Cayuga Naturally 2012 Photo Contest
Cayuga County is a diverse and wonderful place filled with nature’s best from the shore of Lake Ontario to the heart of the Finger Lakes.  Capture your favorite place for hiking, canoeing, fishing, hunting or other outdoor activity as well as the beauty of the streams, lakes, trees, wildflowers, birds, animals and other aspects of nature.  All photos must be taken within Cayuga County and be of nature related subjects.  The photo should be: taken between 10-01-11 and 09-30-12; unframed and mounted on a firm backing, such as foam board or matting board; no smaller than 3x5 inches and no larger than 8x10 inches; all entries must be at the Sterling Nature Center by 10-07-12.  For official entry form send a stamped self-addressed envelope to: SNC Photo, PO Box 216 Sterling NY, 13156.  Contest is free and open to everyone, no photos will be returned and SNC reserves the right to refuse any photo deemed inappropriate.  An awards reception is being planned.

Artists & Art work Wanted
The Sterling Nature Center is looking for artists to display their nature inspired art at the center during the month of June.  We are also looking for artists to demonstrate their craft during Inspiration 2012 Saturday & Sunday, June 2 & 3, 12:00 to 4:30 our Festival of Nature and the Arts.  If you or some one you know are interested in helping please contact Jim D'Angelo at 315-947-6143 or snc@co.cayuga.ny.us.  Please help us make this the best Art Inspiration Festival yet!!!

Spring Equinox Walk – Tuesday March 20 at 7pm
Embrace the first day of spring by taking a guided walk to discover nature’s secret expression of the changing seasons. Early spring migrants, nesting owls and calling frogs are some of the possible wildlife we may encounter. The program is free and open to the public.

Basket Weaving – Saturday March 24 at 1pm
Learn the art of basket weaving with Linda Remig and see the colors nature provides while weaving a basket. Enjoy an afternoon of weaving fun and take home a useful basket. Please pre register by March 20 by calling the center at 315-947-6143 or email snc@co.cayuga.ny.us. The Friends of Sterling Nature Center are covering the materials cost of materials for this program, however donations are accepted and greatly appreciated.

Poetry Coffeehouse – Sunday March 25 at 3pm
Now that spring has arrived, our poetry gatherings will resume, hosted by Jim Pangborn and Charles Itzin.  Fine regional poets will read their work and discuss the art of imaginative writing.  The programs are free, and the famously fabulous refreshments will be available.

Egg Dying - Saturday March 31 at 1pm
See what colors you can get from your pantry just in time for the spring table.  Go back to nature with this fun and entertaining program using natural dyes to color your eggs.  Please bring your own hard-boiled eggs to dye.  An adult should accompany children. The program is free and open to the public.

Kid’s View of Vernal Pools Wednesday April 11 at 1pm
Join Naturalist Jim D’Angelo and his daughter for a Child’s View of the vernal pools at the Sterling Nature Center.  Vernal pools are small wetlands that temporarily fill with water providing essential habitat for frogs, salamanders, turtles and even a few snakes!!!  We will do some hands on exploring of these unique wetlands looking for spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, frogs, insects and other wildlife that utilize them.  A short slideshow presentation will be conducted before the outdoor nature study of the vernal pools.  Please dress for the weather and wear boots if you want to wade into this wetland.  The program is free and open to the public. 

Vernal Pool – Saturday April 14 at 1pm
Vernal pools are small wetlands that temporarily fill with water providing essential habitat for frogs, salamanders, turtles and even a few snakes!!!  We will do some hands on exploring of these unique wetlands looking for salamanders, frogs, insects and other wildlife that contribute to this ecosystem in a puddle.  An indoor presentation on the natural history and vulnerability of vernal pools will be conducted before the outdoor nature study.  Please dress for the weather and wear boots if you want to wade into this wetland.  The program is free and open to the public. 

Pizza & Petals - Sunday April 22
Homemade Pizza (noon) & Wildflower Walk (1pm)
On Earth Day treat yourself to some of Nature’s spring beauties, trillium, hepatica and other woodland wildflowers.  At 1pm naturalist and Sterling Nature Center Director Jim D’Angelo will led a walk along the trails of the nature center for a look at some of nature’s beautiful woodland wildflowers. Identification, natural history and interesting facts about the spring woodland wildflowers will be discussed on this walk. As a special treat before the walk homemade pizza and Ontario Orchards’ apple cider will be available from noon to 1pm. If you would like to join us for pizza please let us know so we can provide enough for everyone, contacting the nature center at 315-947-6143 or snc@co.cayuga.ny.us.  You do not have to partake in the pizza to join us for the wildflower walk. There is no fee for this program, but donations will be accepted and greatly appreciated. The Sterling Nature Center is located at the end of Jensvold Rd in northern Cayuga County in the town of Sterling just up the road from the Sterling Renaissance Festival grounds.

