Rice Creek Associates (RCA) is a community of like-minded people who share a passion for nature and a desire to support Rice Creek Field Station. Formed in 1986, RCA supports Rice Creek Field Station's mission by expanding the scientific, educational, and recreational opportunities at the Field Station through community involvement.
Over the years RCA has continued to increase its membership, making it possible to fund improvement projects which benefit the station and the community at large. Through volunteer work, RCA members contribute to the field station in a variety of ways. Find out about RCA's programs and projects below, and learn how to become a member.
Become a Rice Creek Associates Member
Membership Benefits
- Receive our quarterly newsletter
- Reduced rate for the Exploring Nature summer program
- Attend Board of Directors meetings
- Join a community of individuals who care about nature and the environment
- Receive an RCA window cling
- Get entered in our quarterly drawing for Rice Creek swag
Membership Levels
- Student - $5
- Individual - $15
- Couple/Family - $25
- Contributing - $35
- Sustaining - $75
- Lifetime - $350
- Corporate - $500
Memberships are renewed annually (except for lifetime memberships).
Support Rice Creek Field Station
Your membership helps support our educational programming, research and grant funding, operation and maintenance costs, and so much more!
Your Membership & Donations Help Fund Our Projects
Thanks to the efforts of RCA board member and SUNY Oswego Professor Dr. Peter Rosenbaum, grants in support of research at Rice Creek Field Station were established in 1996. Since then, RCA has awarded several small grants each year in the range of $500 - $3,000, supporting scholars' supplies, equipment, stipends, travel, publication costs, or secretarial support necessary to carry out research at the Field Station. This fund is the most significant source of research support at Rice Creek Field Station and has enabled over 100 scholarly projects involving or led by students to be conducted. Each year in November, RCA hosts a scholarly symposium for Small Grants awardees called "Experience Rice Creek." This event is free and open to the general public.
Rice Creek Associates Reflections are talks about local ecology and environmental themes of interest to the community. View our upcoming scheduled programs.
Recordings of past Reflections can be viewed on YouTube.
Planned by the Rice Creek Associates committee, the Ruth Sachidanandan Herb Garden thrives annually with over 70 species of herbs with the help of our member's donations.
Each summer, Rice Creek Field Station offers a two-week science and nature program for children ages 5–16. This program, Exploring Nature, is designed to build young people's connection to nature, understanding of their environment, and curiosity about their world through science activities, games, and nature walks.
Each year, RCA donors generously support several scholarships for children from needy families to attend Exploring Nature for free or highly reduced cost. These donations make a huge difference in the lives of children in our area.
Donations from RCA members support ongoing work for Rice Creek's five miles of trails. Past projects have included supporting the construction of the Green Trail boardwalks and the installation of registration boxes and display cases at trailheads.
Through the Canal Forest Restoration Program we are restoring native white oak, swamp white oak, and white pine trees, all highly desired woods which are now rare in upstate New York forests because of over-exploitation to support the canal industry. With the financial support of donors, it is our goal to ultimately raise 1,000 or more seedlings each year. Currently, we are raising and giving away over 900 trees each year.
Donate to Rice Creek Associates
100% of your donation goes to support RCA projects: there are no overhead fees.
Thank you for your support!
Online Giving
Under 'area of support' choose 'Other or Multiple' and then type in Rice Creek to search for RCA. If you wish your donation to go toward a specific project or cause, please let us know by phone or email (315.312.6677 or rcfs@oswego.edu).
Giving by Mail
Please make checks payable to Oswego College Foundation/RCA. The memo section can be used to specify a specific project or cause if desired. Checks should be mailed to:
SUNY Oswego - Rice Creek
7060 State Route 104
Oswego, New York 13126
Meet Our Board
The operational policies of Rice Creek Associates are managed by its Board of Directors. Directors are elected from the general membership and serve three-year terms.
Members of the board:
Laurel Artz, President
Pat Jones, Co-Vice President
Sheri Morey, Co-Vice President
Don Artz, Secretary & Memberships
Wendy Fragale, Treasurer
Andrew McElwain, Small Grants Chair
Cory Brosch
Michael Flanagan
Michael Holy
Paul Knittel
Kamal Mohamed, Ex Officio
Kristen Haynes, Ex Officio
Board meetings are scheduled for 4 pm on every third Wednesday of the month (excluding August). Members are welcome to attend. Members planning to attend can call the Field Station at 315.312.6677 the week of a meeting to confirm scheduling.
Newsletters
Newsletters are archived here one year after release. Current RCA members may request electronic access to more recent newsletters by emailing rca@oswego.edu.
- Fall 2022
- Summer 2022
- Spring 2022
- Winter 2022
- Fall 2021
- Summer 2021
- Spring 2021
- Winter 2021
- Fall 2020
- Summer 2020
- Spring 2020
- Winter 2020
- Fall 2019
- Summer 2019
- Spring 2019
- Winter 2019
- Fall 2018
- Summer 2018
- Spring 2018
- Winter 2018
- Fall 2017
- Summer 2017
- Spring 2017
- Winter 2017
- Fall 2016
- Summer 2016
- 30th Anniversary Special Edition
- Spring 2016
- Winter 2016
- Fall 2015
- Summer 2015
- Spring 2015
- Winter 2014-2015
- Autumn 2014
These photos were inadvertently left out of the Autumn 2014 cover article. Click here to view. - Summer 2014
- Spring 2014
- Winter 2013-2014