Welcome to the blog of the ARC, dedicated to encourage, facilitate, and disseminate scholarship that advances the quality and vitality of the Adirondack Park and related environs. For more information on our history, projects, annual conference, and the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies, please visit our web page at www.adkresearch.org.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Pioneering Acid Rain Researcher Receives Adirondack Achievement Award


The Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) presented the 2009 Adirondack Achievement Award to pioneering acid rain researcher Dr. Dudley J. Raynal of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. Dr. Raynal’s award was presented at a luncheon ceremony on May 21, 2009 as part of the 16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 20-21, 2009, at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.

In 1978, Dudley Raynal initiated the establishment of the acid rain monitoring station at the Huntington Wildlife Forest in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. This is one of the oldest monitoring stations in the U.S. and has been in continuous operation for 30 years. Information gathered from this and other monitoring stations throughout the country has provided the scientific basis to identify the causes of this problem. Through the years, Dudley has also been involved in many research projects to determine the impacts of acid rain on Adirondack lakes, plants, and forests.

Dr. Raynal’s work has been extensively published and he has received numerous international research awards. Dudley recently retired from the position of Dean of Instruction and Graduate at SUNY- ESF where he is both Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Teaching Professor.

The ARC’s Adirondack Achievement Award is an annual award given to an individual or group of individuals who have demonstrated significant contributions to the long term sustainability of the Adirondack Park. Dr. William Porter, ARC President, said “Dudley Raynal’s pioneering leadership in researching the impacts of acid rain is a clear indicator of his commitment to the future of the Adirondack Park and the broader scientific community”.

In the photo above, Dr. Porter, at left, presents the 2009 Adirondack Achievement Award to Dr. Raynal. (Photo taken by Ken Rimany, Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks)