CSI + Carousel + Shredding = Busy Saturday!

Carousel, Shredding and CSI all contributed to an incredible, successful Saturday for Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.

More than 100 area residents took advantage of our latest residential Shredding Day, saving more than 55 trees by recycling 3.25 tons of paper. The Shredding Network of Wickliffe, which donated use of the mobile shredder for the morning, also estimates this single morning of recycling efforts kept 9.75 cubic yards of landfill out of the trash, stopped 195 pounds of air pollutants and saved 65 gallons of water.

Meanwhile, at Bay High School, the volunteer Women's Board of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center staged another successful Christmas

Carousel Holiday Festival to support our nonprofit mission. The long-running Carousel attracts artists, crafters and quality vendors, including the great twinkling holiday bottles and cork wreaths using recycled materials pictured above left. The other photo features Women's Board members Doris Kurz, Nancy Black, who was Carousel Cafe Chair, and Deb Barnum.

Back at the Center, we welcomed 550 Girls Scouts representing 75 troops from across Northeast Ohio for CSI: The Case of the Missing Thin Mints. This fun forensic science program was just one of the special offerings we have for scouts throughout the year!

Oh, and we also kicked off Winter Session Program Registration for Members and conducted most of our popular planetarium programs.

Quite a Saturday! Thanks to everyone involved!

Center Wins CAC Grant for the First Time!

For the first time, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center has received a 2-year grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC), the community partnership and granting agency funded by revenues from a county-wide cigarette excise tax. Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is one of 67 organizations receiving a general operating grant in the 2011 funding cycle and one of only a handful of new recipients.


Our Executive Director, Catherine Timko, had this reaction to the news: “This is truly the result of a team effort involving many people on our staff and board. Most of all, this award is a reflection of the powerful impact of our mission on people across Northeast Ohio and beyond, and our staff members’ ability, skill and enthusiasm to educate and inspire.”

The CAC Board approved a grant of $99,095 for 2011 and 2012 to fund the mission of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Key factors in the rigorous application and panel review process included an assessment of cultural excellence, strength of management practices and strength of community engagement measured by both donor support and program participation.

Catherine says that news of the award “energizes Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in a number of ways including confirmation of the value of our mission and affirmation of our distinction as one of Cuyahoga County’s most effective organizations. We look forward to fulfilling the charge of the grant award – delivering meaningful and impactful learning experiences to our visitors and program participants while maintaining sound management – in 2011, 2012 and beyond.”

CAC is a sub-division of the State of Ohio, which collects a dedicated tax on cigarettes sold in Cuyahoga County, to fund local arts and culture organizations. Voters approved the 10-year tax on cigarettes to fund the CAC in November of 2006.

Family Hayride Night!

The first of our two Fall Family Hayride Nights took place on Friday night with ideal, crisp, clear autumn weather. Pizza and pasta, planetarium shows and live animals, crafts and a haywagon ride through Huntington Reservation were part of the evening's activities for families.

Our Halloween Hayride night on the 29th is nearing capacity. So, if you have your heart set on attending, sign up as soon as you can to avoid disaopointment!

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.

Fall Brings Wild Babies, too

Calls and assistance are picking up again as our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program handles another round of wildlife baby season. Although we usually think “spring” is when we encounter baby wildlife, many animals produce a second wave of offspring in the late summer or early fall.

Whenever a wild baby is healthy and active, we advise that the best course of action for the animal is to return them back to the wild. Better yet, we hope you'll call us before you interfere (440-871.2900 ext. 204!)
 

Infant Eastern Cottontail

Eastern Cottontails are among the wildlife still reproducing in the autumn. Baby bunnies are almost never abandoned, even when they are all alone.In order to minimize the risk of attracting predators, females only come to their nest at dusk and dawn to feed and groom their babies. A young rabbit, chipmunk-sized or bigger, is completely independent of its mother and should be left alone.

