Montezuma Audubon Center Honored as Hobart and William Smith Colleges “Community Partner of the Year”

For almost 15 years, the Montezuma Audubon Middle has labored with Hobart and William Smith Faculties (HWS) to show about and preserve habitat throughout the Montezuma Wetlands Advanced. This yr, they have been honored as the faculty’s “Group Accomplice of the 12 months”.

“We’re so grateful for this honor and the partnership it highlights,” mentioned Chris Lajewski, heart director of the Montezuma Audubon Middle. “Working with Hobart and William Smith Faculties has helped us join with tons of of younger professionals .”

The partnership started in 2012, and has since expanded to incorporate area journeys, volunteer alternatives, internships, and the formation of an Audubon Campus Chapter in 2021.

For a lot of HWS college students, their expertise with the universities even begins with an orientation week journey to the Seneca Meadows Wetland Protect to gather native plant seeds for future restoration tasks.

These passionate in regards to the work could proceed their involvement with the Montezuma Audubon Middle via volunteering and summer season internships. These enable college students to get hands-on expertise with habitat conservation, main instructional applications, and sustaining the conservation motion heart.

“Connecting younger professionals with alternatives within the conservation area is a large a part of our work, on the Montezuma Audubon Middle and throughout the Nationwide Audubon Society’s community,” mentioned Lajewski. “This partnership makes that potential yr after yr.”

College students notably keen about birds and birding could even be a part of the universities’ Audubon Campus Chapter—HWS Birding Membership—for extra alternatives to interact with the middle’s conservation and habitat restoration work.

Because the summer season progresses, the Montezuma Audubon Middle appears ahead to bringing on interns and, come fall, new college students as volunteers.

“We stay up for persevering with to work with these college students and school members, connecting them to conservation, training, and outreach alternatives throughout the Montezuma Wetlands Advanced,” mentioned Lajewski. “We hope to maintain this partnership going for an additional 15 years, after which some!”