Local wildlife photographers will display colorful images of birds of prey taken in recently restored and enhanced areas along the Onondaga Lake shoreline at the “Onondaga Lake Birds of Prey” photography exhibit March 30-31. The exhibit will showcase the diverse range of species including bald eagles, osprey, turkey vultures, hawks, owls, and falcons that have returned to Onondaga Lake. The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps is hosting the exhibit in partnership with Honeywell, Audubon New York, and NextEra Energy.

The exhibit runs Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, March 31, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Visitors Center, along the southwest lakeshore in Geddes. The suggested donation is $5/person and $15/family.

Left: “A Fish’s Last View” – Osprey by Walter Freeman.
Right: “Wind Walker” – Bald Eagle by Greg Craybas.

“The resurgence of the bald eagle and other birds of prey at Onondaga Lake is a sign that the lake is coming back to life,” said Chris Lajewski, Montezuma Audubon Center director and Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps director. “An astounding 74 bald eagles were found along the shoreline, sitting on the ice and soaring overhead, during a guided bird-watching event on March 2, making it the largest bald eagle winter roost in a New York State urban environment. Other raptors on the New York State threatened species list, like the northern harrier, have returned to the restored grassland and wetland habitats. Central New Yorkers are taking pride in this community asset once again, and we are proud to showcase these amazing images that tell the story of Onondaga Lake’s revival.”

Visitors will meet the photographers who captured the images and will have an opportunity to look for birds in their natural habitat with experts from the Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon. (Picture is from a previous photography exhibit.)

The images will be for sale and designated smaller sizes can be ordered. All proceeds will benefit Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps bird conservation and environmental education.

“The restoration of Onondaga Lake has surpassed all expectations for photographic opportunities of bald eagles and other birds of prey,” said Greg Craybas, nature photographer. “We are now inspired by the arrival of winter to visit the lake in all conditions to photograph this natural treasure. I have been photographing the lake’s wildlife for nine years, and this year is proving to be the best yet.”

Onondaga Lake became a priority Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA) in 1998 and was subsequently adopted by Honeywell, Montezuma Audubon Center, and Onondaga Audubon because of its value to waterfowl and bald eagles during the winter months. The IBA program serves as a catalyst for achieving bird conservation.

The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps seeks to inspire future stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an IBA. Since its formation in 2012, more than 850 community members have participated in Corps events.

The Corps was founded by Honeywell in partnership with Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon and is now an Audubon New York program. Additional Corps supporters include Parsons, OBG, Anchor QEA, Bond Schoeneck & King, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Wild Ones Habitat Gardening in CNY Chapter.

As part of the Onondaga Lake cleanup, Honeywell has already restored about 90 acres of wetlands and about 1.1 million native plants are being planted. More than 260 wildlife species are now calling these areas home, and 130 unique bird species have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake. Honeywell also is working with federal and state government on additional projects to restore and protect wildlife habitats and enhance recreational opportunities, including creating 100 acres of new native grassland habitat and conserving about 1,600 acres within the watershed.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org, visit http://ny.audubon.org/OLCC, or call 315-365-3588. Schools, community groups, local organizations, and individuals are welcome. Like the Corps on Facebook or Instagram, or visit YouTube to learn more.

To access Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Visitors Center: From Points West: Take I-690 East to Exit 7, turn left onto State Fair Boulevard, take the first left passing under I-690, drive straight toward the lake and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center. From Points East: Take I-690 West to Exit 7, turn right at the off-ramp and follow signs to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center.

More than 20 community members explored and learned about Onondaga Lake’s recovery on Oct. 20. The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps partnered with the Central New York Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America’s Young Naturalist Leadership Team (YNLT) to record Onondaga Lake’s most recent improvements. Participants found evidence of thriving ecosystems, including 23 unique bird species. Notable bird species observed include bald eagle, white-throated sparrow, and ruby-crowned kinglet. Other significant finds included coyote tracks; white waterlily, which creates habitat in deep-water areas; and young-of-year largemouth bass, which indicate that fish are spawning in Onondaga Lake.

