>>> BLACK ROCK FOREST,

SCIENTIFIC FIELD STATION IN THE

HUDSON HIGHLANDS JUST 60 MILES

NORTH OF NEW YORK CITY.

AIM OF THOSE THAT LOOK AFTER

THIS LAND, ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC

UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURAL

WORLD THROUGH RESEARCH,

EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION

PROGRAMS.

AND THIS SUMMER 60 BOYS AND

GIRLS FROM NEW YORK CITY INNER

CITY SCHOOLS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

TO EXPLORE BLACK ROCK FOREST AS

PART OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF

NATURAL HISTORY'S YOUTH

INITIATIVE.

IT'S PART OF THE ONGOING

INITIATIVE, IMPORTANCE OF

GETTING YOUTH OUT OF THE CITY

AND INTO THE WILD.

DR. RAE WYNN GRANT IS ECOLOGIST

AMONG THOSE LEADING THE

STUDENTS.

JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> I'M FASCINATED ABOUT YOUR

UNDERSTANDING OF BLACK BEARS.

I LIVE IN THE HUDSON VALLEY AND

OCCASIONALLY WE SEE THEM AROUND.

ARE THEY SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE

SHOULD BE AFRAID OF?

ARE THEY FRIENDLY?

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH BLACK BEARS

IN A SUBURBAN RURAL COMMUNITY?

>> I WOULD SAY NOT NECESSARILY

FRIENDLY BUT NOT NECESSARILY

SOMETHING TO BE AFRAID OF.

SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT'S

NATURAL FOR THIS AREA, THERE WAS

A TIME BLACK BEARS WERE WHERE

WE'RE SITTING IN MANHATTAN, USED

TO BE FOREST, BLACK BEARS AND

WOLVES AND MOUNTAIN LIONS, ALL

HERE.

AS WE URBANIZED WE STARTING

PUSHING ANIMALS FURTHER FROM THE

CENTER OF THE AREA.

LOT OF OVERHUNTING AND

EXPLOITATION AND NOW BLACK BEARS

ARE RECOLONIZING THE HISTORIC

HABITAT, RE-ENTERING THE

SYSTEMS.

>> WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF BEARS

AND LARGE CARNIVORES YOU HAVE,

WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE OF

TAKING KIDS FROM INNER CITY

SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE

THEY PROBABLY HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD

CRICKETS OR OWLS AND BRINGING

THEM INTO THE WOODS?

>> FANTASTIC.

WHERE I WORK, WE HAVE A PROGRAM

THAT TARGETS HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED

IN SCIENCE.

WAY WE BEGIN THAT PROGRAM IS

BRING THEM ON A BIG CAMPING

TRIP.

SPEND A WEEK UPSTATE IN BLACK

ROCK FOREST.

MOST OF THEM HAVE NEVER EVEN

LEFT THE CITY, SOME RARELY LEFT

THEIR OWN BOROUGH.

I WAS ADULT WHEN I FIRST ENTERED

THE WILDERNESS.

>> WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE?

HEARD LOT OF STORIES ABOUT KIDS

IN DENSE URBAN AREA THAT GET

FREAKED OUT BY DARK AND SILENCE.

>> YEAH.

MOST OF THEM LIKE IT BUT SOME

ARE TERRIFIED.

THERE'S A BIG FEAR ABOUT THE

UNKNOWN, SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER

EXPERIENCED.

IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT

DIFFERENT STUDENTS REACT TO.

SOME CAN'T TAKE MOSQUITOES AND

BUGS.

REALLY SMALL THINGS YOU MIGHT

NOT THINK ARE THAT SCARY MIGHT

INTIMIDATE SOMEBODY FROM URBAN

SETTING.

OTHER STUDENTS AFRAID OF THE

BEARS AND SNAKES AND DEER

RUNNING ACROSS THE PATH, LARGE

ANIMALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY

THREATENING TO YOU.

SOME STUDENTS DON'T LIKE WHEN

IT'S DARK IT'S COMPLETELY DARK.

NO LIGHTS, NOT A LOT OF

ELECTRICITY, FLASHLIGHT IS IT.

BUT MOST LOVE IT.

TONS OF PICTURES, CAN'T WAIT TO

SHOW FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT HOME.

WE'RE GETTING THEM TO HANDLE

LIVE ANIMALS, TURTLES AND SNAKES

AND MICE AND BIRDS SOMETIMES.

ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON WILD

ANIMALS.

>> TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

THE IMPORTANCE -- YOU'VE TALKED

ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF

INCLUSIVE SCIENCE.

ONE OF THE THINGS I FIND SO

EXCITING TO SEE, SEEING MORE AND

MORE BLACK AND BROWN FACES IN

THE WOODS.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO WE FIND THAT ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCES THAT INCLUDE ECOLOGY OR

CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE, PLANTS,

FOREST, THOSE SCIENCES ARE

MISSION DRIVEN.

LESS AND LESS FORESTS AND

WILDLIFE IN THE WORLD AND TRYING

TO SAVE THOSE SPACES AND

SPECIES, NOT DOING AN AMAZING

JOB RIGHT?

STILL LOSING THAT BATTLE.

GOAL OF INCREASING DIVERSITY IS

NOT JUST A MORALLY CORRECT GOAL

BUT IT'S ALSO PROBLEM SOLVING.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINKERS WITH

DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES AND

PERSPECTIVES, MORE LIKELY TO

SOLVE THE CRITICAL MISSIONS AND

BE SUCCESSFUL.

>> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU

TO BE INVOLVED, GIVEN YOU ARE

ONE OF THE FIRST OR THE FIRST

SCIENTIST IN YOUR FIELD.

>> I CAME OF AGE WHEN I DIDN'T

SEE MYSELF REFLECTED IN THE

FIELD AT ALL.

I WAS INSPIRED BY A LOT OF

PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T LIKE ME, AND

THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

BUT I KNOW I WOULD HAVE BEEN

MORE INSPIRED, SO MANY

SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE

HURDLES I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO

GO THROUGH IF I HAD SEEN MYSELF

REFLECTED IN THE FIELD.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS NOW

DON'T HAVE GO THROUGH THOSE

BARRIERS.

>> ARE YOU SECOND MOST FAMOUS

SCIENTIST AT MUSEUM NEXT TO

DR. NEIL DE GRAS TYSON WHICH

EVERYBODY LOVES?

>> I ALSO LOVE HIM.

THERE ARE BIG-NAME SCIENTISTS IN

THAT MUSEUM I ASPIRE TO BE JUST

LIKE WHEN I PROGRESS.

BUT I HOPE MY NAME GETS OUT

MORE.

>> END UP ON THE STUDENTS'

SNAPCHAT AND ALL, YOU NEVER

KNOW.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THANKS FOR JOINING US AND

TALKING ABOUT WILDLIFE THAT USED

TO BE HERE AND IS COMING BACK

AND INVOLVING KIDS FROM THE CITY

INTO STUDY OF ECOLOGY.

>> IT'S WONDERFUL, THANK YOU SO

MUCH.