Montezuma Audubon Center Programs and Events
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Montezuma Guided Birding Tours
Join Montezuma Audubon Center staff for a guided birding tour of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex and surrounding areas! Migration season is here and the Complex is showing all signs of spring. Songbirds are singing, Sandhill Cranes are rattling, and we want to welcome you on this experience. On our guided excursions, we can expect to find various types of waterfowl, gulls, and always a high possibly of seeing a Bald Eagle among other raptors. Each adventure creates a new birding experience, and we hope to have you join us this season.
We will meet at the MAC (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146) and depart for our route from there. An Audubon educator will drive all participants in our accessible van. If you are interested in following us in your own car, please send an email to montezuma@audubon.org.
- Fee: $15/participant
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
- Registration is required
Call 315-365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with questions.
To make your reservation, click the date you want to join us for a birding tour and complete the registration form.
Friday, March 29, 2024 @ 2pm- *Sold Out*
Saturday, April 6, 2024 @ 10am
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 @ 10am- *Sold Out*
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 @ 10am
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April Break Day of Play
Friday, April 5, 10:00AM- 4:00PM
Would you like something fun to do over April vacation? Join Montezuma Audubon Center educators for a full day of play! We will do science experiments, crafts, go for birding walks, play nature games, and have fun outside. Bring a lunch, snack, and water bottle. This program is open to students ages 6-12. Space is limited and registration is required. Drop off is at 10AM and pickup is promptly at 4PM.
- Fee: $35/ child.
- Registration is required.
Please email montezuma@audubon.org or call (315)365-3588 with any questions.
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Bird-friendly Homes
April 6, 2024 at 2PM
Have you considered how your home could be more bird friendly? Want to revamp your outdoor & indoor spaces this spring? Join Montezuma Audubon Center educators in a hands-on workshop & outdoor excursion to make your home a safe haven for birds just in time for gardening season.
In this program, we will learn the different ways to make all types of living spaces, indoor and outdoor, an area for bird conservation. Topics include using Plants for Birds, how to prevent window collisions, and creating a safe and healthy environment for pets and wildlife. We will follow this by taking a one mile walk through the MAC's forested trails to see how our efforts of native plantings and invasive removal support bird habitat.
The best part? None of these methods require a yard! Participants will be able to take home their very own window decal and native plant seed bombs to provide habitat for birds at home. Registration is required. Children and adults are welcome to join us.
- Fee: $10/ individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
- Registration is required
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Total Solar Eclipse Birding Excursions
April 8, 2024 Hourly Starting at 11AM
Join us for a 1-mile birding excursion at Montezuma Audubon Center to experience how birds respond to the total solar eclipse! Will owls start hooting? Will songbirds return to their nests? Will waterfowl stop calling? We will explore the forest, grassland and wetland habitats to find answers these questions and discuss how Montezuma is managed for songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and birds of prey. Wear sturdy shoes (that you may not mind getting a little muddy), bring your binoculars (or borrow from us), and a bottle of water if you like. Biting insects should not be an issue this time of year, but dress comfortably for the season. A limited number of eclipse glasses will be available. Space is limited and pre-paid registrations are required.
- Fee: $10/ Individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
- Registration is required
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
Click on your preferred hour to register:
2PM *SOLD OUT*
3PM *SOLD OUT*
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Woodcock Walks!
April 13 and 27 at 7:30PM
Spend a Saturday night observing some of Montezuma's most interesting birds! The American woodcock, also known as the timberdoodle, are known for their “sky dance” breeding displays. The males will “peent” before taking off into an erratic flight display to attract females. We will go for a 1 mile walk through the woodcock's preferred habitat in hopes of seeing this amazing display. While we are out, we will likely also see some waterfowl species, migratory songbirds, and even hear some spring peepers! Bring a flashlight, as part of the walk will be after dark.
This program will be held at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146). It is great for participants of all ages.
- Fee: $10/ Individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
- Registration is required.
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Beginner Birder Guided Hike
April 19, 2024 @ 3PM
Spring migration is a great time to dip your toes into birding! Whether you've gone birding a few times or have never gone before, this program is designed to help you learn the basics of identifying birds by sight and sound. Once participants feel ready, we will get comfortable with binoculars and hit the trails for a one mile birding walk!
