The Centers for Nature Education, Inc. was originally formed as Onondaga Nature Centers in 1966.

Onondaga Nature Centers was instrumental in developing the Beaver Lake Nature Center, which is now an Onondaga County Park, and the Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, which was turned over to another private organization in 1982.

Our name was changed to Centers for Nature Education after we turned the Beaver Lake Nature Center over to Onondaga County for management.

Currently, CNE manages the Baltimore Woods Environmental Education Center on Bishop Hill road in Marcellus. We have two full-time staff members, an army of volunteers, and numerous part-time staff.

John Weeks, our former executive director, still has an office at CNE and serves as an environmental consultant and artist.

Baltimore Woods is the first of over 37 natural areas that Save the County has acquired since 1972. Over 2000 acres of Save the County properties preserve the geological variety and subtle beauty of Central New York. For further information on Save the County, call 457-7837.

Baltimore Woods is a mature hardwood forest interspersed with hemlock.

With the support of the Central New York community, CNE's plans for the future include these goals:

In order to fullfill our mission and offer more programs that help Central New Yorkers develop an appreciation for the environment, CNE has built the new 4500 sq. foot John A. Weeks Interpretive Center at the Baltimore Woods site. This innovative, energy efficient building will host the staff, and will allow us to offer more programs such as February and April school vacation week mini-courses for children during the foul-weather months.

Protect the integrity of Baltimore Woods by acquiring adjacent properties or seeking conservation easements for adjacent properties.

"Centers" for Nature Education? Why the plural?
CNE began existence as the "Onondaga Nature Centers" in 1966 , founding both Beaver Lake Nature Center (in Baldwinsville) and Cayuga Nature Center (Ithaca). Given its multi-county presence, the name "Onondaga Nature Centers" no longer seemed to fit and, since the organization was then involved at three different locations, the name "Centers" for Nature Educations was adopted. Today, we've kept the "Centers" in the name because CNE carries on its environmental education mission not only at its headquarters location, Baltimore Woods, but at schools & parks throughout Onondaga and Cayuga Counties and in the City of Syracuse. These include our urban outreach efforts, Canopy, the Green Team, and NOBEL. (More information on these and other CNE projects can be found elsewhere in this website). It seems that the "center" of nature education is found wherever this nature education organization is busy fulfilling its mission at any particular time, so the plural in our name still fits.

Why is it called "Baltimore Woods"?
In the 19th century, most of the 180 + acres that we now know as Baltimore Woods Nature Preserve was working farmland. At that time, the majority of farmers in this area marketed their cattle in New York City. It seems that one of those farmers, however, had a falling out with his NYC middlemen and decided to send HIS cattle to market in Baltimore instead. So, he purchased and worked a piece of property located close to the railroad line that went to Baltimore. In fact, remnants of that now-defunct train line can still be found on the east side of Lee Mulroy Road. It's funny which names "stick" sometimes: the feisty farmer's former lands and the brook that meanders through them now carry not his name, but the exotic and evocative name of distant "Baltimore."

Who is "John A. Weeks" and why is the new building named after him?
Naturalist, author, educator and artist John A. Weeks started his career as a wildlife biologist for the DEC in Syracuse, later joining the faculty of SUNY Oswego. John was the second executive director at CNE (then known as "Onondaga Nature Centers"), during which time he helped establish both Beaver Lake and Cayuga Nature Centers. While at SUNY, John helped found the Rice Creek Field Station and also served as director of the Rogers Environmental Center and Sterling Nature Center. Local public radio listeners may recognize John's voice from his weekly radio broadcast on WRVO, The Nature of Things. Currently, John continues to provide a valued guiding hand to CNE in all matters educational and environmental, and has devoted enormous time and energy to creating the Baltimore Woods murals which now adorn the entry to the Interpretive Center. CNE is truly honored that an environmentalist of John's stature agreed that our new building could be named after him.

What's a "Naturescape?"
CNE's Naturescape, which is located between the main parking lot and the entrance to the Interpretive Center, will be a fun outdoor space where young children can learn about nature and habitats the way they learn best: by playing! A trail that meanders as a stream does, a kid-sized fox den, a bird's nest you can climb into and jump safely out of - these and other elements are planned for eventual incorporation into the Naturescape, as the necessary additional funding is raised. Just imagine: covert learning through the guise of play going on right under our very noses! That's the Naturescape !

Isn't Baltimore Woods a County Park?
No! Baltimore Woods is owned by a private not-for-profit organization called Save the County (or STC), and CNE is also a private not-for-profit organization. Except for the land that the Interpretive Center sits on, CNE does not own any of Baltimore Woods, but maintains and manages the land on behalf of STC. The costs of keeping Baltimore Woods open to the public year- 'round are met by CNE memberships, summer & vacation Nature Day Camps and other programs throughout the year, individual and business donations, foundation grants, and the like. In fact, on average, well less than 10 % of CNE's annual operating budget comes from Onondaga County.