STERLING – Sterling Nature Center is hosting several outdoor and nighttime activities which include the following:
-Sunset-Moonrise walk
Friday August 12, 8:00 p.m.
Start off watching the sunset over Lake Ontario from the Lakeview Observation Deck. We will then make our way along the Heron Trail in search of beaver, wood thrush, and other wildlife. We will arrive at the Beaver Wetland Observation Area in time to watch the moon rise above the tree line. As it shines over the wetland we will look and listen for frog, owls and other evening wildlife.
-Water Resources Educational Experience
Saturday August 13th, 1-3 p.m.
Thousands of years ago walls of ice known as glaciers covered New York state. When this ice retreated, it left New York with abundant freshwater lakes and aquifers. These aquifers are where many New Yorkers get their pure spring water, including here in Sterling. Join us for a family event as we hike through the Sterling Nature Center for about an hour while educating about wetlands, aquifers, and drinking water. After the hike, we will have a 30-minute indoor activity. Educating about water is the key to preserving it for future generations.
-Sunday Wandering Naturalist
Sunday August 14, 10:00 a.m.
Observe and connect with the flora and fauna of the Sterling Nature Center by meandering along the trails in search of the wonders that may be found if we only take the time to slow down and observe. Photography, journaling or just being intentionally curious about the natural world around us will be encouraged. There may be time we just stop to wait, look and listen for the wildlife around or to observe patterns in their behavior. What we encounter will be according to the season and activity of the flora and fauna of that time.
Please Note: We will not be hosting the Friends Annual Pork Roast this year due to the logistical challenges related to the construction project. We are planning it for next year with our new facilities.
-Owl Prowl
Friday August 26, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday August 27, 7:00 p.m.
Discover how owls rule the night while we explore owl adaptations, hunting skills, where they roost and how to find them. The program will start with a discussion inside, followed by a night hike in search of Eastern Screech Owls.
–International Vulture Awareness Day
Saturday September 3 at 1:00 p.m.
Join Naturalist Jim D’Angelo for an exploration of the turkey vulture in celebration of International Vulture Awareness Day and the vital work they do to keep our environment clean. We will look into their adaptations, natural history and lifestyle to learn why and how they do their essential job.
–Monarch Migration and Tagging Workshop
Sunday September 4 at 11 a.m.
Friday September 9 at 11:00 a.m.
Sunday September 11 at 11:00 a.m.
The Sterling Nature Center is a roosting and nectaring resource for migrating monarch butterflies. Join us for a presentation on the life cycle and migration patterns of monarch butterflies. We will also cover identifying monarch butterflies, differentiating them from viceroy butterflies, how to determine gender, and explain the tagging program and procedure to participants. Data collected will be submitted to Monarch Watch, the organization that oversees the international monarch tagging program. We will then go out into the field for a demonstration of netting and tagging, weather permitting. Participation is limited; please email the center at [email protected] to reserve a spot.
-Coastal Clean-up
Saturday September 10 10 :00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Think globally and act locally in support of your environment!!! Join the Sterling Nature Center in cleaning up the Lake Ontario shore. The Sterling Nature Center’s annual fall beach cleanup is your opportunity to THINK about the GLOBLE ENVIRONMENT and ACT LOCALLY to help make a difference. Join other volunteers to help clean up the Lake Ontario shoreline; bags and gloves will be available but you are welcome to bring your own. Remember to dress for the weather and that the lakeshore can be cooler and windier than inland this time of year. Some light snacks will be available after the work is done.
-Full moon Walk
Friday September 9, 7:00 p,m.
Saturday September 10, 8:00 p.m.
This September’s full moon is the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox and can occur in September or October. The light of the Harvest Moon provides extra time to complete the harvest or to go for a night hike. You never know what you might see or hear during a moon walk; owls, fox, deer or other creatures of an early fall night. No matter what we observe it will be an interesting way to observe the wetlands, woodlands and fields by the light of the Moon
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