Join us for an exploration of what the season has to offer

Sept. 13 & 14     History of Beaver Lake
Sept. 20 & 21     Autumn Leaves
Sept 27 & 28      Goose Migration       
Oct. 4 &  5         Fall Foliage
Oct. 11 & 12       Exploring The Autumn Bog
Oct. 18 & 19       Waterfowl Identification
Oct. 25 & 26       Owls, Bats & Witch Hazel
Nov. 1 &  2        Beaver Lake’s Beavers
Nov. 8 &  9        White-tailed Deer
Nov. 15 & 16        Wildlife Preparing For Winter
Nov. 22 &  23     Talking Turkey                                                                                                Nov. 29 & 30     Wildlife Preparing for Winter

December   Winter Wildlife

January    Tracking Wildlife on Snowshoes

February   Tracking Wildlife on Snowshoes

Please note: Pre-registration is required is January and February

Listening to stories and exploring nature are two activities that most children enjoy. A naturalist will read stories to children ages three to five, and lead them on a walk to experience what the season has to offer.

Kick off the holiday season by joining Santa for breakfast at Beaver Lake. Enjoy a tasty meal of pancakes, sausage and a beverage. There will also be a bake sale.

Listening to stories and exploring nature are two activities that most children enjoy. A naturalist will read stories to children ages three to five, and lead them on a walk to experience what the season has to offer.

Enjoy an hour-long outing through Beaver Lake's winter woods. Benefit from a naturalist's insights. along with the light aerobic exercise. Weather permitting.

This snowshoe clinic will include instructions and a short snowshoe hike. Folks with little or no snowshoe experience will especially enjoy this one-hour introduction. Registration is required beginning at 8am the day of the hike and space is limited. This program will be offered only when conditions are acceptable. Call Nature Center, 638-2519, on that day to register and check conditions.

Join a staff naturalist for a lesson in Cross Country Ski Basics. Perfect for beginning skiers, you must bring your own skis. Weather permitting.

Cross Country Ski Basics will also be offered on Saturdays, January 10 & 31, February 21 from 9-11am and on Wednesdays, January 21 & February 4 from 1:30-3:30pm.

Listening to stories and exploring nature are two activities that most children enjoy. A naturalist will read stories to children ages three to five, and lead them on a walk to experience what the season has to offer.

The trails will remain open until 9pm on these evenings as long as there is adequate snow cover. This is the opportunity for skiers and snowshoers to take advantage of the natural moonlight along Beaver Lake's ten miles of trails. At trail's end is the Visitor Center with comfortable seating. Hot chocolate and other refreshments will be available. For their safety, night visitors should remember to sign-in and sign-out at the Visitor Center, go with friend, and remember to bring a flashlight in case a section of the trail is especially dark.

Weather permitting.

Join the staff Beaver Lake in this group project piling soft snow and then carving out a cave. These simple snow shelters, used by winter campers, are excellent in emergencies and provide great backyard fun. Bring a plastic snow shovel if you want to get in on the action. Weather permitting.

Join a staff naturalist for a lesson in Cross Country Ski Basics. Perfect for beginning skiers, you must bring your own skis. Weather permitting.

Cross Country Ski Basics will also be offered on Saturdays, January 31 & February 21 from 9-11am and on Wednesdays, January 7, 21 & February 4 from 1:30-3:30pm.

Join a staff naturalist for a lesson in Cross Country Ski Basics. Perfect for beginning skiers, you must bring your own skis. Weather permitting.

Cross Country Ski Basics will also be offered on Saturdays, January 10, 31 & February 21 from 9-11am and on Wednesdays, January 7 & February 4 from 1:30-3:30pm.

Listening to stories and exploring nature are two activities that most children enjoy. Here's an opportunity for 3-5 year olds accompanied by an adult to do both. A naturalist will read stories to the children and lead them on a walk to experience what the season has to offer.

Join a staff naturalist for a lesson in Cross Country Ski Basics. Perfect for beginning skiers, you must bring your own skis. Weather permitting.

Cross Country Ski Basics will also be offered on Saturdays, January 10 & February 21 from 9-11am and on Wednesdays, January 7, 21 & February 4 from 1:30-3:30pm.

Beaver Lake is hosting its 4th Mid-Winter Blues Run. The Nature Center has become a favorite location for outdoor enthusiasts to pursue fitness activities such as running. In an effort to encourage year round outdoor activity and help bridge the gap from fall to spring, Beaver Lake has organized this event. The run is 5K and it begins and ends at the Visitor Center, using nearby country roads. All proceeds benefit the Nature Center. The run is open to all ages and the entry price of $20 includes a long sleeved t-shirt for the first 100 entrants. Winners will be awarded in various age categories.

