Author: Natalia Kivimaki

FLM volunteer extraordinaire, Helen Heizyk, grabbed her camera and took us along for a video paddle of Keuka Lake and Sugar Creek. Her Monday morning paddle captured a Great Blue Heron and makes you feel like you are right there with her in the kayak. Enjoy! Keuka Lake & Sugar Creek Paddle

A great day was had by all – racers, volunteers, and spectators! It’s evident by the smiles captured by Helen Heizyk and Matt Kelly in the gallery photos below. Thank you to our sponsors: Lyons National Bank Dudley Poultry Finger Lakes Premier Properties Red Jacket Orchards Lattimore Physical Therapy Canandaigua Sailboard

The Finger Lakes Museum was the site of the ,Eaton Birding Society kayaking trip, where several members paddled in the morning sun and spotted birds along the way. A beautiful morning and a successful birding trip, Carolyn Jacobs shared her notes with us, tracking species and amounts. What an impressive list! 2.68 mile(s) Checklist Comments:… Continue reading Beautiful Birds in Sugar Creek

“Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” John Muir The two places I go when I need to wash my spirit clean are to a long sandy beach or to a favorite trail in the… Continue reading Tick Talk with Pat Atkinson

Written by FLM Executive Director, Natalie Payne Do you ever pause as you journey through a landscape to really observe the layers before you? If not, next time you find yourself walking in the forest or paddling in a quiet stream, know that learning more about what layers natural occur in theses landscapes will enhance… Continue reading Understanding Layers in Landscapes

written by guest blogger, Pat Atkinson In these days of social distancing, what better activity to do on a beautiful early spring day than to take a walk down one of my favorite paths on the west side of Canadice Lake. The morning grey, cloudy skies soon gave way to a brilliant blue ceiling framed… Continue reading A spring stroll down Canadice Lake’s Walking Path

The male Eastern Bluebird is a brilliant royal blue on the back and head and warm red-brown on the breast. The female is grayer with blue tinges in the wings and tail. You can find them year-round here in the Finger Lakes. They perch on wires, posts, and low branches, scanning the ground for prey.… Continue reading Bird Watch

The Finger Lakes Museum would like to thank the Paddle Keuka 5K sponsors. The 4th annual event was held on beautiful, picture perfect Saturday August 3rd. Participants enjoyed tunes from a DJ before and after their race, post-race refreshments and Grove Boys chicken BBQ. We couldn’t have done it without these gracious sponsors and we… Continue reading Paddle Keuka 5K sponsors

This month’s blog post is written by the FLM’s very own Pat Atkinson. Licensed ACA Kayak Instructor, NYS Guide and long-time FLM volunteer, you can find Pat visiting the campus to guide paddles or stopping in to say hello to everyone with her pup, Tree. This month’s Hemlock Lake blog features helpful tips for taking… Continue reading Dog Paddlin’ Hemlock Lake

This month’s blog follows the lake of the month theme and highlights Canadice Lake. Written by guest blogger, D.E. Bentley, she shares her experience of first “meeting” Canadice Lake and the constant discovery that has taken place of the area since. Thank you for sharing your story with us! It had taken little to convince… Continue reading Canadice Lake- A Magical Place

A bright and glorious morning was a special gift for us on this year’s Bird Walk! For two delightful hours, we traipsed through the Townsend-Grady Wildlife Preserve to reacquaint ourselves with our fine-feathered friends. Thanks to our wonderful guides Mahlon and Eleanor Hurst, Lydia and Arlene, we were able to see and/or hear 40 different… Continue reading Sunshine On My Shoulders

Part of the wonderful thing about the Finger Lakes is the incredible amount of history, both general and personal, that surrounds these beautiful lakes. It is not uncommon to hear from families that have spent generations growing up in a certain house, on a specific lake and that their best memories are tied so closely… Continue reading A Sailor on Owasco Lake

As a relatively recent transplant from Florida, I was pleasantly surprised by the area that I didn’t know much about when we first made the big cross-country move to the Finger Lakes. We moved to Geneva so I was familiar with Seneca Lake and my husband works in Waterloo so we had some knowledge of… Continue reading Conesus Lake

Our focus on the Finger Lakes this month is Cayuga Lake. Travel the ,Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway, an 87-mile loop around the lake, and you will find will find deep gorges, waterfalls, incredible landscape views, tourist and cultural attractions and more! You will also find several wonderful public access areas where everyone can enjoy the… Continue reading Day-tripping and More around Cayuga Lake

On one of the coldest days of the year, I decided it might be prudent to do some indoor exploring near Seneca Lake, our focus lake for February. I took along my intrepid mother for a museum adventure. First stop: Geneva History Museum, run by the Geneva Historical Society. Located on Main Street in Geneva,… Continue reading Indoor Adventures near Seneca Lake

The Finger Lakes Museum & Aquarium (FLM&A) was one of ten applicants to be awarded a Trees for Tribs Grant through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The Trees for Tribs Grant Program supports efforts to reforest New York’s tributaries, or small creeks and streams, which flow into and feed larger rivers and… Continue reading Trees for Tribs Grant to fund Sugar Creek Restoration Project

As I sit in front of my computer mulling over ideas for our Museum blog I find myself repeatedly distracted by the activity outside my window. Here in the Finger Lakes, over the past couple of days, Meteorologists (of the human species) have been alerting us to an approaching ‘significant’ snow event. Have you ever… Continue reading Wildlife Meteorologists?

The holiday season always seems to bring a fair amount of nostalgia. We look back on the past year, or years passed, often with a mix of emotions. Mrs. Maude Van Duyne, who lived much of her life in Canadice, was a frequent contributor of historical sketches and other material to the Wayland Register. She… Continue reading Christmas Past – Canadice Style

Well, it’s the most wonderfully busy time of the year, and I won’t get to visit Canadice, our Lake of the Month, in December! So instead, I am whetting my appetite for an adventure in 2019. As many locals know, Canadice and Hemlock are the only Finger Lakes with undeveloped shorelines. These lakes serve as… Continue reading Canadice – Something to Look Forward to!

November was approaching, and I was contemplating the Lake of the Month. I thought to myself, what could possibly be going on at Hemlock Lake in November?!? Well, imagine my surprise and delight when I stumbled across the Little Lakes Community Association (LLCA) in Hemlock! Operating in the recently acquired Old Hemlock School, they happened… Continue reading Hemlock: A “Right to Dance Community”!

On a recent FLM&A Adventure Team visit to Cayuga Lake, I was charmed by a visit to the Ithaca Children’s Garden! In a picturesque setting overlooking the south end of the lake, the Ithaca Children’s Garden is “an award-winning 3-acre public children’s garden designed for kids, enjoyed by all, and driven by a mission to… Continue reading Ithaca Children’s Garden