You Can Make a Difference At Your Beach!

Are you passionate about the health of Huntington Beach and its usability for future generations? If so, be certain to attend the kick-off meeting for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) right here at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on July 27 at 6:30 p.m.

In collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, University of Toledo, and the cities of Bay Village and Westlake, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center will be helping to improve water quality at Huntington Beach.

The U.S. EPA has granted over $247,000 for the project, “A Holistic Watershed Approach to Health at Huntington Beach.” As an individual component of a national restoration effort, the improvements at Huntington Beach will have far-reaching effects on the rest of the lake. Through this project, citizens will have the opportunity to become more educated about potential pollution sources feeding into the Porter Creek watershed and can even participate in clean-up activities that show how an individual really can make a difference in water quality.

The project continues through 2013, so there will be plenty of opportunities for community involvement! Future events include storm drain sketching, measuring bacteria levels and teacher workshops which include Project Wet and a rain barrel workshop that can be utilized in the classroom.

Anyone interested in helping with the monitoring or prevention efforts of the GLRI should plan to attend the July 27 kick-off at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. The grant will be explained, an activity will be provided for children and a preliminary survey to test your knowledge about watershed protection will be given. Additional information is available at the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Website.

To further encourage the improvement of the health of Lake Erie, the Center will be hosting family-friendly Adopt-A-Beach events in August, September and October to record data on beach conditions. This information will be entered into a database to help improve Lake Erie’s water quality. For more information on Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s programs, please click here.

Get Wrapped Up in Book for Our Boa!

Our big, beautiful boa is one of many reasons to get wrapped up in a good book this summer! This weekend, the Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library is launching its “Read Around the World” summer reading game for children, teens and adults with a variety of great prizes and incentives.

Readers can earn both individual prizes as well as the collective, long-term “adoption” of the boa constrictor living at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. The Friends of the Bay Village Branch have pledged to pay the snake’s adoption fees for an entire year if reading logs reach the goal of 20,000 hours.

Beginning June 4, readers of all ages can go to the library to receive a prize and a game board. From then on, all you have to do is read! Each reader can earn entry forms to win Grand prizes such as Zoo memberships and Indians, Browns and Cavaliers game tickets. There's a kickoff event at the Bay Branch on June 13 with Wildlife Wendy, origami demonstrations and pizza.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s Adopt An Animal program allows wildlife lovers to help pay for the care and feeding of the dozens of animals on exhibit and used in teaching and outreach. Adopt An Animal sponsorships are available for as little as $5 per month, with the Boa Constrictor fee set at $25 per month. Of course, “adopted” animals stay at the Center where anyone can visit them during regular Center hours, daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Bay Village Bicentennial

It took a lot of people to pull it off, but we had a great time creating a fun Bay Bicentennial Parade entry for Lake Erie Nature & Science Center yesterday.

Led by the creator of our borrowed 100-foot python, Larry Bell, nearly two dozen volunteers, expertly carried the giant snake along the parade route, hissing and doing the wave all the way! Our Executive Director Catherine Timko and her husband, Marty, procured use of the snake and transported it to and from Bay Village.

We also had volunteers showing off live animals from the open doors of our van and handing out woodland animal and reptile silly bandz.
On Saturday we hosted free crafts and a historical Meet An Animal program put on by expert live animal Volunteer, Rob Catalano.

Celebrate the Bay Bicentenial With Us!

As Bay Village prepares to celebrate its Bicentennial on October 10, 2010, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center (which has been an important nonprofit resource in the community for 60 of those 200 years) will showcase the natural history of the area with a variety of fun events. Our own history will be on display throughout the Bicentennial weekend through photos and mementos.

Activities at the Center also include a guided, adult History Hike through Huntington Reservation at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6 (which requires pre-registration at $5 per adult) and a free, family-friendly live animal program focusing on the history of wildlife in the area on Saturday, October 9 at 3 p.m.

We plan to make a big splash in the Sunday, October 10, Bicentennial Parade, entering a 100-foot snake that takes 20 people to march down the street. Families are invited to drop in on Saturday, October 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to enjoy free crafts including animal masks that they can wear in the parade.

Visitors to the Center can also enter the Women’s Board raffle to win a handcrafted Bicentennial Dollhouse. The 1810-2010 Dollhouse is on display and raffle tickets are sale at the Center’s Welcome Desk from now until the drawing on Sunday, October 10.

Read details in our Bay Bicentennial Program flyer.

