Wild Places for Everyone: A Message on Racism from the Finger Lakes Land Trust

The Finger Lakes Land Trust believes that safe, easy access to quiet trails and open spaces is a right. We condemn racism and support the Black Lives Matter movement.

POSTED JUNE 4, 2020

Watching the horrifying events across the country over the past month shows us that for many Black Americans, there is no such thing as safe access to nature. That for Black people in this country, watching birds, jogging, sleeping—everyday activities and human rights—are fraught with potential danger.

The Land Trust is working hard to ensure that our network of nature preserves and trails are safe, so that people from all communities will feel welcome. Our mission remains:  To conserve forever the lands and waters of the Finger Lakes region, ensuring scenic vistas, local foods, clean waters, and wild places for EVERYONE.

We can do better.

We recognize that we are beginners in this work and commit to amplify the voices and experiences of Black people, Indigenous people, and all people of color; to learn from groups working to diversify the conservation movement; and to work with partners to better serve the diverse communities of the Finger Lakes region.

COVID-19 Update About Park and Trail Closings Around the Finger Lakes Region

Please check before visiting, and protect yourself and others so that we all may continue to enjoy nature’s benefits.

Updated April 16, 2020

Dear Finger Lakers,

Gofingerlakes.org, a project of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, was created to inspire people to get outdoors and explore the natural beauty of our region.  As your guide to the best spots for outdoor recreation across our 6,000-square-mile area, we are pleased to offer this free service – especially now when a hike in nature can be a particularly potent form of solace.

To keep you and your family safe during the COVID-19 crisis, we recommend that you check with the public agency or organization that administers any Go Finger Lakes location before you visit.  Decisions to close parks and trails may be made in the interest of public health.  Please continue to enjoy the outdoors close to home and be sure to practice social distancing guidelines defined by the CDC.

Web Sites

You can read the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s COVID-19 response.  You might also find useful or emergent information about Go Finger Lakes locations on these web sites:

State

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

County

Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail
Chemung River Friends
Ontario County
Onondaga County Parks
Town of Dryden
Friends of the Outlet
Cayuga County
Seneca Meadows

National

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
United States Department of Agriculture

Go Finger Lakes Locations

Here is the complete list of Go Finger Lakes locations which include a direct link to the administrator for authoritative information.

State Forests, Parks, and More

Bear Swamp State Forest
Birdseye Hollow State Forest
Black Diamond Trail
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Cascadilla Gorge Trail
Catharine Valley Trail
Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail
Chemung River
Clark Reservation State Park
Conesus Inlet Wildlife Area
Connecticut Hill Wildlife Area
Danby State Forest
Erwin Wildlife Area
Fillmore Glen State Park
Finger Lakes National Forest
Gannett Hill Park
Green Lakes State Park
Grimes Glen Park
Hammond Hill State Forest
Harriet Hollister Spencer Recreation Area
Hemlock-Canadice State Forest
High Tor Wildlife Area
Highland Forest
Howland Island
Jim Schug Trail
Keuka Outlet Trail
Labrador Hollow Unique Area
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Morgan Hill State Forest
Oakley Corners State Forest
Owasco Flats
Pratt’s Falls Park
Robert Treman State Park
Sampson State Park
Seneca Meadows Wetland Preserve
Shindagin Hollow State Forest
Sugar Hill State Forest
Taughannock Falls State Park
Texas Hollow State Forest
Watkins Glen State Park

Nature Centers

Baltimore Woods Nature Center
Cayuga Nature Center
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cumming Nature Center
Lime Hollow Nature Center
Montezuma Audubon Center
Tanglewood Nature Center

Finger Lakes Land Trust Preserves

Bahar Preserve & Carpenter Falls
Bock-Harvey Forest Preserve
Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve
Hinchcliff Family Preserve
Lick Brook Gorge
Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve
Roy H. Park Preserve
Staghorn Cliffs
Steege Hill Nature Preserve
Wesley Hill Nature Preserve

“Be Safe, Be Seen” on Your Outdoor Adventures During Fall and Winter Hunting Seasons

A reminder to recreation enthusiasts that many parks, forests, and nature preserves allow hunting and trapping in designated periods

Go Finger Lakes would like to encourage all outdoor lovers to be especially mindful of safety during the fall and winter hunting seasons.  Each location profile on Go Finger Lakes includes a link to the managing organization – whether it be the Finger Lakes Land Trust, a New York State agency, or a nature center – and visitors should consult that agency for hunting information BEFORE EACH OUTING.

Wear Blaze Orange

Please see this November 2020 alert from New York State:  DEC Reminds Outdoor Enthusiasts to Share the Woods Safely This Season

We share excerpts here:

DEC encourages all outdoor enthusiasts-hunters and non-hunters alike-to wear blaze orange, blaze pink, or another bright color, especially during fall and winter. Doing so will allow these individuals to be seen more easily and from greater distances.

In addition, wearing bright colors makes it easier for Forest Rangers, Environmental Conservation Police Officers, and other rescue personnel to find lost, sick, or injured people afield.

Pet owners are encouraged to dress their dogs in blaze orange or pink or another bright color vest or scarf. Dogs should also stay leashed at all times.

