Events & Activities - Visit to Sterling Nature Center and Park - June 24, 2004

Senator Hoffmann met with local, town, and county officials at the Sterling Lakeshore Park & Nature Center to discuss long term plans for the county property. A strong supporter of environmental preservation, Senator Hoffmann drew on her twenty years' experience as a member of the NYS Senate Environmental Conservation Committee and the legislation considered by that body, to discuss the proposals for the Sterling Park. The property is 2,800 acres of woodlands and meadows and bordered by two miles of undeveloped lakeshore with Sterling Creek on the South and Nine Mile Creek to the North. All of the ecologically sensitive areas are protected with a conservation easement. Sterling Nature Center has a variety of interpretive signs, trails and overlooks for visitors to use. Seen here is the main interpretive sign to direct you to what the Nature Center has to offer. (l-r):Town of Sterling Supervisor Joan Kelley, Senator Hoffmann and Cayuga County Legislator Loren Geer. The morning started with an overview of the maps and site development plans. (l-r):Cayuga County Parks & Trails Jim D'Angelo, Cayuga County Legislator Loren Geer, Senator Hoffmann, and Cayuga County Legislator Chairman Herb Marshall. A wild weed called Giant Hogweed is very tall and grows abundantly on the property. Giant hogweed was introduced from Eurasia around 1917 for use as an ornamental plant. It is a tall, showy member of the parsley family (Apiaceae), growing from 8 to 14 feet in height. It is a dangerous, poisonous plant that should not be touched. A close-up of the Giant Hogweed (heracleum mantegazzianum). This weed has escaped cultivation and may become established in rich, moist soils along roadsides, stream banks and disturbed areas. Do not cultivate, plant, purchase, or transplant this plant. Some of the trails in the park take you to scenic stops along the shores of Lake Ontario. The eroding head of a glacier drumlin created dramatic forms of bluffs (seen in the background) along the shoreline. (l-r): Town of Sterling Supervisor Joan Kelley, Mayor of Fair Haven Bill McVea, Senator Hoffmann, Cayuga County Legislator Chairman Herb Marshall, Cayuga County Parks & Trails Jim D'Angelo and County Parks & Trails Gary Duckett along the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario. Visitors at the park can enjoy 2 miles of natural Lake Ontario shoreline. The undisturbed beach is paved with polished cobbles. Cayuga County Legislator Chairman Herb Marshall stands beside a sign explaining the 1986 Environmental Quality Bond Act funded some acquisitions at Sterling Nature Center and Park. Great Blue Herons are plentiful in the park. The colonial nesting site called "rookery" is just a short walk in from the parking area. Up to 60 nest have been spotted. The property is host to a varied terrain, which include wetlands, wooded areas, and fields. The picture above shows agricultural history with the stone fences that were built by hand in the 1800’s. The property is 2,800 acres so a tour by vehicle around the property was necessary to point out the different types of land. Stops to view the maps were important to depict the property lines. (l-r): Cayuga County Legislator Loren Geer, Cayuga County Legislator Chairman Herb Marshall, Cayuga County Parks & Trails Gary Duckett, Town of Sterling Supervisor Joan Kelley, and Cayuga County Parks & Trails Jim D'Angelo stop along the road to research the maps. Return to Events Listing