Ten Students Gain Hands-on Experience In Watershed Science and Natural Resource Management As College Strengthens Pathways to STEM Careers
August 26, 2026 – Stone Ridge, NY — For decades, SUNY Ulster students have taken their science education beyond the classroom and into the streams, forests and watersheds of the Catskills through a longstanding partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP).
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Watershed Conservation Corps (WCC), a cooperative internship program established through an agreement between SUNY Ulster and NYC DEP that has linked more than 200 students with professional scientists and engineers to enhance the study of streams, creeks, and rivers throughout the Catskills. This summer, the partnership provided 10 SUNY Ulster students with hands-on experience working alongside environmental experts in stream management and natural resource conservation throughout New York City’s watershed system.
Six of the enrolled students assisted NYC DEP’s Stream Management Program and program partners with field data collection in Catskill streams. Their work included topographic surveys, stream feature inventories, structure-from-motion photogrammetry, and monitoring and maintenance associated with the Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative within NYC DEP’s West-of-Hudson reservoir watersheds.
The 2026 Watershed Conservation Corps interns were primarily students in SUNY Ulster’s Environmental Studies, Engineering, and other STEM programs: Chloe Goodin, a Spring 2026 graduate who will attend SUNY New Paltz this fall; Nick Caracciolo, Kaitlyn Cardis, Kaia Mohammed, and Robert Conti, who will return to SUNY Ulster this fall; and Maxen Rodriguez, who will return this fall and is expected to graduate at the conclusion of the semester.
“The Watershed Conservation Corps gives our students the opportunity to move from learning about environmental science to actually practicing it,” said Dr. Jennifer Guiher, Professor of Biology, SUNY Ulster. “They are working alongside professionals, using field-based technologies and contributing to meaningful watershed projects. Experiences like these help students see where their education can take them and give them skills and confidence they can carry into their next academic or professional opportunity.”
One of this summer’s interns, Maxen Rodriguez shared, “This internship heavily correlates with my favorite subjects pertaining to environmental studies at SUNY Ulster. It has exposed me to various new subject materials as well as career opportunities. I am now anticipating delving deeper into earth and atmospheric science for my bachelor’s degree as well as explore future DEP internship opportunities in water and data analysis. I do believe this opportunity has helped me explore another niche of environmental science and will help me in the future explore more opportunities in water science.”
Kaitlyn Cardis, another 2026 summer intern added, “By using new techniques and equipment, we gained experience with the software used, field terminology and the collection of data that could be used professionally in the future. Learning to make confident, fact-based decisions on the spot and in the field as we go will be a useful skill in most employment opportunities as it encourages us to apply the information gained from our Environmental Studies courses in a real-world situation.”
An additional four SUNY Ulster students spent the summer working with NYC DEP’s Natural Resources Division, based at its Kingston office. Their work took them throughout the Catskill and Delaware watersheds in Ulster, Delaware, Greene and Sullivan counties, as well as east of the Hudson River in Putnam and Westchester counties.
The Natural Resources Division interns were Gunnar Bednarz, an Environmental Studies graduate now pursuing his bachelor’s degree at SUNY Binghamton; Hannah Coddington and Sean Cornelison Jr., Environmental Studies students expected to graduate in Spring 2027; and Sierra Hikade, a Liberal Arts graduate now pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Rhode Island.
Working alongside NYC DEP natural resources staff, the students assisted with invasive plant management and removal, forest monitoring, and species surveys and mapping throughout the watersheds. They also conducted work that led to research projects focused on: monitoring predator populations used in the biological control of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive pest threatening native hemlock trees, and examining dragonfly biodiversity within the watershed.
On August 13, the four Natural Resources Division interns presented their research at NYC DEP’s Kingston office. Among those attending was NYC DEP Bureau of Water Supply Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Garigliano, Assistant Commissioner Shilo Williams, and Natural Resources Division Chief Laurie Machung. SUNY Ulster President Dr. Alison Buckley and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Fabiola Berdiel also attended and spoke with the students about their summer research and field experiences.
The Stream Management interns similarly concluded their summer experience by presenting scientific summaries of their fieldwork to NYC DEP and SUNY Ulster staff and their fellow interns. In both programs, the presentations challenged students to move beyond collecting and analyzing scientific information to communicating their work—an essential skill for careers in science and technology.
“For three decades, our partnership with NYC DEP has given SUNY Ulster students access to extraordinary learning opportunities while allowing them to contribute to work that is incredibly important to our region,” said Dr. Alison Buckley, President of SUNY Ulster. “These students are applying what they learn in the classroom, working alongside accomplished professionals and beginning to see themselves as scientists, technicians and environmental problem-solvers. That is exactly the kind of educational experience we want to create for our students.”
Building Pathways from the Classroom to STEM Careers
The 30-year partnership with NYC DEP also complements SUNY Ulster’s broader efforts to strengthen pathways into STEM and technical careers, including the College’s work through its National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) grant.
Alumni of the program have gone on to be professional scientists or engineers at the DEP and the National Resources Conservation Service as well as local soil and water conservation districts.
Amanda Cabanillas participated as an intern in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. “I was working as a bartender and had recently decided to attend SUNY Ulster. I wouldn’t be where I am today without this internship. It gave me the opportunity to build meaningful professional connections while developing hands-on skills. It directly prepared me for and helped me secure the position I’m in now, Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative Coordinator at the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District.”
Another alum, Luke McCeon, was an intern in 2023. He says he “enjoyed the tactile operation and ever astounding capabilities of GIS surveying,” during an internship, which took him to Alaska in 2024 for the Student Conservation Association Alaska program. “A particularly vivid memory from my time in Alaska with SCA concerned a close encounter with a moose which had stumbled into the middle of my trail crew as we were laying down tread for a new trail.”
The summer experiences illustrate a central principle of that work: preparing students for STEM careers requires opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in authentic professional environments. Through fieldwork, mentorship, research, technical training and scientific communication, students gain both technical competencies and an understanding of the range of careers available to them.
SUNY Ulster’s work with NYC DEP provides a longstanding model for connecting academic programs with employers and public agencies. As the College expands its STEM workforce initiatives through the NSF ATE grant and other partnerships, experiences such as these help create clearer pathways from a SUNY Ulster education to further study and employment.
“We value our 30-year partnership with SUNY Ulster, the meaningful contributions local students have made to NYC DEP’s work, and our shared commitment to preparing the next generation of environmental professionals,” said Jennifer Garigliano, Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Bureau of Water Supply. “The interns’ presentations provide an important opportunity for students to showcase their research and share what they have learned through hands-on experience with DEP staff maintaining and protecting the nation’s largest municipal water supply system.”
As SUNY Ulster and NYC DEP celebrate three decades of collaboration, their partnership demonstrates how sustained relationships between higher education and public agencies can simultaneously advance student learning, workforce development and stewardship of critical natural resources.
About SUNY Ulster
SUNY Ulster is a community college of the State University of New York, serving Ulster County and the Hudson Valley with high-quality, affordable education to over six thousand students annually across 70 academic programs. The college offers transfer and career programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare students for success in college, careers, and their communities.
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