Cranberry Lake Biological Station
Academic Program at Cranberry Lake

Overview of the Academic Program at CLBS

Courses offered at Cranberry Lake Biological Station, CLBS, are immersive residential programs where learners and instructors a situated side-by side. In small field classes students build profound foundations in field survey skills, data collection, identification of taxa, life-histories, deployment and care of field equipment and critical thinking skills. Most courses also involve student directed research or service-based learning projects.

The backbone of the program is the three-week Ecological Monitoring and Biodiversity Assessment course (EFB202). Students gain a foundation of data collection and management, making observations and keeping field journals, field sampling methodologies and statistical analysis upon which to draw conclusions. This co-taught course allows students to learn in one-day organismal diversity modules from six different faculty who specialize in certain taxa. Students hone their identification skills in-situ and handle sampling equipment while learning from, function and life history of these organisms. The culmination of this experience is a mentored week of student-driven research in an area of their choice.

Each year, within the summer program, we offer four 2-week field electives in specific topics on a rotating basis. In recent years these include Ecology of Adirondack Fishes, Ethnobotany, Field Entomology, Field Herpetology, and Wildlife Techniques. While EFB202 gives students a fantastic overview of the Ecology of the Adirondacks and it’s inhabitants, the two-week field electives provide the opportunity for students to explore an area of interest more thoroughly.

Interested in joining our instruction team? We are looking for organismal biologists who:

have experience teaching; especially in the field or informal environments
can instruct from a Universal Design for Learning framework
value diversity in the student population and can draw out student strengths
are flexible and adaptable
remain organized, professional and accountable over long field days in a variety of conditions (rain, wind, temp fluctuations, biting insects)
demonstrate an aptitude for field safety and/or ability to lead trips

If this is you, please follow this link to indicate your interest. Hiring inquiries go out in January, with hiring finalized in March.

Schedule of Summer 2027 Courses at CLBS

Session	Courses	Dates
Session A - 3 Weeks	EFB 202	May 16 - June 4
Session B - 3 Weeks	EFB 202	June 6 - June 25
Session C - 2 Weeks	Electives: TBA February 2027	June 27 - July 9
Session D - 3 Weeks	EFB 202	July 11 - July 30

Registration Information

Information sessions for summer courses will be held in February (Date TBA) in Marshall Auditorium during College Hour. Pre-registration for students requiring EFB 202 or a field elective will be open from February 22nd to March 5th. Registration will then be closed until it reopens on April 1st to all students. This registration will be conducted on a first come, first serve basis.

Students requesting disability, medical, or other housing accommodations must request these during the pre-registration process. All requests must be made before March 5th. We cannot guarantee accommodations requested after this date.

Visiting students, including transfer students wishing to take a Cranberry Lake course before beginning class in the Fall must complete the registration form, and the visiting student form below. Note that you may complete the Cranberry Lake registration form during the pre-registration window, and the visiting student form later.

A note on housing and bathrooms: Housing is provided in shared cabins with 8-10 students per cabin. These cabins are primarily gendered with one all-gender cabin. We have two low-density rooms (1-2 students per room) available to students with disability or other accessibility-related needs. Bathrooms are gendered with private toilet and shower stalls.

Visiting Student Open Registration Information Session Study Worker Interest Form

Course Descriptions

EFB 202 Ecological Monitoring and Biodiversity Assessment (3)

Instructor of Record: K. Sheehan

This is one of the keystone courses in the Environmental and Forest Biology curriculum. Forty-five hours of lecture, laboratory and field instruction per week for three weeks. During the first two weeks of the course, students study a wide variety of northeastern North American terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic biodiversity with a focus on vascular plants and animals. Students then complete a group research project during the third and final week of the course. The research projects require proficiency in field sampling methods, basic experimental design and statistical analysis, and the ability to cooperatively solve problems. The course culminates in a research symposium during which groups present their findings to their peers and a panel of judges.

Elective Courses

TBA February 2027

Estimated Costs of Attendance

EFB 202

Description	Instate	Out of State
Tuition and Fees	$1,056.99	$2,535.99
Room, Board, Fees	$1,035.00	$1,035.00
Total	$2,091.99	$3,570.99

Electives

Description	Instate	Out of State
Tuition and Fees	$1,056.99	$2,535.99
Room, Board, Fees	$690.00	$690.00
Total	$1,746.99	$3,225.99