Syracuse, NY -- A pelican coming in for a landing on Onondaga Lake, the silhouette of a heron against a blazing son, a blue bird eating dinner are some of the stunning photos taken around Onondaga Lake by local wildlife photographers.
An exhibit of their work titled "Onondaga Lake: An Important Stop for Birds on an Impressive Journey" will be on display from 6 -7 p.m. Friday, at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The public is welcome to the free event.
The exhibit will be in the Gateway Center on the ESF campus. Fifteen photos will be on display, and several of the photographers will be on hand to talk about their work.
The 15 works were part of a larger photo exhibit held earlier this month at Honeywell's Onondaga Lake Visitors Center. The exhibit is sponsored by the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps in partnership with Audubon New York and Honeywell.
"Onondaga Lake was named an important bird area because it provides critical habitat for migratory and overwintering species of the Atlantic Flyway," Erin Crotty, executive director of Audubon New York said in a press release. "Thanks to the cleanup and restoration efforts of Onondaga County, Honeywell, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, and the Syracuse community, a variety of bird species can once again depend on Onondaga Lake for year-round nesting, breeding and stopover habitat."
Onondaga Lake is a priority Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA) and a vital stop for migratory birds along the Atlantic Flyway. Flyways are the general pathways that birds use to migrate each year between their breeding and wintering areas.
The Atlantic Flyway follows the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains.
Following the exhibit, ESF will host the third event in its Moonlighting Discourse Series: "Ethics and Earth Day: Finding Environmental Justice in a Complex World."
Moonlighting is hosted by ESF President Quentin Wheeler. Joining him for this discussion will be Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, the founder of the Barefoot College in India; Meagan Fallone, CEO of Barefoot College International; and Dr. Samuel Gorovitz, a professor of philosophy at Syracuse University and a leader in the development of medical ethics. Information about Moonlighting is available on the ESF website.
