The Pinelands Field Station acts as a center for the activities of members of the Division of Pinelands Research, which is a loose assemblage of Rutgers personnel who have a research interest in the New Jersey Pinelands. The role of the Pinelands Research Station is:
- To act as a focal center for research activities where long- and short-term research activities can be conducted.
- To act as a conference center within the Pinelands for interaction between research personnel.
- To act as a center for learning within the Pinelands, both within the University curriculum, in its extension activities and for visiting groups from other institutions.
Research
The research aims of the group are to be multidisciplinary and relate to basic scientific hypotheses and to applied research problems within the area by:
- encouraging graduate student research
- encouraging individual and joint research ventures between personnel within Rutgers University.
- encouraging individual and joint research ventures between Rutgers University and other organizations.
- encouraging greater use of the field laboratory and office in the pursuance of field ecological research.
Conference
- To promote the Research Station as a centre for small conferences and seminars for the dissemination of research information on the Pinelands.
- To act as a centre for interaction between researchers and policy makers within the Pinelands to identify research areas to address applied problems.
- To act as a small conference facility for other University groups who would like a different location other than their campus.
Education
- To act as a center for undergraduate and graduate ecology and biology training in field techniques.
- To act a center for training undergraduates in internship for practical ecological research
- To act as a center for for visiting student groups
In terms of education, the Pinelands Research Station is ideally situated to explore both terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Its diversity of habitats, plants and animals lend itself to a multidisciplinary and multifunctional site for educational purposes. The aim is to improve the facilities at the Field Station to encourage:
Within the University
Undergraduate field visits as part of their ecological and biological training.
Postgraduate field excursions and short courses as part of their biological and ecological training. Short courses have been organized during the summer as small group residential courses, using the expertise of a number of staff from different departments within the university. These courses are run through the Summer School Program in Camden.
Extension Education
The Field Station acts as a center for ecological education in the wider context, developing courses for school teachers, as part of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance Life Science Field Training Institute, for which Rutgers graduate credits may be earned.
