Sponsored Sponsored content This Local Nonprofit Is Making Cayuga Lake Accessible for All

For many in Central New York, Cayuga Lake is a beautiful sight to see, but for too long, access to its waters has been limited. With more than 90 percent of the shoreline privately owned, many residents and visitors rarely get the chance to fully experience all the lake has to offer. 

Discover Cayuga Lake (DCL), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering connections between people and the lake, is changing that.

Through hands-on programs designed for community members of all ages, as well as for visitors, DCL opens the lake to the public in fun and educational ways by offering a variety of cruises on their boat, the MV Teal. Whether your child dreams of being a scientist, you’re looking for an outing with friends or family, or you’re just curious about the region’s natural beauty, DCL offers a variety of ways to explore and connect.

Bringing an eco-tourism model to the Finger Lakes

But there’s more to it than just what happens on the boat. Discover Cayuga Lake has developed an eco-tourism model that prioritizes environmental education and stewardship, along with community benefits and collaboration. They call it Tourism with a Mission. 

“We are in a fortunate position to be able to offer amazing tourism experiences to visitors, and then use the revenue we generate to serve our community and help protect the lake,” said Astrid Jirka, DCL’s Director of Tourism Initiatives.   

Revenue generated from tours and charters, along with donations from the lake-loving community, are invested into educational programs, youth training opportunities, and efforts to improve lake access for underrepresented groups. 

“Between the financial assistance we offered for educational programs, and our ‘Love Your Lake’ free community cruises, DCL was able to direct $125,000 in eco-tourism revenue back to our community in 2024. That’s a message we really want to share,” said Executive Director Bill Foster.

From their Floating Classroom Program, in which students become lake monitors for a day, to Love Your Lake Community Cruises and narrated Public Eco-cruises, there are many ways to experience life in and on the water. 

“We aim to combine recreation with education in almost everything we do. Learning is easy and far more fun when you’re outdoors and having a  good time,” Astrid said.

Here are some of the ways you can take advantage of everything the lake has to offer this summer:

Programs and Offerings from Discover Cayuga Lake

Love Your Lake – Weekly Community Events

DCL offers a variety of free or donation-based Community Cruises to ensure that residents can enjoy Cayuga Lake regardless of income. Offered weekly during the cruise season, options include:

• Community Sunset Cruises – Featuring presentations and activities hosted by locals. Wednesdays at Sunset  
• Club Cayuga Cruises with DJs on board  – Your chance to relax and dance if you’re so moved! Sundays at Sunset 
• Lake Monitoring Cruises – Help DCL Study the Lake! Sunday afternoons 
• Family Eco-Cruises – For the little people in town! Friday mornings in July & August
• Community Paddles: New this Year! In partnership with Paddle-n-More – Tuesdays evenings at Stewart Park
• Lake & Land Tours to Taughannock Park
• Season Passes are also available.  

Here’s more information about Community Cruises & Events

Public Cruises for locals and visitors alike

DCL’s boat, the MV Teal, is normally docked at the Allan Treman Marina, a beautiful location where most of its cruises leave from. Their public cruises feature onboard interpreters, youth guides and interns, which enrich the experience with insights about the lake’s ecosystem and local heritage. 

• Osprey Eco-Cruises: See the lake through the eyes of an osprey, by learning about lake ecology through interactive activities. Great for kid’s birthday parties!
• Fall Foliage Cruises: Marvel at the colors of autumn and local fall harvests.
• Night Sky Cruises: Stargaze!
• Sunset Cruises: Relax and watch the amazing sunsets over the water, with light narration on board.
• Farmers Market Cruises – leaving from the iconic Ithaca Farmers Market on the weekends

Here’s more information about Public Cruises

Private and Community Charters

It’s possible to reserve the boat for private gatherings and community organizations. Rates vary as the organization works to foster a collaborative environment connecting everyone’s lives to the health of the lake.

Here’s more information about Private and Community Charters

Youth Employment & Internships

DCL provides pathways for young people to grow as environmental stewards and leaders:

• Youth Guide Program – Paid, entry-level employment on the Teal, for teens to develop public speaking and customer service skills.  Along with learning environmental education,  Youth Guides man a take-over of a 4 hour cruise by the end of the season!  Operated through local Youth Employment Services.
  
• Cayuga Lake Watershed Internship Program – Paid summer internships for young adults in college or working locally. The WIP offers meaningful work experiences in environmental fields while learning about the collaborative nature of watershed stewardship in the Finger Lakes.

These programs empower youth with practical experience, professional development, and a deeper understanding of the natural world around them.

Here is more information on these programs.

Educational Programs

DCL has been operating its flagship educational programs around Cayuga Lake watershed for nearly 20 years, in local schools, and on boats. Almost all children who have grown up around the lake have raised trout in their classrooms as part of the Finger Lakes Trout in the Classroom Program that DCL operates. 

This unique program connects over 20 schools from Newfield to Geneva in a shared mission: to cultivate a love for local streams.  As students raise trout from eggs and prepare to release them, they also learn to maintain cold-water aquariums, understand trout development and aquatic ecosystems and the need for environmental stewardship.

“We visit the schools about once a month to do hands-on activities with the approximately 1,500 kids that participate each year. In the spring, students celebrate by releasing their trout into local streams, often giving their trout names and wishing them farewell with ceremonial prayers and words of advice. It’s very touching,” Astrid said.

Here’s more information on this program.

Additionally, DCL educates another 1,500 students aboard the Teal each year as part of their Floating Classroom Program when they become citizen-scientists for the day. Equipped with microscopes, plankton nets, Secchi disks, and more, kids collect real-time data while learning about lake ecology and environmental science along with human history, current impacts and local watershed challenges.

“Through hands-on exploration, students connect scientific knowledge with lived experiences – often discovering, to their surprise and delight (or mild disgust), the tiny plankton thriving beneath the lake’s surface,” Astrid explained.

Here’s more information on this program.

Discover Cayuga Lake is a non-profit organization

DCL is a nonprofit that operates year-round with its office in the Tompkins Center for History and Culture. It’s run by a small management and educational team and season crew that work as boat hands and interpreters. 

While tourism revenue helps, donations and sponsorships are necessary to keep the organization, as well as their boat, afloat.  By going for a cruise you can help support their mission, and if you’re able to contribute in other ways, your input is much appreciated. The MV Teal is in operation from May-October.  Let’s all go Love the Lake together and have a good time this season!

To learn more about Discover Cayuga Lake’s programs, cruise schedules, or educational initiatives, visit discovercayugalake.org or call 607-327-5253.