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On the Canals Fall Birding Tours

Weekend Programs in September, October, and November

Montezuma Audubon Center will be coming to Syracuse, Seneca Falls, Geneva, and Rochester for inclusive and accessible birding walks this fall! Join us for these one-mile adventures where we will explore migratory birds along flat, paved/grass paths. The canal will be hosting a variety of different birds along their fall migration, such as songbirds, waterfowl and birds of prey. We may catch a glimpse of a Bald Eagle! First time and beginner birders are highly encouraged to join us. Binoculars and bird guides will be provided. Registration is required.

These are free, family-friendly adventures funded by the New York State Canal Corporation.

• Fee: FREE!
• Registration is required.
• Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Please email montezuma@audubon.org or call (315)365-3588 with any questions.

Onondaga Lake West Shore Trail in Syracuse:

September 28 at 10AM

September 28 at 1PM 

October 26 at 10AM

October 26 at 1PM

Ludovico Sculpture Trail in Seneca Falls:

October 6 at 10AM

October 6 at 1PM

November 3 at 10AM  **THIS WALK HAS MOVED TO MONTEZUMA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE VISITOR CENTER   3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148**

November 3 at 1PM   **THIS WALK HAS MOVED TO MONTEZUMA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE VISITOR CENTER   3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148**

Geneva Lakefront Park Trail in Geneva:

October 12 at 10AM

October 12 at 1PM

Genesee Riverway Trail in Rochester:

October 19 at 10AM

October 19 at 1PM

 

 

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Water Music New York: A performance by the Albany Symphony  Saturday, November 2 @ 4 p.m.

The Albany Symphony, in partnership with the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation, presents a powerful commemorative and celebratory free pop-up concert taking place along the Erie Canal.

Join us at Montezuma Audubon Center for new music from some of the most compelling composers working together, performed by small ensembles of Albany Symphony musicians and vocalists in unique Canal-adjacent spaces, highlighting stories of the 524-mile New York State Canal system's past, present, and future.

The new three-year Water Music NY project takes inspiration from the orchestra's original 2017 Water Music NY Festival, and opens a new chapter, exploring underrepresented voices, including those of women, immigrants, people of color, and Indigenous peoples, to commemorate the bicentennial of the completion of the Erie Canal.

Click here to register. Space is limited and registration is required. Call 315-365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org with questions.

About Refuge:

Written to observe the anniversary of the building of the Erie canal, Refuge focuses on the history of the area in the Finger Lakes Region known as Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. A thriving expanse of marshes, the area offered a rich wildlife habitat for centuries, supporting many species, notably a wide variety of migratory birds. It was also a home, hunting and fishing ground for the Haudenosaunee people. In the early 1800s, the area was drained and the marshes destroyed to enable the expansion of the Erie canal, until in 1938, the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge was established to restore the marshes, and recreate a nesting and feeding habitat for migratory birds. Pulling fragments of text from court documents about the establishment of the canal and the NY State Constitution of 1967, this piece reflects upon the paradox of naming, the duality of a place that has always been a refuge to people and wildlife, needing to be renamed to be recognized and protected as such.

David Alan Miller, Heinrich Medicus Music DirectorBritt Hewitt, vocalistDevony Smith, vocalistJuhi Bansal: Refuge

Albany Symphony Musicians

Jamecyn Morey, Violin I
Mitsuko Suzuki, Violin II
Dan Brye, Viola
Erica Pickhardt, Cello
Luke Baker, Bass
Gary Adler, Keyboard
Mark Foster, Drums

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.