Left: Botanist Joe McMullen (center) shows Joe and Jan Hansen (left), of Liverpool, and YNLT member Kate Abbott (right) characteristics of plants found in wetlands along the southwest shoreline of Onondaga Lake. Young trees seen in the wetlands included swamp white oak, sycamore, and red maple.
Right: Autumn Keefe, of Syracuse, observes a cattail seed pod during a scavenger hunt to inventory plant species.

Throughout the event, participants worked with the Young Naturalist Leadership Team and habitat experts from Onondaga Audubon, OBG, and Parsons to inventory species found in the recently restored habitat areas at Harbor Brook, and the southwest and western shorelines of Onondaga Lake. The observations will be compiled with other data being collected by wetland ecologists to understand conditions of recently restored areas in the Onondaga Lake watershed. Participants also learned about aspects of maintaining a healthy ecosystem, such as pond ecology, the importance of macroinvertebrates to the environment, and creating seed bags for the wetlands, which are made of topsoil, small stones, and seeds placed in a small biodegradable burlap bag.

Tracy Willey (center), Biology Teacher at Westhill High School, examines and identifies macroinvertebrates with Tom Hughes (left), YNLT volunteer and Natural Resource Steward Biologist with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and Katie Moranz (right), a wetland ecologist at Parsons. Macroinvertebrates found included mayfly nymphs, scuds, caddisfly larvae, daphnia, and water beetles.
“The experience today monitoring pond water quality along the western shoreline of Onondaga Lake was amazing,” said Willey. “When we scooped out material from the wetland, it didn’t look like there was anything there. But as we sat still and waited, a variety of tiny organisms emerged from the vegetation. I came today out of curiosity to see what’s here and it was a privilege to take part. I can bring this information back to the classroom.”

Left: Sisters Evie (left) and Autumn Keefe, of Syracuse, take turns tossing burlap seed bags containing pickerelweed seeds into the wetlands.
Right: YNLT member Candace Schermerhorn (center) removes fish from a seine net for closer observation with Matt McDonough (left) and Jim Molloy, of Parsons. Species found included banded killifish, emerald shiner, and rock bass.

Onondaga Community College student Kaitlyn Jordan (left), and Alivia Sheffield, YNLT volunteer and Piping Plover Project Coordinator with the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and Historic Preservation, examine a shed snakeskin found in a wetland area on the western shoreline.
“Understanding and knowing the past of this area, it was incredible the amount of biodiversity we were able to find, from small macroinvertebrates to bald eagles and coyote prints,” said Sheffield. “This ecosystem is starting to thrive once again. Saturday not only showed that, but that the community cares and is willing to put in the effort to keep it that way.”

On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along its tributaries, about 90 acres of wetlands have been restored by Honeywell and about 1.1 million native plants are being planted. Nearly 260 wildlife species have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake, including more than 120 unique bird species.

The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps is an expanding organization of community volunteers who are contributing to restoration projects that are creating, improving, and monitoring wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed and sustaining its value as an Audubon Important Bird Area.

Since the formation of the Corps, over 30 events have brought together nearly 850 volunteers who have become environmental stewards and Corps members. In recognition of their work, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was awarded a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2015 Environmental Champion Award.

The Corps was founded in 2012 by Honeywell in partnership with Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon and is now an Audubon New York program. Additional Corps supporters include Parsons, OBG, Anchor QEA, Bond Schoeneck & King, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Wild Ones Habitat Gardening in CNY Chapter.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org, visit http://ny.audubon.org/OLCC, www.facebook.com/onondagalakecc, or www.youtube.com/onondagalakecc, or @onondagalakecc on Instagram, or call 315-365-3588.

View more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.

Forty-three volunteers gathered along the future home of the Loop the Lake Trail extension Saturday, September 29, to build and install bird boxes, and participate in citizen science monitoring. The volunteers are part of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, an expanding organization of community volunteers who are contributing to restoration projects that are creating or improving wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed. The volunteers built nearly 30 bluebird nesting boxes, which were provided through a partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and FORCES (Friends of Recreation, Conservation and Environmental Stewardship).

Left: First-time Corps volunteers Ian (left), 6, and mom Rebecca Margiotta, of Baldwinsville, construct a wooden nesting box to attract Eastern bluebirds.
Right: Deborah and David Holihan (left), of Liverpool, install a bird box near Harbor Brook.