This program will be held at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146). It is great for all ages and families.
- Fee: $10/ Individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
- Registration is required.
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Guided Spring Birding Hikes with Cracker Box Palace
Want to see the bright blue of the Cerulean Warbler? Looking to add Scarlet Tanager to your life list? Or are you curious about exploring new birding spots along Lake Ontario and the greater Finger Lakes region?
The Montezuma Audubon Center is excited to expand our birding excursions to new communities! Join a Montezuma Audubon Center educator at Cracker Box Palace (6420 Shaker Road, North Rose, NY, 14516) for a series of 3 guided birding walks this spring season to see the bright colors of the migratory warblers that have made their way back up north.
This guided excursion will cover 2 miles of trail with one steep incline. Sturdy and comfortable shoes are strongly recommended. No prior birding experience needed. We will provide all binoculars and field guides.
Cracker Box Palace at Historic Alasa Farms is an animal shelter that cares for horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, geese, chickens, rabbits, and more. Cracker Box Palace is also home to 10 miles of trails filled with great habitat for a plethora of birds, especially migratory warblers, and sits up against Sodus Bay, providing a great resource to waterfowl.
Please note: We will meet at the parking lot across the street at Cracker Box Palace (6420 Shaker Road, North Rose, NY, 14516).
- Fee: $10/individual
- Registration is required
- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions or concerns.
To make your reservation, click on the date you want to join us at Cracker Box Palace and complete the registration form.
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Warbler Migration Presentation & Guided Walk
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 3pm
Happy first day of May! What better way to start a new month than to learn about the tiny migratory birds that have made their long-awaited journey back to the Montezuma Wetlands Complex? Join a Montezuma Audubon Center educator for a presentation on warbler migration this time of year and all the different kinds of warblers that call the Complex home for summer. Common Yellowthroat Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Cerulean Warblers are just a few we will highlight and hope to see! We may even hear the buzz from our small but mighty pollinators in our wildflower meadow.
With our new warbler knowledge, we will head out for a 1-mile leisure birding walk in our forest and grassland trail. No prior birding experience necessary! We will provide binoculars and field guides for the duration of the program. We will meet at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146).
- Fee: $10/individual
- Registration is required
- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Songbird Walk
Friday, May 3, 2024 at 2PM
By the beginning of May, many species of songbirds will have returned to the Finger Lakes Region, and their song will be filling the air. We will use Audubon's Online Bird Guides as well as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's app Merlin to learn some distinct and not so distinct calls! We will go for a 1 mile walk through the forested trails to see some of our songbird species, listen to their calls, and improve our identification skills.
This tour will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89). It is great for participants of all ages.
- Fee: $10/ Individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Space is limited and registration is required.
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Nature Journaling at the MAC: Mental Health Awareness Month
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 2pm
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Studies have shown being immersed in nature has a variety of positive effects on one’s health; lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress levels. Join a Montezuma Audubon Center educator for a nature journaling and nature immersion experience.
Nature journaling is the practice of recording your observations in nature. How does this relate to mental health? This practice creates a space for you to use your senses to experience the outdoors and ground yourself to nature. Will we hear Eastern Bluebirds singing along with our pollinators buzzing? Will we see American Robins bring food to their nests?
We will go through exercises of sketching, drawing, and writing to document your observations. All supplies will be provided, and all participants will take home their own nature journal made by local company, Acorn Designs. This program will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146).
- Fee: $15/individual
- Registration is required
- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Guided Spring Birding Hike with Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery
Saturday, May 11 at 10am
Embrace the spring season with the Montezuma Audubon Center and Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery! Join an Audubon educator for a guided birding hike along the U.S. Fish & Wildlife South Spring Pool trail to welcome our warblers back from their southern migration. After our guided excursion, continue the fun at Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery for a wine & snack pairing flight. After you sample your wine and have a bite to eat, Daena Ford from Braddock Bay Raptor Research will present her raptor ambassadors for a live and up-close look!