Trail Work Day – Saturday April 28 10am to Noon
The Sterling Nature Center is looking for some volunteers from the community to help with a few large projects like building bridges on the Wetland Loop or Two Tail Trails as well as help spreading woodchips on the Heron Trail.  We are seeking groups or individuals that would be interested in supplying much needed labor and a few individuals to be crew leaders for each project. Please contact Jim D’Angelo at 315-947-6143 or snc@co.cayuga.ny.us if you or your group is interested in lending a helping hand.

Poetry Extravaganza – Sunday April 29 at 3pm
In recognition of April as National Poetry Month, the Sterling Nature Center is presenting a Poetry Extravaganza on Sunday, April 26th from 3 -5 p. m. at its Jensvold Road center. The program is part of the center’s on-going Sunday Poetry Coffeehouse series.

CITO Beach Clean-up – Saturday May 5 10am to noon
Geocachers unite to clean up our playing field.  We will clean an area of the lakeshore bags and gloves will be supplied. For more information and to sign-up go to geocaching.com or contact the SNC office at 315-947-6143 or snc@co.cayuga.ny.us. There may be a geo-coin and other unique rewards for geocahers as well as food and drink after the work is done. Non-geocachers are welcome to help as well, please pre-register by contacting the office.

Plant Exchange – Saturday May 12 11am to 1pm
Have April showers turned your garden in to a jungle?  Need to thin out those perennial but hate to just toss them away?  We have the perfect solution, come trade your perennials or garden thinning at our annual Plant Exchange.  You can do a free exchange or give a donation for the plants you would like to take home

Wildflower Walk - Saturday May 12 at 1pm
Don't miss your chance to see the many early spring wildflowers of the Sterling Nature Center.  Many flowers like colt’s foot fade away quickly while, others like white trillium bloom longer. Join us for a Naturalist guided walk along the trails of the nature center.  Pioneer and Native American uses, natural history, and identification of our spring woodland wildflowers will be the topic of discussion.  The program is free and open to the public, but donations are accepted and greatly appreciated.

Voices of the Night – Saturday May 19 at 7pm
The sounds of the night woods have invoked many feelings in people from calming to terrifying.  Join naturalist Jim D’Angelo for a look and listen into the creatures behind the sounds and a hike to experience the voices of the night first hand. The twilight hike through the nature center will end as the sun sets over Lake Ontario. The program is free and open to the public.

Art Inspiration - Saturday & Sunday June 2 & 3 Noon to 4:30pm
The Sterling Nature Center’s Inspiration: Festival of Nature and the Arts, is Saturday & Sunday, June 2 & 3, 12:00-4:30.  We will be featuring music, art exhibits, poetry, and hands-on-activities. The Bar-B-Q beef dinner will be back.  The event is open to the public; admission and parking are FREE.  For more information call 947-6143 or visit www.cayuganet.org/sterlingpark.  Come join us for some good entertainment, exhibits, food and fun for everyone.  If you have any nature inspired art or know of an artist who receives their inspiration from nature please contact the nature center as we are always in search of art in all forms, paintings, sculptures, spoke, written, preformed or any other medium.

Rookery Life – Saturday June 16 at 1pm
Come out for a peek at the great blue herons sharing the rookery work with their mates and feeding the fast growing young.  Naturalist Jim D'Angelo will led a walk about Great Blue Herons and the rookery at the Sterling Nature Center.  Just how big are their nests?  How many nests are in the rookery?  How many herons are at the rookery?  Have the eggs started to hatch?  We will answer these and many other questions about the rookery and great blue heron natural history during this program.  A brief indoor discussion will be held first before a trip out to the rookery.  This program is free and open to the public. 

Summer Solstice Walk – Wednesday June 20 at 7pm
Start your summer off on the right foot by taking a guided hike along the trails of the Sterling Nature Center in search of symbols for the changing seasons. What flora and fauna usher in summertime? Come enjoy and evening hike on the longest day of the year.

Friends Annual Pig Roast Fundraiser – Sunday August 19 Noon to 4pm
Mark your calendar and bring your appetite for our annual summer fundraiser!!!


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For further information, questions, or reservations please call the Nature Center at 315-947-6143 or email snc@co.cayuga.ny.us

The Friends of The Sterling Nature Center
PO Box 216
Sterling, New York 13156
(315) 947-6143