Join a staff naturalist for a lesson in Cross Country Ski Basics. Perfect for beginning skiers, you must bring your own skis. Weather permitting.

Cross Country Ski Basics will also be offered on Saturdays, January 10 & 31, February 21 from 9-11am and on Wednesdays, January 7 & 21 from 1:30-3:30pm.

The trails will remain open until 9pm on these evenings as long as there is adequate snow cover. This is the opportunity for skiers and snowshoers to take advantage of the natural moonlight along Beaver Lake's ten miles of trails. At trail's end is the Visitor Center with comfortable seating. Hot chocolate and other refreshments will be available. For their safety, night visitors should remember to sign-in and sign-out at the Visitor Center, go with friend, and remember to bring a flashlight in case a section of the trail is especially dark.

Weather permitting

Did you ever wonder how people kept their food cold before there were refrigerators? What was an ice harvest? How did they get the ice from the lake and how was it stored so it wouldn't melt? These and other questions will be explored while you have a chance to cut chunks of lake-ice with an old-fashioned ice saw.

During school vacation there will be guided walks and critter talks daily for families and individuals. You'll walk down one of the Nature Center's trails tracking winter wildlife and also meet a beaver, turtle, or red-tailed hawk face to face in the Visitor Center.

10:00 am    Ice Harvest        Tuesday & Thursday   
10:00 am    Build a Snow Cave    Wednesday & Friday
1:30 pm    Creature Feature    Monday - Friday
2:00 pm    Snowshoeing    Monday - Friday - Snowshoe Rental $3

Some of the above activities are weather dependent,

please call the Nature Center for daily updates.

Join a staff naturalist for a lesson in Cross Country Ski Basics. Perfect for beginning skiers, you must bring your own skis. Weather permitting.

Cross Country Ski Basics will also be offered on Saturdays, January 10 & 31 from 9-11am and on Wednesdays, January 7, 21 & February 4 from 1:30-3:30pm.

The Friends of Beaver Lake are sponsoring an amateur photo contest to capture the beauty and diversity of Beaver Lake. Entries will be judged in the following age groups: 11 & under 12-17 years old 18 & over. Winning entries will be displayed at Beaver Lake from September 8-30.

This celebration of the maple syrup season marks the coming of spring. A visit to the demonstration sugarbush will introduce you to the heritage of sugaring and the production of maple syrup. Tours of the sugarbush are free with admission. 

10am-2pm, Saturdays; 1-4pm, Sundays 

Each Saturday enjoy a delicious Pancake Breakfast, from 9-12noon, complete with pancakes, sausage, and fresh brewed coffee or juice. Depending on your appetite, breakfast will range from $2 to $4. Groups of 10 or more please call the Nature Center for reservations.

Enjoy pancakes, sausage, and fresh brewed coffee or juice. Depending on your appetite, breakfast will range from $2 to $4. Groups of 10 or more please call the Nature Center for reservations. 

There will be plenty of things for folks to do at Beaver Lake during this week of school vacation:
Featured Creature Talk - 10:00 am
Exploring With A Naturalist - 10:30 am
Featured Creature Talk - 1:00 pm
Exploring With A Naturalist - 1:30 pm
Plus:
Beetle Spotting - a children's beetle search on our special trail with Beaver Lake's own beetle creations. From 11 am – 1:30 pm there will crafts and other ongoing children's activities.

Beaver Lake and the Onondaga Woodcarvers Club bring together this area’s finest wood carving talents for an annual offering of their best works.

Experience the enchantment of Beaver Lake and halloween fun like never before! Where over four hundred jack-o-lanterns and luminaria light your way along two trails as you venture through the darkness.  Everything is magical and nothing is scary.  Face painting, fortune telling, and treats will also be part of this special night.Hotdogs, donuts and cider will be available to purchase.

Please call if you are interested in helping to carve pumpkins or if you would like to donate a jack-o-lantern.

Register at the Community Room in the Visitor Center between 8 am and 11 am on the Saturday, or between 1 and 3 pm on the Sunday.

Walkers walk at their own pace and finish at any time. Routes are either 5K (3.1 miles) or 10K (6.2 miles) and are clearly marked. Individuals may walk a shorter, modified route if they prefer. This is a non-competitive walking event.

Greater Syracuse YMCA members and first-time walkers walk free. People are encouraged to purchase a Folksmarch Passport to log their distance and to get on the mailing list for our newsletter.