES Social Media
Contact Us
Amy Kochem
FORCES Program Coordinator
Tom Hughes
FORCES Program Manager
Environmental Stewardship Biologist
Central Region
Josh Teeter
FORCES Program Manager Environmental Educator
Finger Lakes Region
Carlin Shew
FORCES Program Specialist
Finger Lakes Region