The Cornell Experimental Ponds Facility represents a unique research area consisting of 91 artificial ponds at two units, two large reservoirs, and approximately 160 acres of fully fenced land. Pond construction began in 1958 to provide Cornell researchers with a field location for replicating experiments in controlled, aquatic environments. Continuing and expanding upon this tradition, the Ponds have been used for basic and applied research both within and outside the Cornell community, for instruction in campus agronomy, limnology, and field ecology courses, as well as for various extension activities. Faculty and graduate students from Cornell’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Natural Resources and Entomology departments along with visiting researchers from as far away as Japan have used the facility to conduct experiments in areas of study that include: aquatic and fisheries ecology, avian behavior, and invasive species ecology. Further information about current and past research projects, facility rental policies, along with the the human and natural history of the Ponds can be found by navigating through the information on this website.

Cornell’s Experimental Ponds Facility is a research and teaching resource operated by the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology It’s one of only a handful of such facilities across the country! We invite you to explore our online information and discover how the Ponds can fit into your current or future research and teaching programs.

Please feel free to contact our Ponds Manager/Facility Technician (Benj Sterrett) to begin a dialog about bringing your research project to the Ponds, or organizing a field trip for your students!