An overhead shot of a green field, with an access road running by it.
The Preserve at Vassar

The Fence Outside the Field Station (FOFS) is the hub for the Native Plant Propagation Program. This area hosts our Foundation Plots, Nursery Plots, as well as winter sowing jugs, and professor research plots.

A black and white image taken at night of a young bobcat walking through vegetation.
The Preserve at Vassar

Many people are surprised to learn that we have bobcats at the preserve. This young bobcat was photographed by one of the many wildlife cameras.

Elizabeth T. Putnam
The Preserve at Vassar

Elizabeth Titus Putnam ’55, founder of the SCA, planting a white oak tree near the Collins Field Station.

Student Conservation Association
The Preserve at Vassar

Members of the Student Conservation Association participated in the September 11th Day of Service by planting trees, removing invasives, and building boardwalks.

Earth science outdoor laboratory
The Preserve at Vassar

Earth science faculty members use The Preserve at Vassar as an outdoor laboratory to teach skills in geomorphologic analysis.

The Priscilla Bullitt Collins Field Station
The Preserve at Vassar

The Priscilla Bullitt Collins Field Station houses labs and classrooms for studying natural history and earth science.

The Environmental Cooperative
The Preserve at Vassar

The Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns provides programming to support environmental initiatives at Vassar and in the surrounding community.

Student Conservation Association’s National Day of Service
The Preserve at Vassar

Volunteers planting 1,100 trees to restore connectivity to the forests on the Ecological Preserve in as part of the Student Conservation Association’s September 11th National Day of Service in 2013.

Dylan Finley and the census team
The Preserve at Vassar

Dylan Finley ’17 and the rest of the census team

Preserve manager Keri Van Camp and Fate Syewoangnuan
The Preserve at Vassar

Preserve manager Keri Van Camp and Fate Syewoangnuan ’18, looking up into the canopy

Vassar student interns at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project.
The Preserve at Vassar

Vassar student interns teach local teens about food and farming at the Poughkeepsie Farm Project.

The Preserve at Vassar

The Preserve at Vassar is a 525-acre multi-use space situated just south of Vassar’s campus, across Hooker Avenue. The northeastern portion of the Preserve hosts a number of organizations and initiatives, including The Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Barns, the Hudson Valley Corps of the Student Conservation Association, the Community Gardens, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, and Vassar Rugby. The Vassar Cross Country teams also use the Preserve for practices and meets. 

The remainder of the Preserve, around 475 acres, is a designated natural area comprised of many habitats, including streams, wetlands, ponds, forests, and old fields populated by a stunning diversity of flora and fauna. The Preserve is an invaluable resource for Vassar students and faculty, who conduct scientific research to better understand the Preserve’s natural systems and work to protect and preserve the ecological diversity of the land, ensuring that its educational value will be maintained in perpetuity. 

Visitors from Vassar and the surrounding communities also use the Preserve’s extensive network of marked trails to hike, bike, run, and explore one of the few remaining large green spaces in the greater Poughkeepsie area. 

Vassar Stories

Gifting Green: The Spirit of ’71

Application for Use

Collins Field Station and Ecological Preserve

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