Visitors
to Cayuga Nature Center can explore the wonders of the natural
world first hand. CNC has over five miles of trails and
a lodge filled with indoor exhibits including a childrens' activity
room, and a collection of indoor and
outdoor live animal exhibits. TreeTops, our six-story tree
house, and all of our trails are open from dawn to dusk, 365
days a year. We
offer a wide range of educational activities including environmental
and animal programs, an active outreach programs, our TEAM Challenge
ropes course, and much more.
Check out our current calendar
of events.
Be sure to also visit, Smith Woods, a spectacular remnant of old growth forest!
FALL IS IN THE AIR!
Every fall, monarchs make an impressive 2,000-mile trek south, using the sun to guide them to the exact same wintering spot in central Mexico. During their fall migration, monarch butterflies use the position of the sun to calculate where they should be going and an internal clock to adjust their calculations as the sun's position changes during the day.
Join us Saturday, September 18th at 1pm when we will be releasing our butterflies from their butterfly house back out into the world. We will also be tagging our butterflies so they can be monitored to see how many make this long journey!
While touring our grounds, don't forget to stop in and experience the Treetops Treehouse! A SIX story fortress hidden along the beautiful gorge in our wooded area behind our lodge. Come see for yourself!
Curious what you can do to help? Volunteering at Cayuga Nature Center is a rewarding experience. Contact us today to see how you can contribute to our organization. You can download our application here as well.
James
Dake, our former Director of Environmental Education and collaberator
with Musuem of the Earth (MotE) has compiled a wonderful Field
Guide to the Cayuga Lake Region. With beautiful color photographs
and accessible descriptions, this book
serves as a tool for both learning and appreciating our area's
flora, fauna, geology and history. It is available to purchase at several local locations including Cayuga Nature Center for $15.
Click
here for James Dake's interview on NPR
/
WSKG's "Off the Page" with Bill Jaker.
CNC
is easy to find: it is conveniently located on NYS Route 89 (1420 Taughannock Boulevard),
just six miles
north of downtown Ithaca and three miles south of Taughannock
State Park, one of central New York's most visited scenic locations.
Both the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail and the Greater Ithaca Art Trail
pass by our front entrance. Our not-for-profit organization
is member-based, and 2010 family memberships are now available
for only $40. Membership allows nearly unlimited access
to events at CNC. Please
consider joining today.
