The Discovery Trail: A look inside the Cayuga Nature Center

By Eric Banford
Tompkins Weekly

 

The Discovery Trail is a museum-library partnership between eight member organizations that have been collaborating for nearly two decades to help visitors explore nature, science, and culture. Each month, we’ll be exploring one of the sites, highlighting their offerings and taking a look at their impact in the community.
Discovery Trail partners include Cayuga Nature Center, Cornell Botanic Gardens, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell, Museum of the Earth, Sciencenter, The History Center in Tompkins County, and Tompkins County Public Library.

This month we focus on Cayuga Nature Center (CNC), which is located on 120 beautiful acres just north of Ithaca on the west side of Cayuga Lake. In 2013, CNC became the Paleontological Research Institution’s newest public venue for education.

“It’s become an integral part of PRI’s mission to integrate the Museum of the Earth (MotE) and Cayuga Nature Center (CNC) with what we do,” said Jim Harper, Manager of Marketing and Communications for PRI, the parent organization for both learning centers. “The Museum is focused on the evolution of life, from the earliest life on Earth, while CNC is more focused on current life. Together they explore the diversity and amazingness of what life on Earth, and more specifically in Cayuga Lake’s bioregion, has been and is today,” he said.

CNC’s staff consists of excellent educators who put on programs at the nature center and out in the community at local schools, according to Harper. “We’ve been working hard the past few years to transform CNC. We’ve upgraded all of the exhibits, and added an exhibit of soil samples from all over the region with explanations of why each sample is so different. There’s also a new room devoted to the climate and climate change,” he said.

As a member of the Discovery Trail, CNC’s participation helps PRI with their outreach efforts, putting kids in touch with nature as part of the Kids Discover the Trail! (KDT!) program. “It’s been really helpful having the Discovery Trail partnership because all of the institutions that are part of the trail help with marketing and visibility. It’s a real multiplier,” he added.

“Over 600 5th and 6th graders will participate in the KDT! program at the Cayuga Nature Center,” added Star Bressler, Executive Director of the Discovery Trail. “Students participate in a series of obstacles and develop leadership, communication, and team building skills to solve problems.”

“Warren Allmon, the Director of PRI, also serves as the Discovery Trail Board Chair and provides leadership for the expansion of KDT! to serve all children in Tompkins County,” continued Bressler. “The Discovery Trail’s goal to provide equal access to resources is supported by providing students with a free return pass. After their field study, students are able to return with their families regardless of ability to pay admission. Since the Cayuga Nature Center’s merger with PRI 10 years ago, we are thrilled with their investment in new exhibits, expansion of indoor and outdoor exhibits, and that students will have access to these valuable resources through KDT!,” she said.

CNC holds an extensive array of summer programs, which have become extremely popular over the years, necessitating early sign up if one wants their kids to get a spot (hint, hint). Spring break camp is coming up March 26 through 30, and summer camp sessions include activities for kids 3 to 16 years old.

“CNC’s summer camp is one of the longest-running in Tompkins County, every summer we see over 400 campers from all over the county,” said Harper. “Many campers come back every year, and each week has a different theme, like habitats and homes, the power of plants, prehistoric journey, survival skills, and more. For slightly older kids we have a recreation and outdoor leadership skills camp, archery, and councilor-in-training programs. The summer is always busy here at the nature center,” he said.

One of the most endearing parts of a visit to CNC is connecting with the animals that are residents there. Daisy the Red Fox has a new enclosure, making it easier to view her in a semi-natural environment. Horton the Barred Owl just moved in. Oakley the Great Horned Owl, Ichabod the Turkey Vulture, Ace the Red-tailed Hawk, and Sir Pokes-a-Lot the Porcupine are just some of the Amazing Animal Ambassadors you can meet at Cayuga Nature Center.

“All of our Ambassadors are animals that we basically rescued,” added Harper. “They can’t be returned to nature either because of an injury or because they were raised in captivity and don’t have the skills to survive in the wild. So we provide them with a good home,” he said.

CNC, MotE, and PRI are always looking for volunteers with different skills, if you’re interested you can email volunteer@museumoftheearth.org or call 607-273-6260 x221

And for more information, visit cayuganaturecenter.org.