Cayuga Nature Center
Encyclopedia
The Cayuga Nature Center (CNC) is an educational institution addressing nature and environmental issues. It is located on the west side of Lake Cayuga in Tompkins County, New York
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sanitarium founded in 1914. As tuberculosis cases diminished, the Preventorium turned to cardiac cases. In the 1930s, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest T. Paine donated 75 acres of land at the current CNC site to serve children recuperating from cardiac and other debilitating illnesses. In 1939, the Works Progress Administration
built the 10000 sq ft (929 m²) main building on the site. The Preventorium closed during World War II, and after the war, Cornell University
used the faciilty for student housing. Decades later, the Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(BOCES) used the site for outdoor education programs. Based on the success of the program, BOCES, Onondaga Nature Centers, Inc., and the Ithaca Public Schools joined to form the center in 1975. The CNC was incorporated in 1981.
CNC experienced funding difficulties, and in January 2011, CNC and the Paleontological Research Institution
agreed to merge, with programs continuing at both locations.
Visitors can view a six-story tree house, a seasonal butterfly garden, a turtle pond, and exhibits in the main lodge building. The lodge is heated by a biomass furnace designed and installed as a Cornell engineering student project. Thirty animals are kept in captivity as a zoological collection. The center includes a 120-acre campus with five miles of hiking trails three miles south of Taughannock Falls State Park
on the west shore of Lake Cayuga.
CNC is a part of the Ithaca Discovery Trail
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Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
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History
CNC traces back to the Cayuga Preventorium, which was a tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
sanitarium founded in 1914. As tuberculosis cases diminished, the Preventorium turned to cardiac cases. In the 1930s, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest T. Paine donated 75 acres of land at the current CNC site to serve children recuperating from cardiac and other debilitating illnesses. In 1939, the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
built the 10000 sq ft (929 m²) main building on the site. The Preventorium closed during World War II, and after the war, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
used the faciilty for student housing. Decades later, the Board of Cooperative Educational Services
Board of Cooperative Educational Services
In 1948, the New York State Legislature created the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services to provide school districts with a program of shared educational services.-History:...
(BOCES) used the site for outdoor education programs. Based on the success of the program, BOCES, Onondaga Nature Centers, Inc., and the Ithaca Public Schools joined to form the center in 1975. The CNC was incorporated in 1981.
CNC experienced funding difficulties, and in January 2011, CNC and the Paleontological Research Institution
Paleontological Research Institution
The Paleontological Research Institution, or PRI, is a natural history museum in Ithaca, New York with a mission including both research and education...
agreed to merge, with programs continuing at both locations.
Programs
CNC offers classes and camps focusing on nature appreciation and environmental issues. Programs are available for all ages from kindergarten to adult and cover subjects as varied as maple sugaring and wilderness survival skills. Classes typically feature six weekly one-hour sessions. Day camps are held in winter, spring, and summer. CNC also offers "TEAM Challenge", a rope climbing / rope bridge course.Visitors can view a six-story tree house, a seasonal butterfly garden, a turtle pond, and exhibits in the main lodge building. The lodge is heated by a biomass furnace designed and installed as a Cornell engineering student project. Thirty animals are kept in captivity as a zoological collection. The center includes a 120-acre campus with five miles of hiking trails three miles south of Taughannock Falls State Park
Taughannock Falls State Park
Taughannock Falls State Park is located in the Town of Ulysses in Tompkins County, New York, in the United States. The park is northwest of Ithaca near Trumansburg, New York...
on the west shore of Lake Cayuga.
CNC is a part of the Ithaca Discovery Trail
Ithaca Discovery Trail
The Ithaca Discovery Trail is a collaboration among hands-on museums and the public library in Tompkins County, New York. Its member institutions are: Cayuga Nature Center, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell Plantations, Herbert F...
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