Trapping seasons for many species are open throughout the fall and early winter. Although a rare occurrence, traps set for furbearers like raccoons and coyotes can also capture dogs that are not under control. Trapping is a highly regulated activity and regulations are strongly enforced.

Trappers are required to take an educational course before getting a license and DEC works closely with the trapping community to encourage trapping techniques that minimize risks to non-target wildlife and other domestic animals.

Keeping dogs on a leash is safer for the dog, for other people, and gives pet owners peace of mind.

Also on the DEC web site:  Hunting Seasons, Trapping Seasons, Hunting Safety.  Learn more about Statewide Hunting Regulations in NY State Parks and the Policy on Possession of an Unloaded Firearm for the Purpose of Accessing Adjacent Lands for Lawful Hunting Purposes.

Best Birding Spots in the Finger Lakes Region

Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the Finger Lakes region. If you are a beginning birder, it’s a great place to get started. If you are already a diehard, you can devote hours and hours, week after week, to birding here and never run out of rewarding discoveries. And whether you live in our region or are here just for a short visit, you have endless options about where to find the birds, all year round.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Montezuma is the crown jewel of the area’s birding sites, almost literally at the top center on the map of the region at the north end of Cayuga Lake, within an hour’s drive of Syracuse, Rochester, and Ithaca. The refuge itself encompasses almost 10,000 acres, but is only one part of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, a vast patchwork of almost 50,000 protected acres, or about 78 square miles. Most people begin their visit at the refuge’s visitor center and then proceed slowly on the Wildlife Drive around the Main Pool. During spring and fall migration, these open waters host hundreds of thousands of migrating ducks, geese, swans, grebes, coots, cormorants, and every now and then, even local rarities such as American White Pelicans. Montezuma also hosts a dazzling array of charismatic breeding birds throughout the summer, and in winter, the area is still excellent for roadside birding, perhaps most notably for wintering Snowy Owls and Northern Shrikes.

Sapsucker Woods

Located in Ithaca, this 220-acre sanctuary is the home of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to the study and conservation of birds. Sapsucker Woods is a particularly good place to start if you are new to birds and birding. The sanctuary itself has more than four miles of trails, which are all wide and flat, making for easy walking even for young children. Comprising beech-oak forest, swampland, brushy edges, and ponds, Sapsucker Woods typically hosts more than 150 bird species per year. During peak migration in May and September, birders collectively find 20+ species of warblers, plus vireos, thrushes, and much more. Summer is less of a riot of diversity, but still, with a well-trained ear, one can find 50 or more breeding bird species in Sapsucker Woods, including Barred Owls, Northern Waterthrushes, Scarlet Tanagers, and of course eponymous Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

High Tor Wildlife Management Area

With ponds, waterfalls, rivers, gorges, forests, and open fields, there is an abundance of wildlife habitats within the 6,315-acre wildlife management area in Yates County. Numerous songbirds and marshland birds may be viewed here.  No doubt the rich habitat and all the wildlife it supports is why the Audubon Society has recognized High Tor as an Important Bird Area.

Conesus Inlet Wildlife Management Area

The Conesus Inlet Wildlife Management Area is 1,120 acres of broad, flat floodplain nestled between two glacially steepened hillsides at the foot of Conesus Lake. Its marshland habitat is a favorite stopover for numerous species of migratory birds, and Bald Eagles have been nesting within the area and can be seen fishing the lagoon.

Bell Station

Located on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, Bell Station is a remarkable property that features 3,400 feet of pristine shoreline, wooded hillsides, extensive fields, and several small streams with cascading waterfalls. Bald Eagles are frequently seen on the property and waterfowl seasonally congregate off the shoreline.

Finger Lakes Land Trust Nature Preserves

The Finger Lakes Land Trust owns many lesser-known nature preserves, open to the public and much beloved by locals but often overlooked by visitors. Here you can really discover the variety in our regional landscapes, and accordingly, the diversity of our breeding birds. See our top three below.

Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve

Located in West Danby, Tompkins County, this preserve covers more than 500 acres of meadows, hedgerows, hardwood forest, hemlock woods, and streams and ponds. Over 70 species of birds nest here in a typical year, including both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, plus Prairie Warblers among 17+ breeding warbler species.

Hinchcliff Family Preserve

The Hinchcliff Preserve in Spafford, Onondaga County, has a similarly impressive mix of habitats and bird species across its 206 acres, plus a sweeping view of Skaneateles Lake.

Wesley Hill Nature Preserve

And in the 390-acre Wesley Hill Preserve between Canandaigua and Honeoye Lakes, you can expect to find Hermit Thrushes, Eastern Bluebirds, and up to three dozen other species on a slow morning walk through the mature hardwoods and conifers in spring and summer.

See the map!

Show the blue filter bar and set the filters for “bird watching” and any other factors you’re looking for!

Portions of this article also appeared in Life in the Finger Lakes magazine.

Get Outdoors at Public Events Hosted by the Land Trust and Fellow Organizations

You can participate in hikes, bikes, paddles, and outdoor events of all kinds across the Finger Lakes region.  Almost every event hosted by the Finger Lakes Land Trust is free and open to all.

Go to the Land Trust events calendar

On our events calendar, you will find outings for all ages.  We often list events co-hosted with partner organizations.  Don’t miss great events in your area – sign up for the Living Land, the monthly email newsletter of the Finger Lakes Land Trust.