The boxes offer bird species a better chance to survive and thrive, reducing declines in population and restoring species to places they once inhabited. When birds nest in the structures, they have the best likelihood of raising their young successfully.

Tom Hughes (right), Natural Resource Steward Biologist with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, demonstrates how to construct bird boxes.
“We at New York State Parks are committed to conservation efforts within our communities,” said Hughes. “Constructing and installing bluebird nesting boxes is one way we can all work together to create or enhance habitat for New York’s official state bird.”

Left: Kathy Chapin (left), of East Syracuse, installs a nesting box with Onondaga Audubon volunteer Frank Moses (right) along the southwest shoreline of Onondaga Lake.
Right: Three-year-old Eleanor Sunkes, of East Syracuse, decorates a bird box held by Barbara Kamerance, of Central Square, before it is placed in the field.

During the event, Corps members tracked native birds on a birding walk along Onondaga Lake’s western and southwest shorelines, and cleaned out existing nesting boxes to prepare them for the next breeding season.

Ten-year-old Leah Jarrett (right), of Liverpool, inspects the contents of a nesting box previously installed along the western shoreline with her parents Cathy (center) and Rich Jarrett.

Left: Liam Adams (left), 13, and mom Heather Adams, of Cicero, track native birds along the western shoreline of Onondaga Lake.
Right: Steve Mooney (center), Managing Scientist at OBG, examines the restored habitat with participants Steven Knowles (right), of Camillus, and Tim Gordon (left).

As part of the Onondaga Lake cleanup, Honeywell has restored about 90 acres of wetlands, and about 1.1 million native plants are being planted. The restored wetlands have become home to nearly 260 wildlife species, including more than 120 unique bird species that have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake.

The Corps seeks to inspire future stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.

Since the formation of the Corps, over 30 events have brought together more than 800 volunteers who have become environmental stewards and Corps members. In recognition of their work, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was awarded a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2015 Environmental Champion Award.

The Corps was founded in 2012 by Honeywell in partnership with Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon and is now an Audubon New York program. Additional Corps supporters include Parsons, OBG, Anchor QEA, Bond Schoeneck & King, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Wild Ones Habitat Gardening in CNY Chapter.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, visit http://ny.audubon.org/OLCC, www.facebook.com/onondagalakecc, or www.youtube.com/onondagalakecc.

View more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.

Forty-five community volunteers participated in citizen science monitoring on May 5 by examining and recording plant and animal species found in Onondaga Lake’s restored wetlands. During the event, volunteers identified nearly 80 species, including 30 bird species. Notable species included bald eagle, sora, snowy egret, Northern shoveler, yellow perch, and muskrat.

The event was hosted by the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps in partnership with the Central New York Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America’s Young Naturalists Leadership Team. It offered community members the opportunity to observe firsthand Onondaga Lake’s most recent habitat improvements.

Left: 14-year-old Nolan Gryzlo, of Skaneateles, New York, monitors water quality with assistance from Young Naturalists Leadership Team member Saadiya Sheekh-Nuur.
Right: Mike Serviss, Young Naturalists Leadership Team member, identifies vegetation at Geddes Brook wetlands.

Volunteers worked with the Young Naturalists Leadership Team and habitat experts from Onondaga Audubon Society, OBG, and Parsons to explore and inventory the abundant plant and animal life found in restored wetlands at Geddes Brook and along Onondaga Lake’s southwest and western shorelines.

Left: Matt McDonough (left) and Jesse Carr, Parsons habitat experts, use a seine net to catch and identify fish.
Right: Candace Schermerhorn, Young Naturalists Leadership Team member, nets aquatic species at Geddes Brook wetlands.

“The Young Naturalists Leadership Team creates opportunities to connect the Central New York community to conservation, restoration, environmental education, and stewardship projects,” said Young Naturalists Leadership Team Project Coordinator Shannon Fabiani, pictured above, right, with Schermerhorn, helping 7-year-old Josh Gates (center) identify plant and animal species. “We are excited to work with the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps to inspire environmental stewards throughout our community.”

The observations are being compiled with data collected by wetland ecologists to understand conditions of recently restored areas in the watershed.

“Today’s event provided me the opportunity to look at the health of Onondaga Lake and the surrounding land,” said Stephanie Cross, of Manlius, New York, pictured above (center). “I’m thrilled to be here to see the progress and the types of fish species that are now being found in Onondaga Lake.”

