Making the most of Muller

During summer and fall of 2025, the FLCC Muller Field Station will undergo reservations to construct a 20-person handicap accessible bunkhouse, a bus turnaround and expanded parking.

During summer and fall of 2025, renovations at the FLCC Muller Field Station at the south end of Honeoye Lake will allow for more immersive experiences in the wooded and wetland habitats at the 48-acre site.

A combined grant of $1.65 million from the Florence M. Muller Foundation and the Emil Muller Foundation and a dollar-for-dollar state match will pay for construction of a 20-person handicap accessible bunkhouse.

Current overnight accommodations are limited, meaning research, field experience classes, and outdoor activities have to halt at the end of the day so participants can drive home. It’s a trek from anywhere given the field station’s location 20 miles from Canandaigua and nearly 50 miles from the farthest reaches of the FLCC service area of Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties.

“Really rich experiences can happen there when people can settle in for a longer stay,” said Maura Sullivan, professor and director of the field station.

Faculty from SUNY Brockport would like to bring students down to assist with efforts to protect spotted salamanders. The visits haven’t been practical because that work happens at night during the amphibians’ migration from the hills into the wetlands,

“Over the past couple years, we’ve gotten a lot of asks from other institutions. SUNY Empire State University would like to offer a field camp there,” Maura added. “We see a lot of opportunities for partnerships with other schools.”

Patricia Leo, executive director of the Muller foundations, said a bunkhouse has come up at strategic planning sessions for several years.

“We are all thrilled to see this long-desired enhancement coming to fruition,” she said. “The Florence M. Muller Foundation and the Emil Muller Foundation are immensely proud of the high-quality education and research conducted at the Muller Field Station and are excited for the opportunities that the addition of the bunkhouse and accessibility improvements will bring.”

The funds will also cover extensive sitework to create a bus turnaround and expanded parking. Drivers for K-12 field trips find it hard to maneuver at the site, and more than a few cars have had to get pushed out of the mud.

The target for awarding bids is March with construction running June through November.