The Wild Center Celebrates a New Season with a Virtual Spring Jamboree
April 29, 2020
Tupper Lake, N.Y. - The Wild Center is throwing a Virtual Not Quite Open But Dearly Hopin' Spring Jamboree on Friday, May 1, 2020. The all-day event celebrates and symbolizes a new season at The Wild Center, which normally opens its doors on May 1st to reintroduce visitors to the wonders of the natural world on its campus. Although public operations are temporarily suspended at the Adirondack-based science center and outdoor nature experience, the virtual party invites visitors to participate in fun activities and programs - all from their living rooms.
Each opening weekend also marks another birthday for the Center's five North American River Otters - Squirt, Louie, Scarlett, Ta:wi:ne and Roh:sno:re. The Otter Birthday Party celebration, a fan favorite of opening weekend, will take place at noon on May 1st, as part of The Wild Center's Lunchtime Live digital program. Viewers can sing "happy birthday" and watch as the otters are fed a special birthday treat.
The digital day will also include talks with The Wild Center's staff, wild art tutorials and a look inside a brook trout during a live fish dissection. A behind-the-scenes-tour is scheduled to take viewers to places most never get to see, including the otters' backstage play area and a private visit with their wild animal ambassadors.
To end the evening with light-hearted laughs, The Wild Center is debuting their first ever Member Digital Events with a family-friendly dance party at 6 p.m. and Adirondack trivia at 7 p.m. Members must register to attend.
"Typically, we'd be getting ready to welcome back our visitors on May 1st with lots of fun activities and new exhibits," said Stephanie Ratcliffe, executive director of The Wild Center. "There's nothing typical about this year so we have cooked up a special day to offer those experiences virtually for our friends far and wide."
The Virtual Spring Jamboree is just one of many free digital offerings by The Wild
Center. With a mission to help others fall in love with nature, The Wild Center has been providing daily innovative and educational online content with "Lunchtime Live" on The Wild Center's Facebook channel and educational distance learning programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am EST. Previous episodes are archived on the website for viewing at any time.
Viewers can also enjoy virtual tours around The Wild Center and its outdoor Wild Walk, watch live webcams of the surrounding Adirondack wilderness and browse a library of nature videos.
The Wild Center is also a part of I LOVE NY's coloring pages project. Visitors can
imagine the view from Wild Walk's giant eagle's nest and other New York attractions as they make their pictures come to life with pencils, crayons and markers. The coloring page can be found at: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/new-coloring-pages-let-youcolor-
new-york-state/.
Information about the Virtual Spring Jamboree and The Wild Center's digital offerings may be found at www.WildCenter.org/digital.
The Wild Center Remains Committed to Connecting People with Nature
March 20, 2020
Tupper Lake, N.Y. - Although The Wild Center is temporarily suspending public operations until further notice, the Adirondack-based science center and outdoor nature experience remains an educational and entertaining resource through its suite of online content. New digital lessons will be featured daily on The Wild Center's social media channels. In addition, the extensive trail network of the Tupper Lake campus remains open for individual use and enjoyment, provided visitors maintain six feet of social distance for safety, as recommended by the New York State Department of Health.
The Wild Center's mission is to help others fall in love with nature by exploring new ways people and nature can thrive together. During these unprecedented times, The Wild Center remains committed to connecting people with nature by offering daily innovative and educational online content. Viewers can enjoy digital animal encounters, get behind-the- scenes looks and learn about fun activities one can do in their own backyard by tuning in daily to "Lunchtime Live" on The Wild Center's Facebook channel at 12pm EST. Viewers are encouraged to interact by asking questions, providing feedback and submitting their own ideas for future content. Additionally, The Wild Center's education and animal care staff will be offering free, live educational distance learning programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am EST.
Wild Center Executive Director Stephanie Ratcliffe noted, "If you have been resistant to getting on the social media bandwagon, now is the opportune time to join in - The Wild Center has many different on-line experiences to try out from your living room!"
Guests are welcome to view multiple webcams of the surrounding Adirondack wilderness, found on WildCenter.org. Viewers can also take a virtual tour of The Wild Center, navigating through the facility with a click of the mouse. Guests can stop to explore specific exhibits, such as the Trout Pool and popular Otter Falls - where a video of the resident otters can be played. Another virtual tour takes viewers on a hike along Wild Walk, a platformed trail across the treetops designed to connect people with the Adirondacks in an easy and accessible way.