On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell has improved nearly 90 acres of wetlands, and is planting about 1.1 million plants, trees, and shrubs.

Since the formation of the Corps, 20 events have brought together more than 800 volunteers who have become environmental stewards and Corps members. In recognition of their work, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was awarded a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2015 Environmental Champion Award.

The Corps is an expanding organization of volunteers who are contributing to restoration projects that are creating or improving wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed. It was created to inspire future stewards of Onondaga Lake through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.

The Corps was founded in 2012 by Honeywell in partnership with Montezuma Audubon Center and Onondaga Audubon Society. Additional Corps supporters include Anchor QEA, Audubon New York, Bond Schoeneck & King, Habitat Gardening in Central New York, OBG, Parsons and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, visit http://ny.audubon.org/OLCC, www.facebook.com/onondagalakecc or www.youtube.com/onondagalakecc. For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

View more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.

Watch a video to learn about habitat restored as a part of the Onondaga Lake cleanup.

Onondaga Lake is well on its way to becoming a sustainable ecosystem for generations to come. Through thoughtful planning and input from local scientists, wetland ecologists, and the community, as well as government oversight, dynamic and diverse wetlands are becoming the cornerstone of a renewed watershed.

Access more information about the habitat enhancements.

Today, the water quality in Onondaga Lake is the best it’s been in more than 100 years. A green corridor now extends from the restored areas to the lake, providing a diverse home for wildlife.  More than 250 wildlife species, some that have not been seen in decades, are now calling these areas home, and more than 120 unique bird species have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake, a priority Audubon Important Bird Area. Bird species on New York State’s threatened list, including pied-billed grebe, northern harrier, and bald eagle, have returned to the re-established wetlands.

Monitoring and maintenance will continue for years to come to ensure vegetation is established and returning wildlife is documented. Monitoring also helps identify invasive species so they can be removed.

In addition to the cleanup, in April 2017, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a plan for 20 new projects to restore and protect wildlife habitat and water quality, and increase recreational opportunities.

The Onondaga Lake Cleanup Plan was issued in 2005 by DEC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The cleanup, which was completed in 2016, included dredging 2.2 million cubic yards of lake material and capping 475 acres of lake bottom. The cap, which consists of natural materials, provides a new, clean lake bottom and a new habitat layer to promote underwater vegetation growth and fish spawning.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

View photographs of the Onondaga Lake cleanup.

Click here for a pdf of the Habitat Report.

Volunteers gathered along the Onondaga Lake western shoreline on Saturday, June 18, to build, install, and survey habitat structures as they participated in citizen science monitoring. The volunteers are part of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, an expanding organization of community volunteers who are contributing to restoration projects that are creating or improving wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed.

Left: Corps volunteers install coverboards on the western shoreline. Coverboards are used for surveying amphibian and reptile communities. They create a moist area that attracts insects and provides protection for many salamander, frog, and snake species.

“Amphibians and reptiles are important parts of functioning ecosystems. It’s great to see how the newly constructed wetlands have been designed with this in mind,” said Peter Ducey, Ph.D., a professor and herpetologist in the Biological Sciences Department at the State University of New York Cortland, pictured above (far right), speaking with volunteers at the event. “These animals are visible and audible indicators of recovering wetlands – basking turtles and calling frogs show visitors that these habitats are thriving. The success of the many habitats associated with Onondaga Lake will ultimately depend on people in the community understanding and taking pride in this great resource.”

“It was great to volunteer with the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps,” said 15-year-old Corps member Mackenzie Fassett, pictured above surveying a bird box with her dad, Ron Fassett. “I was excited to learn about the cleanup and all of the wildlife returning to Onondaga Lake.”

Corps volunteers construct, install, and survey wooden bird boxes. At an event in May 2015, the Corps installed 24 bird boxes. At the June event, Corps members surveyed the previously installed bird boxes to see if they are being utilized and if the boxes need to be cleaned.

Left: Two-year-old JJ, of North Syracuse, New York, helps build a bird box.

Right: Corps member Douglas Beauchamp, of Altmar, New York, surveys a previously installed bird box.

Watch a video about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps.

