Swan Swims Again

A juvenile Mute Swan is gracing a LaGrange pond again following a successful, month-long rehab here at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. The swan is probably the largest bird we've ever treated at almost 5 feet long! The swan arrived here with foot injuries including torn webbing, a compound fractured toe, and abrasions and cuts on the feet. We cleaned the wounds, administered a two-week course of antibiotics and did daily wet-to-dry foot wraps to aid in healing. This majestic animal was released over the weekend back in LaGrange.
-Amy LeMonds

Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist

Want to know more about our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program? Head on over to the wildlife rehab pages of our website.

Along Came a Spider...

Just in time for Halloween, your 4 - 6 year-old can have some creepy-crawly Log Cabin fun discovering the world of spiders. Look right into the eyes -- all eight of them -- of a real live, hairy tarantula during a special, one-hour Log Cabin Discoveries program on October 28 at 10 a.m. There'll be time for hands-on creativity --spider-style --- too! Fee is $15 per child with a $5 discount for Center members.

Also in the Log Cabin, After School Adventures is wrapping up the Fall session classes for 1st & 2nd graders or 3rd & 4th graders, but plenty of exciting natural discovery awaits when the Winter Session takes over in January. The Log Cabin and Huntington Reservation offer the perfect natural escape on a Winter afternoon, so reserve your child's spot today!

Check out all of our upcoming Winter Programming for children on our website or by viewing the pdf version of our Winter Program Guide. You can also call (440) 871-2900 ext. 221 for more information or to register by phone.

Sixteen Autumn (or Anytime) Hikes

Is there any better time of year to take a hike than Autumn? With all the turmoil in the world right now, why not take a break and immerse yourself in the colors, patterns, smells and textures of nature's changing seasons and restore a little perspective to your life.

Even on a rainy day like today, you can enjoy a walk in the woods as a solitary activity or a group adventure. Consider these soggy hike suggestions:

Drippy Walk:Take a walk during a rain and explore different smells, colors, and tastes. Look for animals that like the rain and places where soil is eroding. Catch a"drop" of rainwater in your hands and taste it. Walk along with your tongue stuck out to get a taste.


The Drippy Walk is Hike #4 on the list of Sixteen Great Nature Hikes for Families on the Games & Activities Page of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's online Kids Corner.

Winter Session Registration Reminder

A reminder to all of our members that your early registration for Winter Session classes and programs begins tomorrow, October 11 at 10 a.m. Get in early -- long before the first snowflakes fly -- and guarantee your spot in a great class or program sure to beat winter cabin fever later! The exclusive, early registration period is one of the benefits afforded to all members at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. You can start enjoying those benefits and help to support our non-profit work by signing up to become a member online today!

See the Space Station Tonight!

Schuele Planetarium Director Jay Reynolds says tonight (October 9, 2008) offers your last chance until Thanksgiving to see the space station moving through the night sky! Jay says you can expect to see a bright light moving in a straight line. It will not flash, make sounds or change course. The station is carrying 3 astronauts at 17,500 miles per hour (5 miles per second!)

Here are Jay's viewing instructions:

At 7:16 p.m. look West North West (to the right where the sun sets) Don't confuse the bright star in the West, that is Acturus.
At 7:21 p.m. the space station will be 2/3 high in the sky
At 7:24 p.m. the space station will be heading towards the South East

Happy viewing!

'Rookwood' Owl Rides at Woolly Bear Parade

Our wonderful, Great-horned Owl, Rookwood, was one of the hits of the annual Woolly Bear Festival parade in Vermilion yesterday. Cleveland Plain Dealer photographer Lynn Ischay grabbed this great close-up of Rookwood as he perched on the arm of Schuele Planetarium Director Jay Reynolds, a long-time participant in the festival and parade. Rookwood and Jay got to ride in a fancy convertible, but it was Rookwood that was featured on the front of the PD's Metro section. More of Lynn's images from the Woolly Bear Fest can be found at Cleveland.com.

Fall Family Hayride Fun!

We enjoyed spectacular weather for the first of two Fall Family Hayride Nights at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on Friday night.

Families enjoyed pizza, pasta, grilled dogs and more for supper, plus two fun crafts for the kids, live animal encounters, planterium shows and the perfect evening for a haywagon ride around Huntington Reservation.

Another Hayride Night is coming up October 24 and it will take on a Halloween theme complete with a costumed, Trick or Treat parade through our Wildlife Gardens. There's still time to pre-register for that event, so check out details on our website!

Broad-winged Hawk Returns to the Wild

Unless you're directly involved with the day to day operation of our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Department, it's a treat to witness the release of a patient who's made a successful recovery. Such was the case on this gorgeous autmun day, when staff and volunteers tagged along as a Broad-winged Hawk took flight and made its way back into the wild following rehabilitation. The bird has a long journey ahead, as it's time to join the migration to South America! Thanks to all the great community champions of our Wildlife Rehab program, which is able to offer education and rehab services free to the public because of that generous financial support!