The Wild Center is also home to many live, rehabilitated animals, providing them with a safe and healthy habitat while acting as ambassadors for their species. These animals will continue to be well cared for during the closure, and a limited number of essential staff are providing animal care and safely operating all critical facilities related to their well-being.
"We have always focused on finding new, fun ways for people to learn about the animals, plants and environment of the Adirondacks. Through this all, we remain committed to showcasing our place in this wild world and its future," said Hillarie Logan-Dechene, The Wild Center's Deputy Director. "While it is difficult to predict how long the current situation will last, there is one thing that is certain - when this is behind us, we will have a greater need than ever to get outside and appreciate the natural world around us."
The Wild Center is able to continue to operate their facility as necessary in large part to the support of its members and partners. As a thank you, they will be honoring and automatically extending all memberships through the reopening of the facility to the public.
For more information about The Wild Center's closure and virtual tour, visit
www.WildCenter.org. Digital animal encounters and live distance learning programs can be viewed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thewildcenter/.
The Wild Center Unveils New Youth Climate Toolkit
March 11, 2020
Tupper Lake, N.Y. - The Wild Center has launched a new Youth Climate Program webpage and toolkit to support the increased interest in youth-led action and assist with planning and executing Youth Climate Summits around the globe. These Summits are conference-style events that provide opportunities for youth to learn about place-based climate science, explore climate change solutions and collaborate with a team to create a climate action plan.
Since 2009, The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program has hosted the annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, a two-day experience for high school and college students to learn about climate change, impacts and solutions before designing their own climate action plan. Based on the success of the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, other organizations and areas have been inspired to create their own Youth Climate Summits with a global network of 40 Youth Climate Summits - and growing.
The new Youth Climate Program webpage includes new and interactive features that highlight the power and influence of the Youth Climate Summit network, including a map that showcases stories from Summits around the world. A timeline of History & Recognition tracks the progress of the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit - from a regional event to what has grown into an internationally-recognized program. The Adirondack Youth Climate Summit was first recognized by The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy in 2014 as one of 19 key initiatives around the country.
The revamped Youth Climate Toolkit offers a series of free resources for locations around the world that are interested in hosting their own summit. The toolkit includes a step-by-step guide for creating a summit from start to finish, as well as sample agendas, budgets, evaluation templates and more plug-and-play resources for summit planning. It also includes a Climate Action Planning Workshop Facilitator Guide with sample lesson plans, slide deck, worksheets and tips from youth on how to facilitate a workshop specifically for students. Additionally, the new Partner Summit Media Kit offers sample photos, press releases and social media posts, as well as guidelines on how to acknowledge The Wild Center in promotions.
"A key component to global action on climate change is inspiring place-based climate solutions at a local level," explained Caroline Dodd, Youth Advisory Board for The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program. "The upgraded toolkit will help organizations around the world create hubs of local climate action by hosting their own Youth Climate Summits, which will bring together local experts and inspire youth to be today's climate leaders."
A virtual unveiling of the suite of free resources will take place on Tuesday, Apr. 7 from 2-3pm and Thursday, Apr. 9 from 7-8pm. Led by The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program, this digital introduction will be an interactive celebration, with advice from youth, stories and advice from summit organizers around New York State, a brief introduction to the new resources and time for questions from the audience. Anyone interested in hosting or learning more about Youth Climate Summits is encouraged to participate in one of the free webinars. To register for Youth Climate Summits: Join the Movement Webinar, visit: www.wildcenter.org/toolkitlaunch.
Jen Kretser, Director of Climate Initiatives at The Wild Center said, "We are so excited at how these new resources will elevate the visibility of youth-led climate action, showcase the power of the Youth Climate Summit network and inspire new Youth Climate Summits around the world."
The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program new webpage, free toolkit and other planning resources to give students a voice on climate change are available here:
https://www.wildcenter.org/youthclimate.
For Immediate Release:
June 5, 2019
Media Contact:
Colleen Onuffer
Break the Ice Media
O: 585-394-0787 x2
C: 716-864-1263
The Wild Center Celebrates the Arrival of Two New North American River Otters on June 22
Tupper Lake, N.Y. - The Wild Center family is expanding this summer with the arrival of two male North American river otters. The pair make their debut in Otter Falls on Saturday, June 22 from 10am to 5pm, which also marks The Wild Center's inaugural You Otter Run/Walk 5K benefitting the Center's Betsy Lowe Fund for Adirondack Education.
