Interpretive Center Closed; Preserve Remains Open
Updated March 17, 2020
Dear Members and Friends,
As local recommendations have continued to evolve related to COVID 19, Baltimore Woods Nature Center is closing the John A. Weeks Interpretive Center to the public as of today, March 17. This has been an incredibly difficult decision for us, but our commitment to protecting the health of our staff, visitors, and the community remains a top priority.
We have also cancelled this week’s scheduled on-site programs including the Nature’s Little Explorers: Calling in Spring series (March 18 – April 1), Trail School (March 19 and April 2) and evening Star Party (March 20). We are working to reschedule these programs for later in the spring and will share dates when they become available.
Though the building will be closed to drop-in visitors, staff will be available via phone and email during our regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm and Saturdays 10:00am-4:00pm). If you need anything, please call (315) 673-1350 or e-mail [email protected]. As of today, there are portable toilets near the main parking lot and kiosk with the trail map for your use. We are working to add a hand-washing station as temperatures permit.
With 182-acres of rolling hills, woodlands, streams, fields and forests, our trails remain open as a perfect location to practice “social distancing” (6’ apart) and explore the wonders of nature as you enjoy over six-miles of trails. Please remember that dogs are not allowed on the trails.
You are invited to take respite in this special place, and we are working hard to continue to serve as your community nature center and deliver on our mission of helping you cultivate personal connections to nature through environmental education, recreation, play, and research. Our education team is putting together at-home and on-site activities that you can participate in and stay connected with us! Watch your email and our social media (social media links at top of this screen) for these new and exciting opportunities.
Thank you for your continued support of this organization. As a small not for profit that relies on delivering public programs in a time when that’s not possible, support through membership becomes even more critical for us. If you have the means, please consider becoming a member of Baltimore Woods Nature Center or making an online donation.
We will all get through this together,
Whitney Lash-Marshall
Executive Director
Protecting Our Baltimore Woods Community
Updated March 13, 2020
Dear Members and Friends,
Like you, we are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving information available about COVID-19 and coronavirus. Because Baltimore Woods Nature Center offers programming to the public, including young children, families, adults, and seniors, protecting the health of our community is a priority. We want to share with you what we are currently doing to address this situation and will continue to communicate with you via email over the next days and weeks.
We encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the most up to date recommendations from the NYS Department of Health and CDC. As per these guidelines, we have established a self-screening protocol for entry to the Interpretive Center. If you can answer “yes” to any of the following criteria, please contact your doctor for more information and do not enter the building.
- Within the last 14 days, have you traveled to a country that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised should be avoided for nonessential travel or where travelers should practice enhanced precautions? (China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Japan)
- Have you had contact with any person with known COVID-19 or person under investigation for COVID-19?
- Do you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection (e.g. cough, sore throat, fever, shortness of breath)?
- Are you or anyone in your home in active quarantine status?
We are also working on adjustments to our program offerings and events as we take the recommendations for social distancing (staying 6′ apart) and reducing the risk for transmission seriously. As of this time, we will still offer our Winter Farmers Market tomorrow, March 14 from 10am-1pm. We have asked all of our vendors to comply with recommended safety protocols from the Farmer’s Market Federation of New York and will be keeping the number of people in the market at one time to half the space capacity, as recommended. We will also be hosting a reception for our gallery artists March 14 from 2:30-4:00pm using these protocols. Please be patient with us as we work to make this a safe space for visitors and help us by washing your hands upon entry to the building in our washrooms and not attending if you are feeling ill or meet any of the risk criteria.
Thank you for your assistance in making sure the staff and visitors to Baltimore Woods Nature Center remain as safe as possible. As a public nature preserve, our trails remain open for you to hike and recreate and as of right now we will continue to keep the building open regular hours. We know that there is great value in you having a space to get outdoors and connect with nature during this stressful time, and we will do everything we can to continue to safely serve our community moving forward.
Please contact the office at 315-673-1350 or [email protected] with any questions, and we will do our best to get you answers as quickly as possible.
Thank you,
Whitney Lash-Marshall
Executive Director
P.S. As a small not for profit that relies on support for our public programs in a time when that’s not possible, support through membership becomes even more critical for us. If you have the means, please consider becoming a member of Baltimore Woods Nature Center or making a donation. You can also support us by joining us on social media for up-to-the-minute announcements, and sharing this email with your friends and family members.