Free Public Event Focuses On Climate and Carbon

A variety of distinquished speakers and discussion workshops are open to the public as part of the Sustainability Symposium: Climate and Carbon being held March 1 - 2 at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea. This dynamic two-day event will bring together world-renowned leaders, prominent Northeast government representatives, experts and community members (like you!) to discuss the issues surrounding energy, climate and carbon and how they affect our health and the economic vitality of our region.

 All events listed below and in more detail at the Sustainability Symposium website are free and open to the public.

Monday, March 1, 10 a.m.
Sandstone III, Strosacker Hall, College Union 120 E. Grand St.

Senator Sherrod Brown shares his vision for a clean energy economy in northeast Ohio and beyond.

Monday, March 1, 8 pm.
Kulas Musical Arts Building, 96 Front St.
Keynote by Dr. Susan Solomon, senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory and the lead U.S. scientist for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body that provides scientific and policy analysis on climate change.

Tuesday, March 2
Strosacker-Hall, College Union, 120 E. Grand St.
Concurrent panel sessions will take place in the morning and afternoon.

• It’s Real if We Can Measure It:
   The Metrics of Corporate Sustainability
   10-11:30 a.m. - Sandstone III
• Carbon and Food Systems:
   How One Large Industry Can Make a Difference
   10 - 11:30 a.m. - Quarry Room
• Prospects for a Clean Energy Industry in NE Ohio
   1-2:30 p.m. - Sandstone III
• Small Businesses:How to Get Started
   1-2:30 p.m. - Quarry Room

Tuesday, March 2, 3 p.m.
Sandstone III, Strosacker Hall, College Union, 120 E. Grand St.
Chris Connor, CEO of Sherwin-Williams Corporation will share his company's success producing a line of environmentally preferred paint.

Legacy Reunion Features Surprise Guest

We welcomed many special guests to our "Legacy Reunion" on Saturday, from the sons of our founder, Elberta Fleming, to former and staff a volunteers from all eras of our vibrant 60-year history. Guests also got a glimpse of our future as they were able to meet the woman who's just been named the next Executive Director of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.

Catherine J. Timko officially puts her passion for non-profits and nature to work for our Center starting on January 4. Catherine (pictured left with David and Alex Fleming, sons of founder, Bert Fleming) has devoted her entire career to non-profit work, most recently as the Ohio-based Division Development Director at the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national land conservation organization. Prior to TPL, Catherine served in development roles at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Opera.

Read more about Catherine's appointment in this pdf News Release posted in our online newsroom and view more photos from Saturday's Legacy Event on our Facebook page.

Discover Annual Benefit

Organizers of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's 2009 Annual Benefit pulled off a great party on Saturday night, with backyard ambiance and down home fun inviting everyone to "Discover the Universe in Your Backyard!" Guests drank beverages from signature Mason Jar mugs, enjoyed great barbecue, live music, bonfire, live and silent auctions, a Continental Airlines airfare raffle and much more.
Hundreds of twinkle lights provided starlight overhead, while red-checked table runners and vases of daisies dressed down the white linens on the tables inside the Center and out under the patio tent. Live animals, cornhole and the OSU-USC game on the planetarium dome provided additional entertainment.

Pictured here (L-R) are Decorations Committee Chair Amanda DiBenedetto, Event Co-chair Marianna Orro, Auction Chair Corryn Firis, Event Co-chair Alison Muth and Underwriting Chair Chris Herbruck who all worked closely with Center staff, including Julie Gordon to pull off a wonderful evening for more than 300 guests.

The event aimed to raised $50,000 in support for the Center's non-profit mission to inspire appreciation for the natural world. A lot more photos are posted in an album on our Facebook page and coming soon to our online newsroom media center.
Save the date! The September 11, 2010 Annual Benefit will invite you to Discover the Cosmos!

Register To ReConnect at Our Reunion!

Has Lake Erie Nature & Science Center played a special part in your life? It doesn’t matter if you volunteered in the era of Elberta Fleming’s VW bus… or worked at the Center in more recent times, we want to invite you to reConnect and reDiscover your place at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center!

We’re making plans to gather up former NAs, volunteers, Board Members, Women’s Board members, curators and staffers for our first-ever Legacy Reunion on Saturday, November 14! We’ll fill you in on details as plans for our legacy celebration evolve.

To receive an invitation, please submit your contact information using Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s online contact form. Write “Legacy Reunion” in the Comments section. We encourage you to pass along reunion information to others who have a history with Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.
It’s going to be an exciting day of sharing memories and seeing old friends! ReConnect... reDiscover Lake Erie Nature & Science Center!