SYRACUSE — Join the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps for a guided, one-mile, birding walk along the West Shore Trail from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 15, to explore newly restored habitats that attract dozens of migratory warblers, vireos and other songbirds during the spring migration. Participants will learn from experts from Audubon New York, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps and Onondaga Audubon about local birds and other wildlife and the importance of forests and wetlands in supporting the Onondaga Lake watershed.
“The middle of May is a great time for bird watching at Onondaga Lake because it marks the peak of the songbird migration,” said Chris Lajewski, Director of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. “Onondaga Lake’s newly restored habitats provide vitally important resting and breeding habitat for dozens of migratory birds as they undertake the long and difficult journey from their wintering areas to their breeding grounds. Warblers, vireos, grosbeaks, and orioles are just some of the bird species that can be found around Onondaga Lake during the spring migration.”
The walk will be easy to moderate along a paved trail with a gentle slope. Limited binoculars and field guides will be available. We will follow NYS Health Department guidelines for facial coverings and social distancing.
Admission costs $5 per person or $15 per family. Space is limited and online registration is required. Visit act.audubon.org/a/onondaga-lake-conservation-corps-birding-walk to register. Call 315-365-3588 or email [email protected] with questions.
Meet at Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Visitors Center, 280 Restoration Way, Syracuse, NY 13209. To access Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Visitors Center: From points west: Take I-690 East to Exit 7, turn left onto State Fair Boulevard, take the first left passing under I-690, drive straight toward the lake and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center. From points east: Take I-690 West to Exit 7, turn right at the off ramp and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center.
The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps is an expanding organization of community volunteers who are contributing to restoration projects that are creating or improving wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed. The Corps was founded in 2012 to inspire future 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.
The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was founded by Honeywell in partnership with the Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon and is now an Audubon New York program. Additional Corps supporters include Parsons, Ramboll, Anchor QEA, Applied Ecological Services, the Central New York Community Foundation, and the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation.
Visit ny.audubon.org/OLCC for more information about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.