The work along the lake’s western shoreline will transform 20 acres into new wetlands and improved habitat for wildlife that will play a significant role in creating a healthy Onondaga Lake watershed and a sustainable ecosystem. On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell is improving a total of 87 acres of wetlands and planting about 1.1 million plants, shrubs, and trees. To date, more than 420,000 shrubs and trees have been planted. More than 50 acres of wetlands have been restored.

Left: Corps members Janna, Autumn, Evelyn, and Nate Keefe, of Syracuse, track native birds on a birding walk along Onondaga Lake’s western shoreline. In total, 37 bird species were identified during the event.

Right: Josh Zhao, Jing Wang, and Richard Blankenship, of Fayetteville, New York, work with Montezuma Audubon Center Director Chris Lajewski to install bird boxes.

Since the formation of the Corps in summer 2012, more than 600 volunteers have become environmental stewards and Corps members. In recognition of their work, the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps was awarded a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2015 Environmental Champion Award.

The Corps seeks to inspire future stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org or call 315-365-3588. Schools, community groups, local organizations and individuals are welcome. Like the Corps on Facebook or visit YouTube to learn more.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

For more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, click here.

Forty-one volunteers gathered along Onondaga Lake’s western shoreline Saturday, October 17, to plant trees and participate in citizen science monitoring by tracking bird species. The volunteers are part of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, a group of community members who are helping to create or improve wildlife habitat in the Onondaga Lake watershed.

Left: 9-year-old twins Autumn and Evelyn Keefe, of Syracuse, plant an eastern white pine, a native tree.

Conservation Corps members tracked bird species during a walk along the western shoreline. They identified 28 bird species, including bald eagle, ruby-crowned kinglet, eastern phoebe, and common merganser. More than 80 unique bird species have been identified in and around Onondaga Lake, including several rare species categorized as threatened or of special interest in New York State. Pied-billed grebe, northern harrier, and bald eagle are among the notable bird species that have returned.

Left: Cheryl and Robert Belle, of Baldwinsville, New York, identify bird species with the help of Chris Lajewski, director of Montezuma Audubon Center. Right: Steve Mooney, Managing Scientist at O’Brien & Gere, helps 7-year-old Harris Buelow, of Manlius, New York, use binoculars to identify bird species.

 

“The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps and the work happening on Onondaga Lake are opening the community’s eyes to what an incredible resource the lake is,” said Corps volunteer Ruth Florey, of Syracuse, pictured above. “The new West Shore Trail is providing people with the opportunity to see beautiful vistas of the lake and city and allowing them to take ownership and pride in the lake.”

The Corps has helped transform Onondaga Lake’s western shoreline into new and improved habitat by installing native plants, and building bird boxes and habitat structures for wildlife.

Left: Chase Salmons and Linda Salmons, of Camillus, New York, plant native species in August 2014. Corps volunteers also planted native wetland plants along the shoreline in July 2014, May 2015, and October 2015. Right: The western shoreline is now thriving.

 

“Corps members helped restore the western shoreline and re-established a personal connection with the lake,” said Tony Eallonardo, Ph.D., Scientist at O’Brien & Gere, pictured above left. “This and other plantings will provide important habitat for a wide variety of amphibian, reptile, mammal, and bird species. The plantings provide a great opportunity for people to strengthen a lifelong relationship with the many great natural features of Central New York, including Onondaga Lake.”

The Conservation Corps, awarded the 2015 United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Champion Award in April 2015, inspires future stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain the Onondaga Lake watershed and its value as an Important Bird Area.

Since the formation of the Conservation Corps in summer 2012, 13 events have brought together more than 600 volunteers who have become environmental stewards and Corps members. Corps members have planted more than 4,500 native plants, trees, and shrubs, helping to create a home for more than 166 wildlife species that have been observed in and around 50 acres of restored wetlands.

Corps partners include Audubon New York, O’Brien & Gere, Parsons, Anchor QEA, Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, and Honeywell.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or to participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org or call 315-365-3588. Schools, community groups, local organizations, and individuals are welcome. Like the Corps on Facebook or visit YouTube to learn more.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, please visit www.lakecleanup.com.

For more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, click here.

