Home Plan Your Visit About Us Educational Programs

Discovery Trail Calendar

Upcoming Member Events

Artist's Talk: Serendipity and Exquisite Manipulation
jma logo Date: Thursday, March 11
Time: 5:15 pm
Location: Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

Photographer France Scully Osterman will discuss her work, some of which is included in the exhibition The Image Wrought. This event is funded in part by a grant from the Cornell Council for the Arts and by generous gifts from Gale and Ira Drukier and Genevieve and Richard Tucker. More...

Chinese Brush Painting - class 6 of 8
jma logo Date: Friday, March 12
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Location: Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

Join master painter Jim Hardesty for this Museum favorite. All skill levels and ages are welcome. Fees: $100 Museum Members/$120 nonmembers. Materials: $50 new students/$10 returning students. Registration 607 255-6464. More...

Night Hike
cnc logo Date: Friday, March 12
Time: Sunset
Location: Cayuga Nature Center

Hike our wooded trails, under the big sky of our back fields or around our ponds. Explore who is awake and stirring under the moonlight. No need to bring a flashlight. Meet at the lower kiosk at CNC. More...

Beginner Bird Walks at Sapsucker Woods
lab of O logo Date: Saturday, March 13 & Sunday, March 14
Time: 9:00 - 10:30 am
Location: Meet in front of the Visitors' Center at 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY

Come to Sapsucker Woods for a leisurely walk through the sanctuary. These walks are aimed at beginner bird watchers and last approximately 1-1.5 hours. Dress for the weather and bring a pair of binoculars and field guide (if you have them).Some binoculars may be available. Walks will be led by Cornell Lab of Ornithology volunteer docents. More...

Fossil Identification Day
mote logo Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Museum of the Earth

Staff paleontologists at the Museum of the Earth and the Paleontological Research Institution help you identify your most puzzling find, from brachiopods to trilobites to funny-looking rocks. Fossil identification is included with your admission to the museum. More...

One Fish, Two Fish, Old Fish, New Fish: Exploring the Evolution of Biodiversity
one fish two fish Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Museum of the Earth

Help us celebrate our latest exhibit with a day of fun for the whole family. Play games, conduct experiments, and make crafts all while you learn more about what a species is and how they evolve. More...

Animal Feedings
cnc logo Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Cayuga Nature Center

Check out our many animals at Cayuga Nature Center. We will be feeding our snakes, turtles, birds, fish and our mammals. Our Director of Animals will be around to answer your questions. All ages are welcome! Reservations are not required, but large organized groups are asked to call ahead of time. Cost of program free with admission: Admission: $3 Adults, $2 Students and Seniors, $1 Children (2-11). CNC Members are free, MOTE Members receive a dollar off adult admission. More...

Properly Pruning Your Trees and Shrubs
plantations logo Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Location: Cornell Plantations, Lewis Education Center classroom

Pruning your trees and shrubs can beautify your landscape and improve the growth of your plants. Learn the basics of pruning plus some advanced techniques in this hands-on workshop led by Jim Mack, Cornell Plantations horticultural supervisor. A brief indoor session to discuss tools, techniques, and safety will be followed by field experience with a wide variety of woody plants. Bring your own pair of comfortable hand pruners and/or a small folding saw. All other tools and equipment are provided. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear. Pre-registration is required. Fee: $25 members and Cornell students, $35 non-members. More...

Cultura! Latin American Storyteller Series
tcpl logo Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Location: Tompkins County Public Library, Thaler/Howell Programming Room

Explore a variety of Latin American cultures through literature, music, movement, dance and drama. Founded in part by the Faculty Fellows-in-Service Program affiliated with the Cornell Public Service Center. More...

Sciencenter Showtime!: Sapsquatch Syrup
Sapsquatch Syrup Date: Saturday, March 13
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Sciencenter

Join the Sciencenter staff this February as they explore the following topics: Pollution and Bird Songs (March 6), Sapsquatch Syrup (March 13) and Whoo Do You Eat? (March 20). More...

Sketching in the Greenhouse (4 of 6 sessions)
plantations logo Date: Sunday, March 14
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Location: Cornell Plantations, Plant Production Facility

It may be too cold to draw plants outside, but Cornell’s greenhouses are nice and warm! Visit several different greenhouses to draw accurate renditions of beautiful native and tropical plants. During each class, participants will focus on one or two plants. Learn to observe more completely as you discover an amazing variety of greenhouse plants. All ability levels, and children ages 12 and older, are welcome. Please bring a good quality sketchbook, erasers, and a few favorite pencils. Instructor: Camille Doucet, artist, Ithaca, NY. Fee: $150 members and Cornell students; $180 non-members. Pre-registration required. Registration fee includes all six sessions. First class meets at Cornell Plantations Plant Production Facility, Forest Home Drive. Subsequent locations determined each week. More...

