Newswise — NEWCOMB, N.Y. — Dec. 2, 2025 — When artist Anicka Chaffey arrived at ESF’s Adirondack Ecological Center (AEC) as the 2025 Artist-in-Residence, she set out to merge science and storytelling. The result is “Journey to the Hudson,” a comic book that makes complex ecological research accessible and engaging for all.
Created in collaboration with ESF researchers and educators, the comic explores how water travels from the Adirondack Mountains to the Hudson River, highlighting the interconnected nature of forest, stream, and watershed ecology.
“Journey to the Hudson illustrates the ‘Headwaters to Harbor’ approach that defines research at Huntington Wildlife Forest and ESF,” said Paul Hai, AEC associate director. “It’s a creative way to share science with a broader audience.”
Chaffey, who holds degrees in marine biology and sequential art, believes comics are a powerful tool for science communication. “Comics can convey so much through text and images,” she said. “They make science accessible, approachable, and fun.”
“We’re exploring an author-and-comic event for the spring semester, potentially during Earth Week,” said Hai. “There’s also an opportunity that Anicka will guest lecture in ESF’s Comics and the Drawn Environment course.”
“Journey to the Hudson” is available at the Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC), online, and in person at the ESF College Bookstore. All proceeds support free educational programming at the AIC.
The AIR program connects art and science through residencies that include public programs and open studio hours. Chaffey will continue working with ESF on a new comic about the history of the Timbuctoo settlement and the College’s Timbuctoo Climate Science and Careers Summer Institute.
“As much as I love science, it has been fun pivoting to historical research for my comic book with the Timbuctoo Institute,” Chaffey said. “I’m in full research mode, diving back into the archives to learn everything I can about the Timbuctoo settlement in North Elba and the history of slavery in New York. It’s heavy stuff, but I’ve learned a lot and I’m looking forward to finding a way to tell this important history of the Adirondacks in comic form.”
About the Adirondack Ecological Center (AEC)
The Adirondack Ecological Center (AEC) is the leader in ecological sciences in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York and a major contributor to international, place-based research. The mission of the AEC is to understand the Adirondack ecosystem through research and education. The AEC was established in 1971 by SUNY ESF in Syracuse. AEC is located on ESF’s Huntington Wildlife Forest, a 15,000 acre (6,000 ha) field station in Newcomb, N.Y. in the geographic center of the six-million-acre Adirondack Park.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.
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