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.
Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve is owned and managed by the Finger Lakes Land Trust as the world’s first temperate-zone preserve for research in biodiversity and chemical ecology. Scientists and students at Cornell University have used the preserve to study the chemical interactions of organisms there.
Owing to the size and diversity of this preserve, it is ideal for use by area colleges and schools for different educational purposes. In addition, the preserve may be used by the public for hiking, skiing, birding, and nature walks. It also provides a place for quiet contemplation.
To find other outdoor adventures near Lindsay-Parsons, see the interactive map.
With late fall in the Finger Lakes comes hunting season and many of your favorite trails and outdoor locations may be closed or have limited access. For anyone looking for open space and peace of mind without trail closures, explore this small list of places where hunting is not allowed during the fall and winter hunting season this year, October 1 through December 22, 2020.
Rolling wooded hills, well-groomed trails, and varied niches make this small gem in Marcellus a must visit for all members of the family. Short trails through an arboretum as well as wildflower and herb gardens near the John A. Weeks Interpretive Center are perfect for those who just want a brief, easy stroll. The longer Valley, Boundary, and Field to Forest trails offer extended trips to expand the experience and are thoroughly enjoyable by hikers of all levels.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, more commonly known as Sapsucker Woods, is a birding haven and great resource for long time birders and those with an aspiring interest. Four miles of trails wander through the 230-acre sanctuary, with multiple interconnected loops that can be intermixed for longer trips. The mostly level trails weave through deep woods, atop boardwalks in swamps, and beside ponds bursting with wildlife of all kinds.
Twelve miles of trails, open dawn to dusk year round, weave through meadow, forest, and scrub land, often neighboring or encircling the numerous ponds and varied wetlands found throughout the 430-acre property in Cortland. The deep forest sections found along the Mill Pond Trail feature large diameter trees that are reminiscent of the old growth forest found at Green Lakes State Park.
An easy meandering trail accessed from the south parking area of this Finger Lakes Land Trust preserve in Dryden leads you through a meadow that encircles a beautiful evergreen plantation. Follow the spur trail and you will find yourself in a mature forest that leads to the hemlock-studded gorge and waterfalls along Six Mile Creek. Please note that while hunting is prohibited in the Roy H. Park Preserve, it is allowed in the adjacent Hammond Hill State Forest which can be accessed from the preserve’s northern entrance.
The 793-acre Steege Hill Nature Preserve in Big Flats has seven miles of hiking trails and is the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s largest conservation area. Located on a hilltop high above the Chemung River, hikers can choose from a series of connected loop trails for longer or shorter hikes.
The Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira is home to a six-mile trail system. Multiple loops of varying difficulty and length, allow for leisurely strolls in the meadows or more vigorous excursions through the woodland. The trails are peppered with placards that have quotes from Mark Twain whose wit and thoughts help frame our views of nature in new and amusing ways.
*The Baltimore Woods Interpretive Center, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Lime Hollow visitor centers, and Tanglewood Nature Center Museum are currently closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trails are open with social distancing practices in place.
*Please be advised that hunting may be occurring on adjacent properties. We encourage every outdoor enthusiast to wear blaze orange, pink, or another bright color, especially during fall and winter. Doing so will allow you to be seen more easily and from greater distances. Learn more about hiker safety during hunting season.
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.
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.
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.
Meet the eastern red-spotted newt, lover of ponds and muddy forest floors. In springtime, at Danby State Forest, you will find them walking the trails with you… so mind your footfalls as you go.
Here are some of our favorite animal photos, shot in the Finger Lakes region by volunteers of the Finger Lakes Land Trust and other folks on nature preserves across the region.
Wild Turkeys. Photo: Marie Read
American Woodcock. Photo: Marie Read
Bobcat. Photo: Bill Banaszewski
Merlin. Photo: Marie Read
Great Blue Heron. Photo: Melissa Groo
Northern Shrike. Photo: Marie Read
Mink. Photo: Melissa Groo
Baltimore Checkerspots. Photo: Tom Reimers
Snowy Owl. Photo: Tom Reimers
Cedar Waxwing. Photo: Nigel Kent
Cerulean Warbler. Photo: Lang Elliott
Bald Eagle. Photo: Bill Banaszewski
Red fox. Photo: Pete Wiedmann
Dusky salamander. Photo: Brian Magnier
Red-spotted Newt. Photo: Brian Magnier
Garter snake. Photo: Brian Magnier
Red-bellied snake. Photo: Brian Magnier
Wood frog. Photo: Lang Elliott
Fisher. Photo: Bill Banaszewski
Black-capped Chickadee. Photo: Marie Read
Merlin. Photo: Melissa Groo
Green frog. Photo: Mark Chao
Honey bee. Photo: Pete Wiedmann
Beaver. Photo: Tom Reimers
Fritillary. Photo: Tom Reimers
Beaver. Photo: Tom Reimers
Painted turtle. Photo: Jim Kersting
Red-spotted Newt. Photo: Monika Wood
Bumblebee. Photo: Nigel Kent
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Photo: Nigel Kent
Tree Swallow. Photo: Nigel Kent
Bald Eagle. Photo: Nigel Kent
Hooded Mergansers. Photo: Nigel Kent
Gray tree frog. Photo: Tanglewood Nature Center
American toad. Photo: Lime Hollow Nature Preserve
Turkey Vulture. Photo: Nigel Kent
Turkey Vulture. Photo: Nigel Kent
Barred Owl. Photo: Kim Wood/Tanglewood Nature Center
Merlin. Photo: Bridget Sharry/Tanglewood Nature Center
Cooper’s Hawk. Photo: Bridget Sharry/Tanglewood Nature Center
Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: Bridget Sharry/Tanglewood Nature Center
Prairie Warbler. Photo: Lang Elliott
Thanks to our volunteers and partners for sharing!
Do you have great photos and videos of wildlife in our region?
In your travels around the Finger Lakes, be sure to visit the western shores of Skaneateles Lake, where you will find Bahar Preserve and Carpenter Falls. The Finger Lakes Land Trust conveyed 36 acres of these lands to New York State, creating the Carpenter Falls Unique Area, while the remaining 51 acres of land downstream toward the lake continue to be owned and managed as the Land Trust’s Bahar Nature Preserve. The Land Trust has entered into a cooperative management agreement with the state, engaging volunteers to help take care of this special place.
To find other outdoor adventures near Carpenter Falls, see the interactive map.
See this beautiful stretch of Chemung River between Bottcher’s Landing and Fitches Bridge as the classic morning fog burns off to reveal a stunning landscape of hillsides, farms, and forests, including conservation lands protected by the Finger Lakes Land Trust and other organizations.