All are welcome to join us for this program, whether you would like to do a wine tasting or not. Please select your preferred flight when purchasing tickets. If your preferred flight is not available, please send an email to montezuma@audubon.org with your selection.
Location: This event will start at the National Wildlife Refuge South Spring Pool Trail off State Route 89, across the street from the Hunter Check Point Station. We will then make our way to Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery: 2981 Route 20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148. If coming in a group, we recommend carpooling as space is limited at the lot of the trailhead. More parking is available across the street at the National Wildlife Refuge's Hunter Check Point Station. Please email montezuma@audubon.org if more directions are needed.
- Fee: $35/participant with wine flight, $20 participant without a wine flight
- Registration is required
- Program duration: 10am-1:30pm
- This event is 21+ years old and winery staff may ask for identification
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions or concerns.
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Mother's Day Guided Hike
May 11, 2024 at 3PM
Celebrate your mom by spending time with her in nature! On the Saturday before Mother's Day, join Montezuma Audubon Center educators for a 1 mile guided hike on the trails behind the center. Many species of songbirds will have returned to the Finger Lakes region and will serenade us as we walk. We may also see swans, waterfowl, and perhaps even a bald eagle! At the end of the program, all moms will be given a seed packet of wildflowers native to the Finger Lakes Region to plant in her garden.
This program will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89). This program is great for all ages and families.
- Fee: $10/ Individual
- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Space is limited and registration is required.
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Girl Scout Badge Day!- Trail Adventure
Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 2pm
Are you a Girl Scout Troop leader or parent looking for your scout to earn more badges? The Montezuma Audubon Center is hosting a badge specific day for all levels of Girl Scouts. This session will focus on the Trail Adventure badge which services Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador levels.
Audubon educators will introduce your scouts to trail adventures through the following:
-Choosing your trail adventure
-Planning and preparing for a trail adventure
-What gear to bring on a trail adventure
-How and why to train for a trail adventure
-How to set a goal for your trail adventure
-How to respectfully interact with nature through going on a trail adventure at the MAC
This two-hour program will include a presentation on the above topics and then a guided birding hike on the Center's two-mile trail system. Scouts will be divided up from Daisy-Junior and Cadette-Ambassador. Please bring the following gear for your scouts: backpack, water, sturdy shoes, sunscreen. We will provide binoculars and maps. Please email montezuma@audubon.org or call (315) 365-3588 with any questions
- Fee: $10/participant
- Registration is required for all scouts
- Children must be accompanied by troop leader or guardian
Call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Sunset Guided Birding Hike
Saturday, May 18 at 6pm
Bright colors of pinks, blues, and purples are starting to pop up in the Montezuma Audubon Center’s trails providing great habitat for songbirds, hummingbirds, and our pollinator insect friends. Join a MAC educator on a sunset guided hike through our marsh, forest, and grassland trails to learn about how our diverse habitat supports all the different types of birds in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex!
Our trails provide a great landscape to see the sun set against our native wildflower fields and reflective marshes. We will be able to hear a variety of songbirds getting ready for mating and nesting season, possibly a Great-horned Owl beginning its day, and hope to see a Bald Eagle or Sandhill Cranes soar above.
This 2-mile leisure hike is open to all who wish to participate! No prior birding experience necessary. We will have binoculars and field guides to loan out for the duration of the program.
- Fee: $10/participant
- Registration is required
- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
Call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions or concerns.
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Montezuma Wildflower Walk
Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 4:30PM
May is one of the best times to see the first blooming wildflowers. Join Montezuma Audubon Center educators to learn about wildflowers and their importance to birds while going on a 1.5 mile hike on the trails behind the center. At the end, participants will be able to bring home seed packets of wildflowers native to the Finger Lakes Region to plant in their gardens. While we're out, we will do some birding.
This program will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, New York). It is a great program for all ages and families.
- Fee: $10/ individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Space is limited and registration is required.
Please call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Ponding with an Educator
Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 10AM
Have you ever wondered what critters live just below the surface? Get out your water shoes and find out! Montezuma Audubon Center educators will provide dip nets and identification help to solve the mystery of who lives in a wetland. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with live frogs, tadpoles, turtles, and many of the insect larvae who live in our ponds. This is a fun way for families to get outside to kickoff Memorial Day Weekend!