The pair began their journey to The Wild Center in Ohio where they were trapped as nuisance animals. Crayfish farmers in Ohio often trap North American river otters as their diet subsists of crayfish, as well as snakes, frogs and fish. These trapped river otters are often slated to be killed and used for fur, or in some cases, relocated to areas without enough food to survive. The Wild Center's Animal Care staff was made aware of their situation and jumped at the opportunity to rescue the pair. The otters join the Center's three other otters: Louie, Scarlett, and Squirt.
Currently unnamed, the otters will be welcomed by a group of youths from Akwesasne as they learn about the mammals, then discover suitable names in the Kaniehkehaka language. The naming project works to keep the spirit alive of the lasting Ways of Knowing partnership between The Wild Center and the Haudenosaunee community.
About You Otter Run/Walk 5K
Put on your otter whiskers and follow Ollie the Otter through Tupper Lake when the inaugural You Otter Run/Walk 5K takes place on Saturday, June 22. The 5K race is a fundraiser to support education programs for Adirondack school groups coming to The Wild Center. Registration begins at 8am and the race begins at 9am. The fee for the race in advance is $20 for ages 5 to 14 and $30 for those over 15 years old. Day of registration is $40 per registrant. Online registration can be found at wildcenter.org.
First, second and third place prizes will be awarded, but all participants will receive a medal.
Funds raised by You Otter Run benefit the Center's Betsy Lowe Fund for Adirondack Education which supports visits to The Wild Center from L.P. Quinn Elementary and other Adirondack schools. The funds pay for school programs related to the otters and other Adirondack animals, plants and many aspects of nature and science based topics.
About Ways of Knowing
Indigenous voices come together to bring you Ways of Knowing. Working in partnership, the Akwesasne Cultural Center, The Six Nations Indian Museum, the Native North American Travelling College and The Wild Center unite to broaden and heighten our understanding and appreciation of the natural world. The collaborative and multi-faceted project opened at The Wild Center in 2018 and encourages visitors to continue their exploration at the Akwesasne Cultural Center in the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, The Six Nations Indian Museum in Onchiota and the Native North American Travelling College on Cornwall Island.
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About The Wild Center:
The Wild Center invites visitors to discover the story of the Adirondacks, and to explore new ways that people and nature can thrive in the same place. Located in Tupper Lake, NY the center uses science-based experiences, exhibits and program to open new ways to look into the relationship that people have with nature and to promote environmental best practices. A 54,000-square-foot facility, The Wild Center features indoor and outdoor space, live animals, hands-on experiences, and its popular Wild Walk, an elevated trail across the Adirondack treetops. The Center is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tupper Lake, NY – The Wild Center, currently open Friday through Sunday from 10 A.M. until 5 P.M., is offering free admission to all federal employees and their families through January 31st, supporting them during the government shutdown.
Free admission is offered regardless of whether federal workers have been furloughed or are otherwise affected. Workers will need to show their ID at the Admissions Desk upon entry.
“We’re hoping to offer some respite for people and give them an opportunity for them and their families to visit and make some happy memories when they would otherwise be working,” says Wild Center Executive Director Stephanie Ratcliffe.
Now is the perfect time to experience The Wild Center. All visitors are welcome to a free snowshoe rental to hit the trails and explore on their own or on a guided naturalist walk. Relax inside with The Wild Center’s river otters. See a featured film or enjoy a warm beverage as you explore the exhibits and see an Adirondack animal up close during an animal encounter.
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Tupper Lake, NY – Indigenous voices come together to bring you Ways of Knowing. Working in partnership, the Akwesasne Cultural Center, The Six Nations Indian Museum, the Native North American Travelling College and The Wild Center unite to broaden and heighten our understanding and appreciation of the natural world. The collaborative and multi-faceted project opened at The Wild Center on Friday, May 25th and encourages visitors to continue their exploration at the Akwesasne Cultural Center in the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, The Six Nations Indian Museum in Onchiota and the Native North American Travelling College on Cornwall Island.
Even before opening in 2006, The Wild Center recognized that its focus was on western science and interpretation, missing the opportunity of the thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge. Ways of Knowing brings several Native American tribal entities and Indigenous knowledge experts together to help The Wild Center incorporate traditional ecological knowledge, including different perspectives and culture into its exhibits and experiences. At The Wild Center that translates into a reinterpreted permanent exhibit area and the installation of three traveling exhibits for this summer.
