What To Do in Winter
Winter makes many of us think of settling down on the couch with a good book and cup of hot cocoa. While this is certainly a wonderful option, there’s still a lot of opportunity to get outside - if only you’re willing to brave the weather!
Here at the Cayuga Nature Center, we have a pleasant variety of outdoor activities! From hiking, to family programs, to maple fest, there is something for everyone to enjoy this season.
Learn about nature at one of our family programs:
Every other Saturday in the winter we schedule some of our most popular programs as a part of our Eco-Explorers programs for families and participants of all ages. Families can join us at 1pm to enjoy a variety of programs such as Fire-Building, Signs of Wildlife, and more!
Opposite Sundays at noon we have Animal Encounters programs where visitors can join us to learn more about our animal ambassadors and their wild counterparts!
These programs are always a hit for families and educators alike! As an educator, one of my favorite programs to lead is fire-building. When we’ve had a lot of snow and temperatures are lower, it adds a fun challenge to the day and makes the fire feel even better once it’s going!
View calendar of events: https://www.priweb.org/visit/events
Hike at Cayuga Nature Center:
The trails and grounds at the Cayuga Nature Center are open from 10am to 5pm every day! We have 5 miles of hiking trails to enjoy, including the popular route that runs behind the Lodge past our animal ambassadors and up to treetops! Our six outdoor animal ambassadors are native to New York, and enjoy the scenery of the chilly weather. You can visit them and our six-story treehouse all year round!
If you’re skiing or snowshoeing from the Black Diamond trail, you can visit our property from the west end of the property through our connector trail between the Lodge and the Black Diamond trail. While trails are not groomed for winter skiing, it is still a fun way to explore the property for those who come!
The blue & white trails are my personal favorite, as they make a nice loop through the forest. In the shrubby areas, many winter birds are foraging for seeds in that area, making the trails great for bird-watchers!
**Please note that for the safety of our animal ambassadors, pets are not allowed on the Cayuga Nature Center trails, but they are allowed on the trails at Smith Woods.
Hike at Smith Woods:
Smith Woods is a 32-acre, old-growth forest located just north of the Cayuga Nature Center in Trumansburg, NY that is open year-round. After a heavy snow, snowshoes are a great way to hike through the old forest!
This forest has not been logged by humans, and is home to trees that are hundreds of years old. These giants are great to visit, and include beech trees, hemlocks, and more!
The flora and fauna in this area are delicate, and there are many visitors to the forest, so it is important to stay on trail. On-leash dogs are welcome to join your hike at Smith Woods, and I have to say that it’s one of my dog’s favorite places!
The mature forest is home to lots of different wildlife, so there’s always fun tracks to see and scents to smell!
Visit the Smith Woods webpage to learn more about this local treasure! https://www.cayuganaturecenter.org/visit/smith-woods
Join us for Maple Fest:
Although we are not hosting our usual pancake-breakfast this March, we will still be holding an array of in person and online programs this year surrounding the maple syruping season.
We’ll have programs throughout the syruping process - including tree-tapping! If you’re interested in the process from start to finish, keep an eye on our calendar for this year’s program dates:
Tree Tapping Program
Seasonal Changes: Animal Encounters
Sugarbush Tour
Maple Story-time
Maple Boiling Demonstration
Tales of Trees
How much carbon does a tree store? We can measure that!
Maple Syrup Virtual Demo
Check out our calendar and follow us on Facebook to find out more about our events.