The RMSC Museum & Science Center has so many great offerings to help your family make the most of the summer, including the RMSC Cumming Nature Center! From guided hikes to book clubs, to summer camp and citizen science projects, you can find something interesting to suit all of your family's needs and interests.
Here are five fun and easy ways your family can step into summer at Cumming Nature Center.
1. Explore 15 Miles of Nature Trails
Nestled between Canandaigua and Honeoye Lakes, Cumming Nature Center's 900-acre preserve is as beautiful as it is vast. Visitors can stop by the Visitor Center before heading out to hike more than 15 miles of trails through diverse habitats. From rare hemlock bogs to active beaver ponds to our iconic 90-year old red pine stand, you can discover a new trail every time you visit!
2. Participate in the Woodland Window Project
Along the Helen Gordon trail, visitors are invited to engage with a year-long citizen science project called the Woodland Window Project. Stop by one of the Woodland Window stations, take a moment to observe the world around you, and share your nature observations with us! You’re provided a journal, writing utensils, binoculars, plant and animal identification guides, and other helpful tools at each station to help inform your observations and reflections.
3. Join a Weekend Wild Walk
Explore Cumming Nature Center with naturalist Shariee Edersheim and uncover the hidden gems and oft-overlooked magic of the forest and fields. Wild Walks take place Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. Visitors can enjoy themes ranging from building fairy houses, discovering the wonders found in local ponds, observing seasonal changes in nature, and learning about the plants and critters that call bogs and mud-filled marshy areas home!
4. Celebrate the Art of Fermentation
What do pickles, kimchi, cheese, and beer have in common? They're all fermented! Every summer, Cumming Nature Center hosts the FLX Fermentation Fest, a two-day event celebrating the flavorful, funky, and profound aspects of fermented food and beverages. Over two days, attendees are invited to develop their fermentation skills through workshops, taste food and drink from regional fermenters, and explore the intersections of sustainability, science,and food. The keynote speaker for 2021 is Cheryl Paswater of Contraband Ferments, and you won’t want to miss the lessons she has to share!
5. Hands-On Activities at Summer Curiosity Camps
If you know a child who loves nature and getting their hands in the mud (literally!), Summer Curiosity Camps at Cumming Nature Center might be perfect for them. Camps provide a safe, structured opportunity for kids to explore the outdoors beyond their own backyard. Choose from a variety of themes, including archaeology-based camps, camps that help kids learn outdoor survival skills, and even camps that promote seeing the make-believe magic hidden in nature!
To learn more about the summer offerings at Cumming Nature Center, go to RMSC.org/cnc