The Wild Center invited artist and Director of The Six Nations Indian Museum, David Kanietakeron Fadden, to reinterpret the Oxbow, a living wetland exhibit. He envisioned the Thanksgiving Address, a Haudenosaunee (Six Nations/Iroquois) greeting that invites reflection on the ways our existence is interconnected with the natural world. This new experience will offer insight into the culture of the Haudenosaunee people, one of the groups who have inhabited the Adirondack region for thousands of years. Through the intersection of original art created by Fadden and storytelling videos, this new experience honors the ways of knowing our northern landscape.
We Are From Akwesasne is an interactive traveling exhibit of Mohawk art, artifacts, songs, stories, beliefs and craftsmanship. Curated by youth from Akwesasne alongside artist and Program Coordinator Sue Ellen Herne from the Akwesasne Cultural Center, We Are From Akwesasne, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, offers a visual, auditory and hands-on experience that illuminates the continuing culture and artistic heritage of Akwesasne.
Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science, a traveling exhibit, highlights the experiences of four Indigenous communities as brought to life through the voices of elders and youth community members. This interactive exhibit immerses students in the story of how native peoples are using a collaborative approach to encourage sustainable solutions to real world challenges. Roots of Wisdom was created through collaboration between the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Indigenous Education Institute (IEI), Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and features the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, Native Hawaiians, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Tulalip Tribes.
Additionally, the Native North American Travelling College, a cultural site in the northern portion of Akwesasne is sharing Sacred Foods, an exhibit that showcases the resilience and survival of traditional Haudenosaunee food. Sacred Foods provides an intimate look into the past -- from traditional gardening, the tools used for gathering, and real live plants to get a better understanding of Haudenosaunee food systems.
“I am honored that our partners collaborated with us to add this missing voice to The Wild Center,” said Stephanie Ratcliffe, Executive Director of The Wild Center. “Offering different perspectives has been an integral part of our philosophy since opening and the traditional ecological knowledge of the Indigenous people enhances western science and The Wild Center. We hope that people are inspired to visit the other partner sites for additional Haudenosaunee
experiences.”
“This is an exciting partnership that is enriching all of our sites,” said Sue Ellen Herne, Program Coordinator at the Akwesasne Cultural Center. “It is important for people to gain a deeper appreciation for the environment. That appreciation is an integral part of the teachings that have been passed to us by our ancestors. We don’t always follow the path that we should, so we have been given teachings that help us to make the right decisions. David Fadden’s new interpretation of the oxbow exhibit at The Wild Center is based on that fundamental teaching. It is a natural fit for The Wild Center to work with the Six Nations Indian Museum and the sites based in Akwesasne because the mission of The Wild Center is basically that same teaching. They want to help people to interact with the environment in a balanced and sustainable way. Both David and I are happy to be able to share the work of our museums with a larger audience. My work at the Akwesasne Cultural Center – Museum has been focused on developing ways to broaden understanding of the many facets of Mohawk culture. We serve our own community and the visiting public. There has been a history of miseducation related to Indigenous people, and also a history of lack of education on our perspectives. It is very heartening to have The Wild Center director state that they are making a change in their organization to include many “Ways of Knowing,” not only the Western Science model.”
“When I was first approached by The Wild Center about the idea of re-interpreting the Oxbow wetland exhibit I immediately thought of the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen (Words before all else) also known as the Thanksgiving Address,” said David Kanietakeron Fadden, Director of the Six Nations Indian Museum. “The address is an acknowledgment and a message of gratitude to all aspects of the natural world. From an artist’s point of view I wanted the exhibit space to lose the sharp angles and industrial look to more accurately reflect what nature looks like. This was a challenge as I had to paint in two dimensions to bring a look of a giant pop-up book. It is my hope that this project will bring an awareness of the “oneness” with nature that most Native people feel and that those who experience this exhibit will walk away with the same passion.”
He continues, “For me, these words not only express gratitude but instill a sense of belonging to the Earth, our home. We are a mere part of a larger family. Every part is personified as a family member. The earth is our mother. The sun is our elder brother. The moon is our grandmother. We treat these beings with great respect as we would treat our family, with respect. Our existence is dependent on all aspects of creation. These words acknowledge these gifts and with a sincere heart we, with one voice, send greetings and thanks to each part of creation.”
Come and celebrate Ways of Knowing on July 7th from 10am until 6pm. Special experiences will be happening all day, including a social dance with the Native North American Travelling College, storytelling with David Fadden, a sweetgrass bookmark making workshop with weaver Robin Lazore and a booth from the Akwesasne Cultural Center Museum. Akwesasne artisan vendors will be displaying authentic crafts all day.
