Brauer EDUCATION CENTER and Summer Courses 

Location and the Area [map]

The Brauer Education Center is located on Old Quarry Road in the Town of Bethlehem, which is 10 miles south of the state capital, Albany, NY. The site is approximately 125 miles from the Cortland Campus and close to the Capitol District near many cultural, educational, governmental and historic sites and resources.

About 80 percent of the property is wooded; the remainder is a former meadow exhibiting a moderate to advanced stage of forest encroachment.

Geologic Setting of Brauer Field Station

The field station is near the base of the Heldeberg Escarpment, a geologically important feature that rests as the cornerstone of much of New York's geology and stratigraphy. Fossil-bearing Devonian limestone forms two prominent cliffs and numerous small outcrops on the Brauer property. Of particular significance is a cross-section of a fossilized small stromotoperoid reef on the northwestern corner of the property. The Brauer Education Center is located within easy reach of some of the most classic areas of North American geology such as the Taconic, Adirondack, Berkshire, and Catskill Mountains.

Programs offered at Brauer
Between mid-May and late June the Brauer Field Station is the site of residential courses in field geology. In the 14 years since the Field Station opened, more than 400 students have enrolled in these courses. About 30 percent came from colleges and universities outside New York State.
Click here for more information on Cortland's summer field programs and application materials.

In addition to the early summer field geology program, Brauer has been utilized successfully for:

• geology field trips
• field natural history experience
• mycology field conference
• language immersion weekend
• in-service teacher workshop
• student leadership programs
• residential life training sessions
• alumni meetings
• admissions programs
  

Facilities
The field station consists of two modern log buildings on the Brauer Education Center: a multi-purpose "main" building and a bunkhouse. The main building encloses about 4,300 square feet of interior space. It contains a 39'x40' multi-function room used for dining and instruction. The focus of informal activities is near the large stone fire place in the main room or on the large porch attached to the south end of the building. The remainder of the interior space in the main building consists of a fully equipped modern kitchen, toilet and bath facilitates, sleeping quarters for 20-24 persons distributed among four rooms, and a small staff office. The bunkhouse, about 150 feet from the main building, provides sleeping quarters for an additional 16-20 persons. It has two equal-size rooms with separate outside entrances. There are no bathrooms in the bunkhouse. This modern rustic facility is handicapped accessible.

Food and Janitorial Service
The main building features a well equipped kitchen. Groups scheduling programs at Brauer are expected to supply their food and prepare their own meals. The kitchen/dining room can easily accommodate 50 persons. Any group using this facility is responsible for clean-up during their stay and immediately prior to leaving. The user is obligated to return the interior spaces and adjoining outside area to a condition similar to that existent upon arrival. Janitorial supplies are provided.

Availability
The Brauer Education Center, a seasonal facility, is usually open from April 20 to Oct. 20. Whenever SUNY Cortland courses and programs are not scheduled, it is available to educational institutions at all levels as well as public, civic, and private groups.