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This series documents the entire history of the Environmental Forum at the University at Albany, SUNY from 1969-1977. The Environmental Forum was a course in the Environmental Studies Program at the University at Albany. The purpose of the course was for students to examine the problems created by an overcrowded society in relation to the environment and man. The inter-disciplinary approach the Forum took allowed anyone to take the class, no matter their academic background. The design of the course sent students out into the community to do hands-on projects. Course handouts, in-class assignments, evaluations, and other material comprise the bulk of this series.

Protect Your Environment (PYE) was a club at the University at Albany, SUNY, that was an off-shoot of the Environmental Forum. The club was formed in 1969 based on an example from the Thomas School in Connecticut. The club promoted environmental awareness through activities such as teach-ins and Earth Day. In 1974, the club helped to convince Governor Malcolm Wilson to declare a week in April as Earth Week. A framed certificate of the declaration is in the series. This declaration, along with other material too large for standard archival boxes are in a separate flat box. A glass, pink pig head mounted to a wooden board is also part of the series, along with PYE handouts and flyers, the club's constitution, receipts, bills, and other material.

A large portion of this series is about the Environmental Studies Program at the University at Albany, SUNY. Faculty information, course and program proposals, changes in student registration procedures, and changes in class information can all be found in this series.

The projects of students in the Environmental Forum that were kept by Lou Ismay can be found in this series. The projects are filed in alphabetical order by name of student. Journals, student papers, student project reports, and student autobiographies are part of this series. The papers are on a range of environmental issues with many relating to recycling and other relevant projects done around campus and the Capital Region. Photographs and slides that accompany student papers were kept together with the papers. Oversized material is filed separately and includes 4 posters and other oversized projects. Audiovisuals for student projects are also in the series, including 11 audiocassette tapes and 1 reel-to-reel audiotape.

The files in this series vary in subject matter, but are all relevant to Lou Ismay's Environmental Forum classes and environmental issues. Many of the topics relate to environmental organizations. Other folders include news clippings and information by or about individual people, such as Ralph Nader, who visited and spoke at the school in the early 1970s. Included in this series is information on the Hudson River Sloop Restoration, which contains letters written by Pete Seeger. Oversized material is filed separately.

Administrative, business, and student mail form the majority of the correspondence series. The student mail consists of letters from Ismay's former students. One of the folders is restricted due to privacy concerns.

This series includes material about Ismay and the Albany area in publication form. Literature on specific scientific topics, newsletters, publications from other faculty members such as Vincent Schaefer, and State University of New York at Albany publications make up the bulk of the series.