Upcoming Events

Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps Virtual Photography Exhibit

The Onondaga Lake Photography Exhibit will showcase Central New York photographers' images of Onondaga Lake's birds, other wildlife and their habitats, while educating the community about Onondaga Lake as an Audubon Important Bird Area. The exhibit is hosted by Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps with support from Audubon New York, Honeywell, the Central New York Community Foundation and the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation. Thirty photos will be presented that highlight why Onondaga Lake is a community asset where birds and people thrive. Additionally, several photographers will speak about the story behind their photographs and why they enjoy taking photographs of Onondaga Lake's wildlife. Anne Burnham and Alison Kocek, members of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps Advisory Board, will also talk about their role in restoring Onondaga Lake.

Space is limited and registration is required. Click here to register. The webinar link will be sent to you in a confirmation email.

The exhibit will kick off the virtual silent auction, featuring the stunning images of Onondaga Lake's wildlife, to raise funds for the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.

Photographers: Cheryl Lloyd, John DeNicola, Joe Fratianni, Nancy Becerra, Steve Ratliff, David Monaghan, Greg Craybas, Joe Carey, Steve Edgerly, Donald Florczyk, Marcia Bower, Carrie Bush, Phillip Bonn, Pete Andrusyszyn, and K. Alice Lindsay.

Anne Burnham, a Senior Scientist with Parsons Corporation, one of the key consulting firms involved in the design, implementation, and long term monitoring of the lake's restoration, will share the story behind the lake's thriving shoreline wetlands project. Designed by a multidisciplinary team of engineers and scientists in partnership with SUNY-ESF and others, the restoration of Onondaga Lake's southwestern shoreline was completed in 2017. Today, restored wetlands support diverse assemblages of fish, birds and other wildlife, in addition to hundreds of species of native plants. In 2020, as part of the Loop-the-Lake Recreation Trail extension, public access to this area was opened, connecting the community with a resource lost for almost 100 years.

Alison Kocek is the Vice President of Onondaga Audubon, the local Audubon Chapter supporting the conservation of birds and other wildlife native to Central and Northern New York. Since 2016, Onondaga Audubon has documented Onondaga Lake's Bald Eagle abundance, behaviors, and habitat use weekly throughout the winter and monthly during the warmer months. The highest Bald Eagle count came during the extremely frigid 2018-2019 winter when over 100 eagles were counted on March 2, 2019. This winter, Onondaga Audubon has observed 50 eagles on the southern shore of the lake. Alison will discuss the best locations and times of year to enjoy birds at Onondaga Lake with family and friends.

Virtual Wings & Wetlands Birding Festival
Take part in this year’s Wings & Wetlands Festival from wherever you are.

Through a series of Zoom classes, we will bring you leading experts on birds, wetlands, and conservation messages and resources to enhance your next wetland visit. Featured presenters include Kenn Kaufman (field Guide author, naturalist, and artist), Alvaro Jaramillo biologist, conservationist, guide), Sharon ‘The Bird Chick’ Stiteler aka (Birder, speaker, author) and others. Topics of presentations will include the link of Kansas wetlands to bird migrations, the psychology of birding, humorous birding stories, bird identification, Kansas wetlands, Kansas raptors and SmartPhone birding. The Wings & Wetland Festival virtual event will take place on March 24 - 26, 2021. Registration is $20. Proceeds from the Wings & Wetlands Festival will benefit conservation efforts at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.

Information and registration at Wings and Wetlands.

Thank you to event organizers and sponsors: Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks & Tourism, The Nature Conservancy, and Kansas Birding Festival, Inc.

Spring Ornithology with Steve Kress
Would you like to learn more about birds and their lives? Register now for the Cayuga Bird Club’s Spring Ornithology with Steve Kress, held Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 pm, March 30 to May 18, via Zoom. This 8-week course is perfectly timed to help people identify spring migrants and better understand bird behavior. Each weekly meeting features a group of migratory birds that are at the peak of their spring migration, with discussions about bird song, migration, courtship, family life, and conservation. The course concludes with one of Dr. Kress’s favorite topics: how to create a bird-friendly habitat on your own property.  Each presentation is illustrated with stunning photos and bird song recordings.

For more than 40 years, Dr. Kress taught a similar, popular course at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Last year the Cayuga Bird Club began hosting this new course. Dr. Kress is well known for his entertaining and engaging teaching style, and loves sharing his extensive knowledge about bird life. He is the founder of Audubon’s Project Puffin and served for many years as Director of the Audubon Seabird Restoration Program and Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine. He is the author of numerous books, articles, and online courses about birding, gardening for birds, seabirds, and wildlife conservation.

Although the course focuses on birds of Central New York, most of the identification, behavior, and conservation tips will interest bird enthusiasts throughout the country. Discussions and Q & A will include the locations where students live.

The cost is $125 per household, and includes a membership in the Cayuga Bird Club. Classes are recorded for viewing or reviewing at your convenience. This course also makes a perfect gift for your favorite birder, and gift certificates are available on the website. For more information, and to register, visit Cayuga Bird Club