Hudsonia, founded in 1981, is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, for research, public education, and technical assistance in the environmental sciences. We have 4 full-time administrative and technical staff, several part-time project workers, and 25 research associates. Most projects emphasize ecology and field biology, science in the service of planning and conservation as well as pure research. More than 230 projects are completed or active, in New York and neighboring states. Archaeology, anthropology, economics, geology, and microbial ecology contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of Hudsonia programs. For reasons of economy and synergy, we share facilities with Bard College and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. We endeavor to combine scientific research, practical applications, and educational activities in many of our projects. Hudsonia personnel publish in both technical and popular media.

Several Hudsonia staff are also administrative committee members or faculty of the Bard College Graduate School of Environmental Studies, or members of the undergraduate faculties of Bard or Simon's Rock College. Many undergraduate and graduate students have participated in Hudsonia programs as interns, assistants, co-investigators, or thesis candidates. Hudsonia equipment and library are available to the college communities.

News from Hudsonia tackles the interface of environmental issues and natural history in a forthright, informative, attractive, and well-documented manner. The newsletter is unusual in simultaneously addressing lay and professional audiences. Recent articles have covered ecological restoration, freshwater tidal ecosystems, stream management, migratory fish estuaries, muskrat ecology, mosquito management, the conservation biology of endangered freshwater turtles, biodiversity at landfill sites, and an introduced aquatic weed. Hudsonia has published News for 13 years. Currently, 3 issues are published per year with a free distribution of 7,000 (5,000 through a mailing list, the rest at businesses, conferences, fairs, etc.). Articles are forthcoming on prickly-pear in the Hudson Valley, and cultural resource management. A list of past and planned articles is available.

One of Hudsonia’s many projects, Wetland Human Ecology, involves the application of ecological principles to understanding the interaction of human cultures and wetlands worldwide. We emphasize the tradeoffs of living in or near wetlands: the abundance of resources vs. the costs in flood damage, disease, and other hazards, and the resulting positive and negative influences on cultural evolution and the sustainability of economic development. We have used original and secondary archeological data, secondary ethnographic data, and original observations. Erik Kiviat (1991) completed his doctoral thesis on this subject. Christopher Lindner, assisted by Bard College students and volunteers, has conducted seven years of excavation of a prehistoric archaeological site at one of the Hudson River's largest fresh-tidal wetlands; the goal is a better understanding of the relationship of estuarine resources to the development of agriculture and sedentism (Lindner 1992, Waterman 1991, 1992, Waterman & Lindner 1991). Hudsonia's biological studies in the Northeast may be of interest to archaeologists. For instance, we have conducted research on migratory fishes, turtles, and other animals and plants that prehistoric and historic populations used as food resources.

Additional information about Hudsonia, a full prospectus of our programs, and a list of reports are available by calling (914) 758-7053.

Bard Field Station Publications

Kiviat, E. 1991. Wetland human ecology. Ph.D. thesis, Union Institute, Cincinnati, OH. 180 p.

Lindner, C.R. 1992. Grouse Bluff: An archaeological introduction. Hudson Valley Regional Review 9(1):25-46.

Waterman, B. 1991. Evaluation of Tivoli Bays archaeology and assessment of its potential to provide paleoenvironmental information. M.S. thesis, Bard College. 55 p.

Waterman, B. 1992. Searching for clues to prehistoric human interaction with the environment at Tivoli Bays. Hudson Valley Regional Review 9(1):77-92.