Waterman Conservation Education Center

08/27/2026

Can you guess which two here are NOT fungi? It's the time of year when the trails at Waterman Center and Apalachin Marsh are filling up with amazing mushrooms (if you're looking!), and we know that some of you have been seeing these! - J/J

08/27/2026

Unfortunately, the interpretive center in Apalachin will be closed the morning of Thursday, August 27th, 2026. We may open for the afternoon. Of course all of our trail systems are open, free of charge, from dawn until dusk!

08/25/2026

Your reminder that the delightful Dr. Julian Shepherd will be presenting this evening at 7pm at the Waterman Center! Come tonight to learn about Botany in the Southern Tier, and come during the day to see parking lot pollinators 😀

08/24/2026

Gear up for "Mushrooms at the Marsh" on Saturday, September 5th, by training your eyes on the forest floor at any Waterman site (or other shady nature trail) right now! 🍄

08/23/2026

Our fern playlist will now go to 11😀
Check out the latest less-than-three-minute video and learn some interesting facts about a fern you might not pay much attention to--and now you'll know what those strange brown things sticking out of the snow are!

Onocleaceae is a fern family that diversified around the time of th...

08/21/2026

As nature winds down for fall, the forest is alive with mushrooms at the Apalachin Marsh!

Join naturalist Michelle on Saturday, September 5th at 11am for Mushrooms at the Marsh! Rainy late summer days create the perfect conditions for fungi to grow. We will look for and talk about a variety of fungi and their ecological roles in the forest.

Registration is required and limited to 15 participants.
Carpooling is highly recommended, as parking is limited at this location.

Location information:
The Apalachin Marsh parking area is a gravel pullout off of the Westbound lane of NY Rt. 434, around half a mile from the turnoff to Hilton Road. There is a small green Tioga Trails sign on the fence where the trail begins. The location is marked on Google Maps, but not on Apple Maps.

$5/person for non-members and FREE for Waterman Center members.

08/21/2026

Visit our ambassador tortoise Ted tomorrow from 12pm to 2pm at the Tioga County Annual Kids Picnic at Marvin Park in Owego!

08/20/2026

A peaceful time at Brick Pond yesterday evening❤️

08/20/2026

Relax in nature with the power of your senses!
Join us for Sound Mapping at the Waterman Center on Saturday, August 29th at 11am. Sound mapping helps you practice listening and observational skills by drawing a map of the sounds you hear around you. Go on a short hike with our staff Naturalist and draw a map of the sounds you hear.

All ages are welcome. This event is great for sensory learning.

Registration is limited to 15 participants.

$5/person for non-members and FREE for Waterman Center members. Children under 5 are free.

08/18/2026

Join us for presentations by local experts about different aspects of the Susquehanna River! Our summer presentation will be on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026 at the Waterman Center. Dr. Julian Shepherd will be presenting Botany in the Southern Tier: Past, Present and Future. Learn about the surprisingly rich history of sophisticated botany here in the Southern Tier, from the late 1800s and first half the 1900s up to recent efforts to improve the Binghamton University herbarium and ongoing surveys of the natural areas of Broome County.

That said, you do not need to be a botany expert to enjoy this presentation! Dr. Shepherd is hoping to start an informal group of people interested in developing more expertise in local botany via field trips and other activities. Sign-up after the presentation!

Dr. Shepherd has just retired from teaching and research for 50 years at Binghamton University. His research has been focused on reproductive biology of insects, but he has taught a variety of basic and advanced biology courses, mostly focused on organisms, their environment and conservation. In his own words, Julian Shepherd was born a subject (genuflect!) of King George VI of the UK, emigrated and matured (mostly) in Ithaca, got a B.A. in Zoology at Cornell, a PhD in Biology at Harvard, worked on ticks in East Africa for 2 years, and came to BU in 1975.

This program is free for Waterman Members and $5/person for the General Public.