Hey kids! Have you ever wanted to explore the wonders of nature with a local expert? Now’s your chance! Nestled in the town of Naples, in the heart of the Finger Lakes, is the Cumming Nature Center. Bring your parents and friends for a great time among the red pines and sugar maples.
The Forest School at Cummings Nature Center offers a space for you and your friends to build a relationship with nature. Many kids join the year-round program, attending a full day once a week. There are also summer programs for kids who want to make nature their classroom during the warmer months.
For the past few years, the trained educators at the Forest School have been leading a program called Weekend Wild Walks. The spring series included pond and stream exploration as well as a full moon hike and a stinky skunk cabbage walk.
“Each Wild Walk is themed based on the instructor’s experience and passion and also based on the seasonal changes in our woods,” says Abby Mertz, events coordinator for the Cumming Nature Center. “These are a fun way to get outside and explore, while learning about a specific topic. And an easier way for people to go out on a hike, who otherwise might be nervous to do so without an instructor or guide.”
Woodland Wildflowers is one of the fun walks for all ages each spring. Walkers can search for spring ephemerals* and learn more about the rare spreading globeflower (Trollius laxus) and other seasonal and local blooms.
Want to take your family on a longer hike? The Longest Day, Longest Trail walk is a slow-paced hike on the Wilderness Trail, the longest trail at the nature center. Taking place on the longest day of the year called the summer solstice*, this walk is more than five miles long with built-in snack and lunch breaks and several hours of exploration.
Lann Dolen is the public and school programs coordinator for the Cumming Nature Center. “Wild Walks are a lot of fun!” Dolen says. “We walk at the pace the group needs, stopping to observe nature. It is a chance for guests to explore a part of the nature center that they may not have noticed on their own, and an economical way to experience a guided hike with a naturalist. I love meeting the people, both children and adults, who come on the walks!”
The number of people on a walk is capped at about twenty people per walk to keep the groups manageable on the trail. This ensures all participants feel connected to the group and are actively participating.
When you visit the Nature Center for a Wild Walk, you can stay all day to explore the indoor exhibits, a Discovery Zone, indoor and outdoor play areas for kids, and, of course, the twelve miles of gorgeous trails.
VOCABULARY WORDS
Spring ephemerals: woodland wildflowers that go dormant in the summer
Summer solstice: longest day of the year, usually around June 21
PARENTS—KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
What your children will learn on a Weekend Wild Walk:
– self-reliance
– resiliency
– outdoor skills
• The knowledgeable staff tailors each walk to the interest level of everyone who registers for the event, accommodating all abilities so the entire group is having fun and learning. These walks are often adjusted for families with young children or slower-paced walkers.
• Most Wild Walks last from sixty to ninety minutes, depending on the participants and the weather. • Open to all ages, these guided walks occur twice a month on select Saturdays and Sundays and are each based on a different topic or theme.
• These themed walks are priced at $7 per person and that includes full admission to the nature center for the entire day. If you are already an RMSC or Pines Pass member, the walks are just $4.
Learn more and reserve your spot at: rmsc.org/cummingnaturecenter
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of (585) Kids.
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