Governor Ted Strickland Vists

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland gamely held a Red-tailed Hawk and a classroom toad during a tour of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center today. Executive Director Larry Richardson led the 45-minute tour that also included State Representative Jennifer Brady, Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland, Board President Patrick Mazur and other invited guests, plus several members of the news media. Following his walk-though, Governor Strickland described the Center's interactive classes, exhibits and programs as "hugely impressive." Look for more details on Governor Strickland's "walk on the wild side" at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in our online newsroom tomorrow. WTAM-radio has a story and photos up on their website tonight. July 31 Update: Check out today's Lorain Morning Journal for a full write-up and more photos. The story is also posted on the paper's website.

Girl Scouts Give Back

Junior Girl Scout Troop 057 of Lorain decided to make the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center the focus of their Bronze Award Project. The Girl Scout Bronze Award is known to be the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn, as it stands to prove that they have made a promise to help others, improve their community and world, and become the best they can be.
The girls of Troop 057 felt they could best show their support for the Center and the community by collecting materials for both the resident animals and the many preschool classes the Center conducts year-round. The photo shows Jondelia, Hayley, Theresa and co-leaders Anna and Linda delivering the supplies. Three other girls, Anastashia, Tatyana and Aleea helped out but aren't pictured. We thank them for their support in providing our Center with the supplies necessary to maintain our status as a valuable resource in our community!

Wildlife Photo Exhibit

Recent visitors to Lake Erie Nature & Science Center have noticed some wild and beautiful new photos gracing our walls, as photographer James T. Walczak exhibits some of his best work. You may recognize some of the animals in the pictures since many of them are residents of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Come check out the photos ... then, compare to the "real thing." James also happens to be a volunteer at the Center. His exhibit will run through late summer/early fall.

"Staycation" in Nearby Nature

We're going to make it easy for you to find a summer "staycation" destination that gets your family out into nature without spending a fortune on admission fees or $4-a-gallon gas. First, there are nearly a dozen Nature Centers in Ohio listed on the Association of Nature Center Administrator's (ANCA) website, with an additional two dozen options in neighboring Pennsylvania and Michigan. Members of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center enjoy free admission to these reciprocal Nature Centers. (Call ahead to confirm.)
ANCA provides another great resource for finding fun nature destinations wherever you may travel this summer with its' Nature Find tool. Plug in a city and state or a zip code and produce a list of cool places for natural adventure from parks and trails to wildlife refuges and zoos. Enjoy your "staycation!"

Member Registration Saturday

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center members! Your early fall class and program registration starts Saturday at 10 a.m. Check out the opportunities for fall fun online at www.lensc.org.

Canada Goose With Injured Foot

This Canada goose was brought in with a foot injury. As you can see in the picture, its left foot is badly mangled. His foot could have been bitten by a Snapping Turtle, however that is only a guess. The goose is on antibiotics and is receiving hydrotherapy daily. Even with a mangled foot, as long as the goose is able to use it well, it will be released back into the wild.

Happy 4th of July

Reminder that Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is closed for the Independence Day holiday. We'll reopen Saturday, July 5 at 10 a.m. Enjoy the holiday!

Give Us Your Feedback!

It's report card time and you are invited to "grade" Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Whether you're a long-time supporter or occasional visitor, we want your feedback to help us understand what we're doing right and what we can do better. Just follow this link to our online survey to make your voice heard. We'll analyze the results and use them in our strategic planning process. You can take the survey anonymously and only one survey can be submitted per IP address. Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think!