The Year & Decade In Nature & Science

As we close out 2009 and march into a new year (and decade!), it's always fun to look back to where we've been. Here are some links to retrospectives on the year and decade in nature & science:

• From the Discovery Channel, the Top Ten Discoveries of the Decade  in slide show format and Top Ten Animal News Videos of 2009, including a report on the discovery that apes "giggle" like humans.
• From the National Wildlife Federation, The Top Ten Wildlife Stories of 2010.
• From Scientific American, the Top Science Stories of 2009.
• From Animal Planet, the Best Animal Moments of 2009 (aka most watched creature features.)
• And, our friends at NASA tout the discovery of water on the moon in their NASA Year In Review slide show.

For our part, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center winds up the year truly grateful for all the wonderful supporters, volunteers, members, donors, class participants and visitors who fueled our non-profit mission through a tough economy in 2009. We're excited about what 2010 holds for our 60-year-old organization! Happy New Year!

Once In a Blue Moon Tonight!

Watch for Schuele Planetarium Director Jay Reynolds on WKYC-Channel 3, explaining tonight's "blue moon"... the first time a blue moon has fallen on New Year's Eve in nearly 20 years! NASA also has a nice post explaining our New Year's Eve blue moon.

In a nutshell, the moon won't actually appear blue in color! Instead, it's a calendar thing... 2nd full moon of the month is considered a "blue moon." (By the way, Jay says the moon can appear blue when volcanic ash changes the light, but that's not in play tonight, in spite of the pretty photo we posted here!) And, there is another seasonal definition of blue moon as well.

Happy New Year and be careful out there!

Still Time to Take Our Survey & Register to Win a Free Summer Camp!

Time is running out for you to weigh in with your summer camp ideas. Share your opinions about the ideal nature and science camp and your child's camp could be FREE! Complete our brief Summer Camp Survey by January 8, 2010 to be entered in a drawing for a FREE 2010 summer day camp! Your feedback can help make our next summer camp season our best ever! Follow this link to get started now!
One survey per household, please. You'll be redirected to our homepage if someone on your computer has already completed the survey.We'll contact the free camp winner prior to our March Summer Camp registration.
Thanks for your help and Happy New Year!

Jingle Bells Herald Gifts for the Animals

The sound of jingle bells heralded this week's arrival of gifts for the animals from the Frogs and Polliwogs classes (which, for the uninitiated, is a popular parent & tot program.) Many of our school-year classes collect items from our "Wish List" as a class holiday project.

Frogs & Polliwogs Instructor Andrea Schwartz and her students rang (take-home) bells and pulled a red wagon stuffed with gifts through the Center to the tree by our fireplace. The children unloaded their presents and placed them under the tree, with visions of chirps and hoots of delight from the animals that will benefit from them!

In-kind donations like the animal care products generously donated by these kids and parents will help feed and care for our wonderful exhibit and traveling educational animals, plus the ill and injured animals that treated in Wildlife Rehabilitation. In-kind donations make a huge difference to our non-profit work and we appreciate their support!

Animal & Nature Lovers Gift-giving Guide

Stumped on what to get the animal or nature lover on your gift list? Here are four ideas you can pick up right here at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center (some, you can order online or over the phone (at 440-871-2900) from the comfort of your easy chair!) Best of all, you'll feel great knowing your gift dollars are making a difference in your community!

Choose a "Go Wild" Animal Adoption and get a great adoption certificate, put your gift recipient's name on the exhibit and/or add a limited-edition "Go Wild" gift pack! Adopt-an-Animal online or stop in if you want to add a gift pack.

Give all the benefits of a Membership to Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, plus through the end of the year, get a free t-shirt! Join online.

Stuff their stockings with logo pencils or super-cool Smencils! These and other affordable logo items are available at the front desk every day 10 a.m. to 5 .m. and through 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve.


Make a donation in your loved one's name. It's a pure, green form of giving that pays dividends in your backyard! Plus, if your gift is new or increased over your 2008 contribution, our "Go Wild" match will double your donation! Donate online now and choose the radio button for "Tribute Gift," fill in your recipient's name and address and we'll send both of you an acknowledgment of your gift.

Thank you for supporting the non-profit Lake Erie Nature & Science Center with your gifts and Happy Holidays!

Three Weeks Left To Double Your Donation

We're in the final 3 weeks to “Go Wild” and double your money for Lake Erie Nature & Science Center! The Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust is matching all new or increased gifts to our year-end “Go Wild” campaign, up to $500 per donor and there's still time to have your gift matched!

Donations from people like you allow us to provide FREE admission and FREE wildlife rehab services 7 days a week. Please help us reach our year-end goal. If you and four friends each give a new gift of $10 and it's multiplied through our matching grant, that will =$100! What a difference that will make!

The chance to double your donation is only good until December 31, 2009, so please don't wait!
• Use our online donation form (select the Annual Fundraising Appeal radio button)
• Donate (and invite friends to support us) through our Facebook Causes page
• Mail a gift to Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Road, Bay Village Ohio 44140
• Make a credit card contribution by phone at 440-871-2900

Your gift is fully tax deductible, too! Rally your friends for our non-profit cause today! Watch this "Go Wild" video link and pass it on!

All of us at your Lake Erie Nature & Science Center thank you for your support!