The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies was founded with the goal of forming an ecological center of excellence, free of the red tape and distractions that can inhibit creative thought and productivity. Excellence at the Cary Institute is an enduring goal that has several components:

• Promotion and nourishment of creative thoughts and ideas
• Innovative interaction among bright people
• Academic freedom to express and debate ideas
• Cooperative pursuit of new ideas, based on Dr. Likens' experience that several bright and inquisitive minds often achieve major insights beyond the reach of a single individual
• Time and support to pursue important ecological problems in depth

At the start, the Institute was an experiment. With funds from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and administrative freedom from The New York Botanical Garden, founding director Dr. Gene E. Likens assembled a team of scientists and support staff that were guided by a few simple, but essential policies. Almost a quarter of a century later, the experiment has blossomed into a prolific and influential center of ecosystem science and education.