This program will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center (2295 State Route 89, Savannah, New York). It is a great program for all ages and families. Please note that we will be getting our feet wet, so proper footwear is recommended.
- Fee: $10/ individual
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Space is limited and registration is required.
Please call (315)365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
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Memorial Day Weekend Birding & Boating
Saturday, May 25 at 2pm
Happy Memorial Day weekend! The Montezuma Audubon Center is ready to get out on the water and see what birds are enjoying out freshwater channels. Join a MAC educator for an afternoon paddle at Rivers Crossing Campground and Marina along the Erie Canal.
We are sure to see dabbling ducks with their bills down in the water looking for food, Great Blue Herons majestically taking off, and many warblers flittering along the vegetation of the canal. New to birding and kayaking? No worries! We will have plenty of field guides and binoculars to loan out. Prior to getting on the water, we will go over basic paddle strokes and get everyone comfortable in their own kayak.
You are welcome to bring your own kayak or rent one from us, ticket pricing will vary. All ages are welcome, but children will need to bring their own kayak as we do not provide child kayaks.
- Fee:
- Child (No rental): $15/child
- Adult (No rental): $20/adult
- Adult (Kayak rental): $30/adult
- Registration is required
- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
We will meet at Rivers Crossing Campground and Marina (508 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146) and begin our paddle there.
Call (315) 365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with any questions.
Private Birding Tours—Reconnect with Nature at Montezuma
Enjoy a unique bird-watching tour of the 50,000-acre Montezuma Wetlands Complex! These outings are a great way to catch up with family members, close friends, or co-workers, and experience the birds, other wildlife, and habitats that make Montezuma an Audubon Important Bird Area. Choose from driving tours, birding walks, canoeing/kayaking excursions, and snowshoeing hikes. All tours are led by National Audubon Society staff and include equipment rentals, binoculars, and bird guides.
For driving tours, you will follow behind the Audubon van in your own vehicle to Montezuma’s marshes, forests, and grasslands to explore several birding hotspots and the abundant wildlife as they go about their activities. Participants will receive a conference call phone number to hear the Audubon educator narrate the tour and ask questions between stops. Guests are welcome to get out of their vehicles at each stop (facial coverings required and physical distancing guidelines must be followed).
- Fee: $150
- Available year-round for groups of up to 10 people
- To plan and reserve your customized tour, call 315-365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org
Testimonial
"The highlight of our visit to the Finger Lakes region was the private bird watching tour through the Montezuma Audubon Center. Since it was only my immediate family and the tour guide, it was the perfect COVID-friendly event for our vacation. The tour guide met us at the Audubon Center, lent out sanitized binoculars, and explained what type of birds we were planning to see. We then followed the Audubon Center van in our own car and were able to communicate with the tour guide using a conference line throughout the drive. We made four stops and at each stop, we had the opportunity to ask questions while bird watching. My kids, ages 5 & 8, and my parents in their late 70's enjoyed it as much as I did. We were lucky enough to see a Bald Eagle within close range and saw several circling in the distance. We also learned about waterfowl and spotted several species. My kids couldn't wait to get home and tell my husband all about their adventures of bird watching, while my parents were quick to post their bald eagle photos on social media. The tour guide had proper masking and distancing throughout the entire two and a half hour event. I highly recommend that anyone, regardless of age, consider this for their next Finger Lakes vacation." —Hadas Liebermann (Kingston, NY)
Public Program Cancellation/Reimbursement Policy:
- If the Montezuma Audubon Center (MAC) cancels an event for any reason, we will initiate a full reimbursement to your original method of payment.
- If you need to cancel your registration for an event, please call or email the MAC at 315-365-3588 or montezuma@audubon.org at your earliest convenience.
- If you cancel more than seven days before the event, we will initiate a reimbursement minus a 10% administrative fee, to your original form of payment.
- No reimbursements are issued for cancellations received less than a week before the date of the event.
Montezuma Audubon Center K-12 Field Trips
Designed for Kindergarten through high school students to connect with nature through minds-on and hands-on lessons and activities—inspiring children today to conserve the Earth for tomorrow.
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