Siuslaw Model Forest

The Siuslaw Model Forest is a property dedicated to education, research and demonstration of sustainable forestry and agroforestry techniques.

History

"Siuslaw" is a Native American word meaning “land of the far away river". The property was given the designation of Siuslaw by Eric Rasmussen, who named it in tribute to the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, where he worked as a forester in the 1950's.  Eric managed Suislaw for fifty years, and in 2006, his family donated the property to Cornell Cooperative Extension.

In 2007, Siuslaw was designated a NYC Department of Environmental Protection Model Forest. Siuslaw is managed in partnership with the Watershed Agricultural Council and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Siuslaw is one of four NYC Model Forests that demonstrate the importance of wise land stewardship in the protection of drinking water.

Education

• Hands-on Education - A wide variety of educational programs are offered at the Siuslaw Model Forest. Topics range from forestry practices and stream science, to bird walks and nature study.
  birding kids 
• Self-Guided Tour – Visitors can learn about land stewardship and tree identification, read about watersheds, agroforestry and other topics, by exploring the signs and brochures available at Siuslaw. Download our trail guide.
• Weather Station – Located just north of the Catskill Escarpment, the Siuslaw Model Forest gets some interesting weather ! The weather station records temperature, wind speed, rainfall and other data. Find out about current weather at the Siuslaw Model Forest.

Demonstration

The Siuslaw Model Forest features a number of demonstrations of agroforestry techniques, timber harvests, habitat enhancements and stream protection measures.

• Mushroom Laying Yard – demonstration of growing shitake mushrooms on sections of logs.
• Best Management Practices (BMP) – the woods road features demonstrations of open topped culverts, broad based dips, water bars and other techniques for preventing erosion and protecting water.
• Timber Stand Improvement (TSI)–TSI harvests are conducted with the aim of restoring habitat or thinning dense stands of trees.
• Habitat Enhancement – Demonstrations of habitat and landscape enhancements include: Trees for Tribs planting in a streamside area, bird nesting boxes, an American chestnut restoration effort and habitat enhancement thinnings.

Research

Researchers from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Cornell University, the Nature Conservancy and Hudsonia have conducted research at the Siuslaw Model Forest. If you are a researcher with an interest in conducting work at the Siuslaw Model Forest, contact the Agroforestry Resource Center staff member listed below.

Recreation

The Siuslaw Model Forest is open to visitors Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm and on weekends in conjunction with educational programs offered at the Agroforestry Resource Center. Suislaw features ponds, streams fields, forests and beautiful views of the Catskill escarpment. There are several trails to explore. Please check in at the Agroforestry Resource Center or the trail sign in box when you arrive. Download our trail guide.

Last updated May 20, 2024