Ways of Knowing continues for three years, with new exhibits among the partner museums over that period. Visit a partner website to find out about new activities and experiences during this time.
For additional information about the Akwesasne Cultural Center, please visit www.akwesasneculturalcenter.org or contact Sue Ellen Herne at 1-518-358-2461.
For additional information about the Six Nations Indian Museum, please visit https://www.sixnationsindianmuseum.com/ or contact David Fadden at 1-518-891-2299.
For additional information about the Native North American Travelling College, please visit https://www.nnatc.org/ or contact Amanda Tarbell at 1-613-932-9452 ext. 225.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant number MA-10-17-0987-17; and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
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TUPPER LAKE – A $494,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will support The Wild Center as it helps students and teachers in New York City, the Catskills and the Adirondacks respond to climate change in their communities.
The three-year Environmental Literacy Grant bolsters a collaboration of The Wild Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County, the Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School in Brooklyn, and the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) as they build climate literacy and preparedness among nearly 1,000 students and teachers.
As part of the project, called Convening Young Leaders for Climate Resilience in New York State, high schoolers will learn to assess the effect climate change is likely to have on their communities, work on techniques to convey those impacts to others, and develop the leadership skills needed to shape localized solutions to resiliency challenges posed by the issue.
“It’s critical for students to learn about climate change—but studies are clear that education alone isn’t enough to lead to action,” said Stephanie Ratcliffe, executive director of The Wild Center. “We also need to empower students to help their communities prepare for the changes that are likely to affect them.”
The grant was one of two awarded this year from NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program, which supports education programs that use NOAA science to improve ecosystem stewardship and increase resilience to environmental hazards. The following activities will be supported over the 3½-year course of the project:
- Each region will host a pair of Youth Climate Summits, one to two-day events that will attract 150-180 students.
- Teacher Climate Institutes will engage and empower teachers to feel confident about teaching climate science in their classroom by providing tools, resources and strategies.
- Selected students will participate in a Youth Climate Leadership Practicum that will focus specifically on leadership skills such as communication, project management, decision-making and problem-solving.
- Youth leaders will host community outreach events.
While today’s youth are the generation most likely to be called upon to mitigate the impacts of climate change, a Yale survey indicates they’ve had little exposure to the issue, with just 25 percent of high school students demonstrating a basic understanding of climate change. Nor are they studying it in the classroom: Just 22 percent of students say they’re learning “a lot” about the subject at school.
To improve climate education in schools, the project will work with teachers as well as students to develop a Teacher Climate Institute.
“Teachers are so important to establishing awareness about climate change,” said Jen Kretser, director of The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Summit Initiative. “We know they want to incorporate climate change into the curriculum, but are limited in the resources they have to learn about it themselves. By establishing a Teacher Climate Institute, we’ll put educators in direct contact with leading climate experts, so they can build their own knowledge on the topic and bring the discussion into their classrooms.”
While all of New York State will face urgent climate change-related challenges, every community’s response to the issue will differ. In urban areas, for instance, rising temperatures may exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma. In more rural places, such as the Adirondacks and Catskills, decreased snowfall might impact winter tourism.
“Addressing the challenges of climate change is among Governor Cuomo’s highest environmental priorities,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Our strategy for fighting climate change is dependent on a well-informed, involved public. The Youth Climate Summits and associated outreach will provide experience and tools that participants can immediately apply in their schools and communities. Perhaps more importantly, they will begin to empower today’s youth to become the engaged, knowledgeable and hopeful adults New York will need to meet tomorrow’s challenges.”
The DEC’s Office of Climate Change will join the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and NOAA’s Climate Program to contribute scientific information, resources and tools to the project, helping ensure that it conveys the latest knowledge and reflects statewide goals.
“The fight against climate change is one of the highest priorities for Governor Cuomo and New York,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Alicia Barton. “This project not only raises awareness of climate change but prepares today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders and help communities be more resilient.”
Since 2008, The Wild Center has worked with over a thousand high school and college students as well as teachers across the region, building climate action plans students can implement in their own schools and communities. The work has garnered national and international notice. Over the past few years, the Youth Climate Summit model has been replicated in places such as Seattle, Detroit, Finland and Sri Lanka.
“The best part about this work has been watching young leaders get excited about realizing they can do something about this crisis we’re all facing,” Ratcliffe said. “And it’s exciting to know we’ll be working with even more students going forward. They have the optimism, they have the will, they have new and fresh solutions, and they have the hope.”
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