Fifty-one volunteers gathered along the Onondaga Lake western shoreline Saturday, May 16, to create homes for wildlife by building and installing bird boxes and planting native plants. The volunteers built 24 bird boxes and planted 1,250 native plants.

“I loved helping today. We got to build homes for birds and plant wetland plants for animals to use,” said Abby Bustin, a sixth-grade student at Gillette Road Middle School and Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps volunteer, pictured above building and installing a bird box with her family. “I know that the work my family did today is giving nature a helping hand, and I loved it.”

Corps volunteers construct and install bird boxes to attract Eastern bluebirds and tree swallows. The boxes give birds a better chance to survive and thrive, reducing declines in population and restoring species to places they once inhabited. When birds nest in the structures, they are most likely to raise their young successfully. Seven-year-old Sammie and her sister, 5-year-old Ali, of Manlius, New York, work with their dad, Mark Bremer, to build a bird box.

Tree swallows use a bird box just minutes after it was installed Saturday.

Click to watch a video from the event.

Volunteers plant native species including prairie cordgrass, soft rush, swamp milkweed, New England aster, and fox sedge along Onondaga Lake’s western shoreline. Left: Six-year-old Grace Cahill, of Clay, New York, plants New England aster. Right: (left to right) Volunteers Peter Haun, Nicole Schmidt, Lawrence Keefe, and Diane Haun, all of Syracuse, plant soft rush.

Honeywell’s work along the lake’s western shoreline will transform 20 acres into new wetlands and improved habitat for wildlife that will play a significant role in creating a healthy Onondaga Lake watershed and a sustainable ecosystem. In July 2014, Corps volunteers planted native wetland plants along the western shoreline. The area, shown above, is now thriving.

As members of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, volunteers pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of Onondaga Lake, promising to educate future generations about becoming caretakers of the water, air, land, and wildlife.

On the shores of Onondaga Lake and along the lake’s tributaries, Honeywell is improving a total of 86 acres of wetlands and planting about 1.1 million plants, shrubs, and trees. To date, more than 323,000 plants, shrubs, and trees have been planted and 44 acres of wetlands have been restored.

“The volunteer efforts will help attract a wide range of species to the shore of the lake,” said Tony Eallonardo, Ph.D., a scientist at O’Brien & Gere, pictured above, far left. Right: Corps volunteer Ruth Florey, of Syracuse, tracks native birds along Onondaga Lake’s western shoreline.

Since the formation of the Corps in summer 2012, 570 volunteers have become environmental stewards and Corps members. In recognition of their work, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently honored the Corps with a 2015 Environmental Champion Award.

The Corps seeks to inspire future stewards of Onondaga Lake and its watershed through a hands-on, experience-based program that offers citizens and organizations the opportunity to participate in activities that help restore and sustain Onondaga Lake and its value as an Important Bird Area. Founding members of the Corps include Audubon New York, Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, O’Brien & Gere, and Honeywell.

To learn more about the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps or participate in future activities, please contact montezuma@audubon.org or call 315-365-3588. Schools, community groups, local organizations, and individuals are welcome. Like the Corps on Facebook or visit YouTube to learn more.

For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.lakecleanup.com.

For more photographs of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps, click here.

Dear Community Member,

Recovery of Onondaga Lake is well on its way. With dredging completed, a year ahead of schedule, we are continuing with the capping and the habitat restoration through 2016. More than 110 species of fish, birds, and mammals have already returned to restored wetlands, and nearby areas.

The community’s pride and passion have helped fuel this progress and are being rewarded as the lake will be a healthy, sustainable asset for generations to come. Over 500 volunteers have participated in hands-on, experience-based Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps programs that help restore and sustain the lake and its value as an Important Bird Area.

As recovery continues, the community is enthusiastic about all of the opportunities to use the lake now and in the future. We hope you all will get or stay involved, and learn more about the cleanup by coming to the Onondaga Lake Visitors Center or by becoming a member of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. The Corps is a partnership among Audubon New York, Montezuma Audubon Center, Onondaga Audubon Society, Parsons, O’Brien & Gere, and Honeywell.

We are proud of the progress we have achieved and hope you share our excitement as you read our seventh annual update. You can learn more by visiting our website at www.lakecleanup.com.

Sincerely,

John P. McAuliffe
Syracuse Program Director