 Cottontails have a very low tolerance for stress and when kept in captivity, they very often die. Nests are often in the middle of the yard in what seems like a “bad” place but do not move the rabbits, as the mother probably won’t be able to find them. Cottontails regularly survive growing up in a typical suburban yard even with dangers like cats, kids and even dogs.

Infant Eastern Fox Squirrel

In the case of baby squirrels, which are also among the wildlife offspring you'll see in the fall, it’s not uncommon for young squirrels to show a lack of fear of humans. Even if they run right up to you, this doesn’t mean they need your help! Let them continue learning to be wild. You can help them learn a necessary and healthy fear of humans by clapping or making other loud noises to send them on their way. In fact, “What to do about friendly baby squirrels?” is Number 5 on our Frequently Asked Wildlife Rehab Questions list.

If a squirrel’s eyes are not open yet, you can secure an artificial nest to the tree using a tupperware container with holes in the bottom. Mom is able to retrieve her babies and take them back to the nest. An artificial nest can help protect the baby until it can be located by mom.

-Amy LeMonds, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator

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.

Discover the Cosmos Sparkles in Spite of Showers

In spite of early evening showers, the stars were shining on Saturday night at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Our 20th Annual Benefit  invited guests to Discover the Cosmos and more than 300 guests did just that, greeted with sparkling out-of-this-world décor, an astronaut photo favor station and their first signature Cosmo of the night inside the Center’s planetarium.

Guests dined on an amazing array of heavy tapas from around the world by Constantino’s Market and desserts from a host of local bakeries and eateries: Delightful Bites, Fragapane, Great Scott’s, Java Bay, Kathy’s Kolacke Shop, Lucy’s Sweet Surrender, Mojo’s, Nature’s Bin, Seballos and Sweet Melissa’s. A stellar silent auction and the cool, cosmic sounds of live music trio Bob Blankenburg, David Bruns and Tom Demis rounded out the entertainment.

Benefit Committee Amanda DiBenedetto, Corryn Firis,
Marianna Orro (Co-chair), Chris Herbruck & Alison Muth (Co-chair)

Discover the Cosmos!, our nonprofit Center’s biggest fundraising event of the year, was co-chaired by Alison Muth and Marianna Orro, with committee support from Amanda DiBenedetto, Corryn Firis and Christopher Herbruck. DiBenedetto was the force behind the decorations that included silver candlelit trees adorned with crystal ornaments and thousands of twinkle lights inside and out. She also pulled together artists of all ages to interpret our Solar System in a variety of media, with 20% of the sales benefiting the Center. Firis headed up a live auction that featured more than 85 exciting packages from great getaways and sports tickets to spa treatments and an archaeological dig. Herbruck led the Board’s goal-topping underwriting efforts.

Partygoers also participated in raffles to win two Continental Airlines round trip tickets, Sterling silver Chamilia charm bracelet from Charles S. Rivchun and Sons, a “Wild for Nature” quilt handmade by Dale Pizer Williams and Viva Pizer, plus two wheelbarrows full of beer, wine and spirits donated by Center staff and Board.

The evening raises funds to support AND focuses attention on the mission of the Center -- the planetarium, live wildlife and nature and science educational programs --and is all made possible through the generosity of invidividuals and businesses who give time and financial support.

Thanks to everyone!! Check out our Facebook album for 38 additional photos of the event.

Future Naturalists, Leaders & Philanthropists?

We are always thrilled to see children making the connection to nature, understanding how all living things are interrelated and developing a heart for the natural world. Lauren Heba, age 8,  Lauren Sparow, age 8, and Juliana Sparow, age 9, (pictured left to right in the photo below) dropped by recently to show us the posters they created to promote the protection of wild animals and nature. We thought we'd share their message to a wider audience by posting a photo of them with their handiwork in this space.

By the way, the girls are regular visitors to Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, thanks to their grandmother Pat Morriss of Lakewood. Nice job ladies!