Frank Frey
The following is a faculty research project supported by the Upstate Institute:
Frank Frey, Associate Professor of Biology and Tim McCay, Associate Professor Biology
The aim of this project is to redefine our biological collections as the Natural History Museum of the Chenango Valley. Currently, the George R. Cooley Herbarium contains approximately 20,000 specimens representative of the Northeastern United States and Jamaica. Our vertebrate zoological collection contains approximately 1,000 specimens and covers roughly 80% of the local fauna.
This project has several long-term goals including (1) assess our current holdings with respect to representation of the Chenango Valley, (2) lead a targeted effort to increase our holdings where appropriate, and (3) generate detailed distribution maps for particular species of interest to the community. Regarding outreach we hope to (4) develop signage and other outward signs of our new identity, (5) make the entire collection and distribution maps web-accessible allowing people that do not wish to or cannot visit us to make use of the collection, and (6) develop a program for Colgate students to conduct K-12 school tours.