FLM Blog

May is Lake Friendly Living month, which encourages individuals to make an impact and take action to preserve and protect the Finger Lakes. The Lake Friendly Living Coalition of the Finger Lakes is comprised of individual lake watershed associations and works toward a...

The Finger Lakes Museum joined the company of 331 designated locations across New York State to become a part of the NYS Birding Trail. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) added the museum's trail through the Townsend Grady Wildlife Preserve, in...

Sugar Creek is a tributary to Keuka Lake, running along the east side of the FLM campus. Many of the FLM's exciting program activities take place here: the public kayak dock welcomes visitors dawn to dusk free of charge to launch their boats; the excitement of the...

When the temps drop, that's no reason to stay indoors. The Finger Lakes are beautiful anytime of the year, with the right layering! Take a peek at the history of two popular outdoor options: snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.   History of Snowshoeing The use...

As part of the Finger Lakes Museum's participation in the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Sciences) MANY (Museum Association of New York) grant, a video interview was prepared with G. Peter Jemison. The former Historic Site Manager of Ganondagan tells the story...

The wonderment and excitement of children as they are reading a story for the first time is hard to match. Capturing the suspense of what is to happen next, the emotion of connecting with the characters, and hearing the giggles as the story unfolds are ways that...

  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...

Backyard Composting There are so many good reasons to compost.  Thanks to Addison County, Vermont https://www.addisoncountyrecycles.org/food-scraps/composting/101/why-compost, for their list: Composting reduces waste, makes us less dependent on landfills, and...

The hot and sunny Saturday was the perfect day for the refreshing splash of the 2022 Paddle Keuka 5K. With over 100 visitors to the Finger Lakes Museum for the big fun, spectators and participants enjoyed the rush of the possible win of raffle items, tasty food of...

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...

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...

by Helen Heizyk Growing up near Cass Park in Ithaca I made the trip from there to Taughannock Falls State Park by car many, many times. This past week I traveled the distance from the Park to Ithaca and back on my bike for the first time, along the Black Diamond...

A fraction of the birds you can see and hear in the Townsend Grady Wildlife Preserve. Take a trip and start your own birding book! Photos courtesy of Helen Heizyk. On perhaps the most lovely day of peak migration, a small group of us ventured out into the...

Are you prepared for another invasion?!?  Gypsy moths are back in force!  They are one of America’s most destructive pests, and they are in the midst of a resurgence.  Healthy trees are vital in controlling erosion, reducing contaminated run-off, and...

When faced with a challenge, one must go through a series of steps to come to a feasible solution. Here at the Finger Lakes Museum we were able to tackle one of our recent challenges with your help! [Bonus challenge: write this blog post with as many song lyrics as...

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...

“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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...