Kiwanis Make Over the Critter Corner

Have you and your kids discovered the fun new items in Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's Critter Corner? This popular play area is sporting a whole new look thanks to the 2008 Bay Village Kiwanis Club. A generous donation from the club is funding the ongoing purchase of new, nature and wildlife themed toys and activities. The initial purchases include a “tree house” and a colorful puppet theatre stocked with animal puppets that mimic our collection of live animals including a fox, bald eagle and raccoon.

If you haven't discovered the Critter Corner yet, it's situated next to a cozy fireplace in the main Exhibit Hall and is a favorite spot for families who want to unwind and connect with friends after touring the indoor and outdoor live animal exhibits or attending a planetarium show. It’s also a no-cost escape in the cold of winter or the heat of summer. As an independent, non-profit organization, (nope, contrary to popular misconception, we're NOT funded by the Metroparks budget!) we couldn't have made these improvements to the free play area without donor support!
The Kiwanis Club of Bay Village is part of Kiwanis International, “a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one community and one child at a time.” The local group welcomes new members interested in performing community service and helping children in Bay Village. You can learn more about the club on their website at http://www.baykiwanis.org/.

Thanks Bay Kiwanis!!!

Brrrr... it's cold outside but we're open

With so many area schools closed today, we've had a few people inquire if we are open and holding our classes. The answer is, yes! The primary concern for most schools making the decision to close today was the potential harm to children walking to and from school or waiting at bus stops in extreme wind chills. That is not an issue for us. If there ever is a weather-related or other reason for us to close, look for an orange "Alert" box in the upper left corner of our homepage or give us a call. We also post our closings on the area TV stations.
So, if you've got cabin fever, stop in, visit the animals and a sit by our fire! We're open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, including today!

Look Back At 2008

As we close out 2008 and welcome the New Year, we offer up some fascinating retrospectives from some of our favorite websites for natural discovery and fun.
From the Discovery Channel, you can view the Top Ten Discovery News Videos of 2008 including stories about stunning new species and momentous moon moments.
The moon is also highlighted in NASA's Top Science, Exploration and Discovery Stories of 2008.
NASA's 2008 achievements caught the attention of The Science Channel, which promises to skip tabloid celebrity fodder and political news as they count down the Top Ten Science Stories of 2008.
You can review the year at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, by browsing back through the entries in this blog or skimming through the announcements in our online newsroom or special events acknowledgements. It was an exciting year for all of us as we welcomed tiny tots, Ohio's Governor and all kinds of folks in between, always working to honor our mission to educate and inspire understanding, appreciation and responsibility for the natural world.
Thanks for joining us in 2008! We look forward to seeing you in 2009!

Holiday Hours

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center will be closing our doors early this Christmas Eve at 3 p.m. to spend time with friends and family. We hope you're doing the same! We'll be closed on Christmas Day as well. We'll also observe an early 3 p.m. closing on New Year's Eve with New Year's Day off. The rest of the Winter Break period, we'll be open for our usual hours (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and we even have some extra fun planned in the Walter R. Schuele Planetarium where you and your family can enjoy the twinkling stars and special holiday laser lights and music. May your holidays be filled with joy & natural wonder!

20 Years of Growth, Change, Birds and Memories

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's Executive Director, Larry Richardson is marking a milestone this month: 20 years at the helm of our Bay Village organization. The Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Board of Trustees made a special presentation to Larry last night, recognizing his two decades of service.

Larry has presided over an expanding operation during the most recent third of the Center’s 60-year history. When he came to the Center in 1988, it was a treasured but small community organization, conducting about 250 programs a year. Today it's truly a regional center of excellence; with more than 2,400 programs each year and expanded facilities that include more than 100 live animals on exhibit.

Larry says,“I never wanted to change the basic philosophy of the place. Our founder, Bert Fleming’s original idea that children learn best through hands-on discovery still works. In fact, our children and families need the very real connection to nature we provide today more than ever.”
Larry’s trademark cowboy hat and mustache make him a recognizable and down-to-earth figure to people who have enjoyed the Center’s programs over the years. An avid birder, whose "life list" (of different bird species sighted) is 1,884, Larry has led groups from Northeast Ohio on birding expeditions to 15 destinations all over the world. (He just returned from Costa Rica earlier this year, where he added to that list!)

Two decades and hundreds of thousands of visitors, program participants, members, supporters, staffers and fellow-birders equal a lot of memories. You're welcome to add your favorite memory from the past 20 years in the comments below.

Happy Anniversary, Larry ... and many more!