Wildlife photographers are invited to submit images of birds and other wildlife from recently restored habitats along the Onondaga Lake shoreline for the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps photography exhibit on Saturday, March 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 26 from noon to 4 p.m. A limit of 10 photographs per individual may be emailed to [email protected] and the deadline to submit photographs is March 1. The images may be .tif or .jpg files, and must be exactly 16” x 20” at 300 dpi. The photograph submission form must accompany the photographs and it can be found at ny.audubon.org/OLCC.
The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps is hosting the exhibit in partnership with Audubon New York and Honeywell. The exhibit will take place at Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Visitors Center, 280 Restoration Way, Syracuse, NY 13209, which is along the southwest lakeshore in Geddes. Call 315-365-3588 or email [email protected] with questions.
“Since 2012, thousands of community members have joined the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps as environmental stewards of Onondaga Lake,’” said Chris Lajewski, director of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. “We are proud to celebrate over a decade of leading restoration projects that have improved wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed. The Corps seeks to inspire stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.”
Onondaga Lake became a priority Audubon Important Bird Area in 1998 and was subsequently adopted by Honeywell, Montezuma Audubon Center, and Onondaga Audubon because of its value to thousands of waterfowl and dozens of Bald Eagles during the winter months. The Important Bird Area program serves as a catalyst for achieving bird conservation.
As part of the Onondaga Lake cleanup, Honeywell has restored about 90 acres of wetlands, and about 1.1 million native plants are being planted. Two hundred-seventy wildlife species are now calling these areas home, and over 200 bird species have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake, including several species categorized as threatened or of special interest in New York State. Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Harrier, and Bald Eagle are among the notable bird species that have returned.
The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was founded by Honeywell in partnership with Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon, and is now an Audubon New York program. Additional Corps supporters include Parsons, Anchor QEA, RES, Central NY Community Foundation, and Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.
To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or participate in future activities, please contact [email protected], visit ny.audubon.org/OLCC, or call 315-365-3588. Schools, community groups, local organizations, and individuals are welcome. Like the Corps on Facebook, Instagram or visit YouTube to learn more.
