Potato Hill Farm & Trails – Open for Summer:

Black River Outdoor Education Program is now hiring Outdoor Education coaches.  Please contact lgeorge@broep.org for more information.
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For more information and detailed trail maps, visit the Potato Hill Farm campus page.

 

Welcome to the Black River Outdoor Education Program

Located in Boonville, NY and the surrounding region, BROEP establishes awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the environment by providing students with educational lessons in geology, ecology, biology, and history while engaging them in various outdoor aerobic activities.  These activities include kayaking, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. 

Through these educational and aerobic activities, students are taught the benefits and importance of outdoor recreation, which gives them a chance to better their physical endurance and overall health.  Moreover, research indicates that the symptoms of childhood obesity, ADHD, and diabetes can be alleviated when a child is physically active and that outdoor aerobic activity is superior to indoor activity.  This interaction with the outdoors will also cultivate a generation of environmental stewards who have formed a spiritual, physical, and emotional connection with nature and who nurture their love for the outdoors from youth to adulthood.

 

Who We Are 

The Black River Outdoor Education Program1 (BROEP)­­­­, in conjunction with its sister entity, the Black River Environmental Improvement Association2 (BREIA), strives to educate school-aged children about the responsibilities we have towards nature, conservation, and preservation.  BROEP and BREIA work in a complementary manner to deliver outdoor recreational opportunities to the people of Central New York State.  Both organizations have separate boards and are funded by a private family foundation whose founders have deep roots in Oneida County and other parts of Central New York State.

BROEP’s successful implementation of the program hinges largely on its strategic partnership with BREIA.  Since 1984, BREIA has been dedicated to conserving, maintaining, and enhancing the scenic and historical values of the Adirondack and Tug Hill areas of New York State.  With approximately 30 miles of trails, 8 trail heads, 3 warming huts, and over 13,500 square feet of maintenance and storage facilities, BREIA has much to offer and shares its resources freely with BROEP.  BREIA also provides BROEP access to BREIA’s trails, equipment, buildings, and infrastructure.   For more information about BREIA, please visit http://www.breiax-countryski.org/.

1BROEP is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation incorporated in the state of Delaware.
2BREIA is a 501(c)(3) public charity organization incorporated in the state of New York.

 

Our History 

The story of the geological history of the Adirondack Mountains and its accompanying foothills is distinctive when compared with other mountain systems.  Both the Rockies and the Appalachians, for example, have an elongated shape while the mountains making up the Adirondacks form a circular dome.  In geological terms, this dome is relatively young, emerging about 5 million years ago.  However, it is made up of rocks more than 1 billion years old.  Consequently, the Adirondacks have been described as new mountains from old rocks.”

The landscapes of the Adirondack foothills were formed by a glacier about 25 million years ago.  The resulting landforms we enjoy with our students provide a living laboratory for the geological history, flora, and fauna that comprise our “classrooms” at BROEP.

Our Campuses

BROEP utilizes 9 campuses to offer students a broad range of aerobic activities including kayaking, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.  Each campus is endowed with its own unique geology, ecology, biology, and history.  Students learn how to identify native trees and plants while discovering the role of various wildlife and bird species in their respective habitats. 

Potato Hill Farm (PHF)
11904 Potato Hill Road, Boonville, NY 13309

Alder Creek Gorge (ACG)
9338 Egypt Road, Boonville, NY 13309

Jackson Hill Telemark Lodge (JHT)
8284 Jackson Hill Road, Boonville, NY 13309

Towpath Feeder Canal (TFC)
13354 State Route 12, Boonville, NY 13309

Lyons Falls (LF)
4083 Lyons Falls Road, Lyons Falls, NY 13368

Greig Bird Sanctuary (GBS)
6236 Greig Road, Glenfield, NY   13345

Pixley Falls (PXF)
11430 State Route 46, Boonville, NY 13309

Black River Forest (BRF)
10719 Dustin Road, Forestport, NY 13338

Black Creek Landing (BCL)
537 Fisher Road, Cold Brook, NY 13324

Jackson Hill Sunfield Lodge (JHS)
7849 Jackson Hill Road, Boonville, NY 13309

Burdick’s Crossing (BC)
6717 Burdick’s Crossing Road, Lyons Falls, NY  13368

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