Cornell Piano Society Concert
jma logo Date: Sunday, March 14
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

The Cornell Piano Society and the Museum Club will present a free concert in the Museum’s galleries. Join us for this annual event celebrating great music and great art! More...

Sunday Art Break
jma logo Date: Sunday, March 14
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

Nancy Green, curator of prints, photographs, and drawings, will explore trends in contemporary works on paper. More...

Monday Night Seminar: Adventures with birds Down Under
lab of O logo Date: Monday, March 15
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Visitors’ Center Auditorium, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY

Australia is home to an amazing and diverse array of birds, many of which are quite strange and unfamiliar by North American standards. Mike Webster, the new Director of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has been studying Australian birds for several years, focusing primarily on the evolution and reproductive behavior of these unusual birds. In this talk Dr. Webster will present some highlights of this research, as well as stories and recordings of the bizarre birds that can be found down under. More...

Art for Lunch
jma logo Date: Thursday, March 18
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Location: Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

Tour the exhibition The Image Wrought with curator Nancy Green. More...

Kid's Corner Book Reading: Forest Bright, Forest Night
book: Forest Bright, Forest Night Date: Thursday, March 18
Time: 3:30 pm
Location: Adelson Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (second floor), 159 Sapsucker Woods Road

Join us for a reading of Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Jamichael Henterly. This fun rhyming book offers an unusual perspective of forest life: the idea that the same place is like two different habitats—one during the day, and one at night. More...

Sciencenter Showtime!: Whoo Do You Eat?
owl Date: Saturday, March 20
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Sciencenter

Join the Sciencenter staff this February as they explore the following topics: Pollution and Bird Songs (March 6), Sapsquatch Syrup (March 13) and Whoo Do You Eat? (March 20). More...

Museum of the Earth Free Day
mote logo Date: Sunday, March 21
Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Museum of the Earth

Join us for an admission free day at Museum of the Earth. Part of our Community Accessibility Program which is designed to ensure that the Museum is accessible to our entire community. More...

Tactile Time: Clay Stamps
play dough Date: Tuesday, March 23
Time: 10:30 am
Location: Sciencenter

Toddlers and preschoolers are invited to explore their world of touch by experimenting with clay stamping. Smocks will be provided. Tactile Time occurs on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Early Childhood Programs in the Curiosity Corner are made possible with the generous support of Wegmans. Programs are especially designed for toddlers and preschoolers and included with admission. Kids under three receive free admission. More...

Mineral ID Day
minerals Date: Sunday, March 25
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Location: Museum of the Earth

Have a mineral and not a fossil? No problem. Long-time volunteer, Eniko Farkas, a geologist and member of the Cayuga Gem and Mineral Club, helps identify your mystifying mineral. Mineral identification is included with your admission to the Museum. More...

Trail & Member News

  • The Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Susan A. Currie as the Library's newest director. A resolution read during a special meeting of the board cited Currie's distinguished 28-year career as a librarian with ever-increasing professional responsibilities. Currie will assume the post on October 26, 2009. Read more...
  • This year marks the 100th anniversary of the naming of Sapsucker Woods. To continue celebrating this centennial event we've unveiled two new exhibitions in the Cornell Lab's Visitors' Center: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker carving by Master Carver Floyd Scholz, which will remain on permanent display, and Historical Photos of Sapsucker Woods exhibition. Read more...
  • The Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University makes a special effort to open it's doors to those with special needs. Cathy Klimaszewski and Hannah Ryan were interviewed on WHCU's All Things Equal. Listen to the podcast. Read more...
  • Tompkins County Public Library announces Storytimes to be held October through May in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room. Babies, Books, and Bounce Time: Caregivers and babies are welcome to share stories, songs, and togetherness. Toddler Storytime: Caregivers and toddlers share rhythmic books and rollicking fun. And Family Storytime: Great books, music, and family fun! Please visit the website for days and hours. Read more...
  • The History Center has opened a new Map Room in our small gallery, with several historic maps of Ithaca and Tompkins County, dating back to 1853. It is possible to see the development of downtown Ithaca, noting the business district as it spread out from Owego Street, now State Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The History Center Map Room is a permanent exhibit. Read more...
  • East Hill Notes host Gary Stewart sits down with the directors of the Johnson Museum, the Laboratory of Ornithology, and Cornell Plantations to talk about Ithaca's Discovery Trail. Read more...

Trail Member Calendars

For more news and events, see the individual member calendars