|
|
Waterman
Links
Home Page
Waterman
History
Nature
Store
Hiawatha
Island
BrickPond=
Apalachin
Marsh
The
Glen
Public
Events
Kids
Programs
School
Programs
Summer
Camps
Volunteers
Counselor
Information
Board of
Directors/Staff
Raptors=
Wat=
erman
Travels |
|
![]()
|
|
History of
the Waterman Conservation Education Center site at Hilton
Road,
Apalachin
During the late 1960's
and early
1970's, several people in the Tioga County, New York
community were
concerned about the loss of wildlife habitat space.
|


|
Lolita Waterman, a
member of
the committee, offered to donate a portion of her
family farm
to the project under the condition that the property
be
forever managed as a nature center, and that it be
named for
her late husband, Fred L Waterman.
After several years
of work
by a dedicated group of volunteers who worked to
establish a
variety of wildlife food and cover plots, a building
was
acquired for the center. The former Faith Lutheran
Church
building and parking lot became the interpretative
building
for Waterman Center.
Waterman
Conservation
Education Center's property on Hilton Road has been
improved
to include a system of nature trails that wind their
way
through the property allowing visitors to examine and
enjoy
trees, grasses, wildlife tracks, nesting boxes, and a
gorge
with a stream. The interpretative building houses a
museum
where visitors will find numerous exhibits and
interpretative
displays about local wildlife. The museum building
also houses
the Center's Nature Shop, classroom space, a reference
library
and offices. Surrounding the museum are the Lolita
Waterman
Wildlife Gardens. These gardens were designed to help
landowners learn how to incorporate native plantings
into
their own landscape plans. The gardens also help
visitors
learn how to attract wildlife to their yards.
| |
|
The Mission of Waterman Conservation Education
Center...
Our mission is to promote
conservation education and outdoor recreation activities. We
serve
our members, the citizens of the Twin Tiers of New York
State and
Pennsylvania and all visitors to our wildlife refuge
system.
Some of the goals of
Waterman
Center are:
- Expand environmental awareness of our visitors.
- Provide conservation education programming for
all ages,
including classes, interpretive exhibits, trailside
stations, booklets and signage.
- Provide refuges which are quiet and safe for
both
wildlife and humans.
- Provide quality environmental education programs
tailored to meet the needs of area classroom
teachers and
their students.
- Function as a regional resource center for
environmental
and conservation concerns for people and businesses
within
the community.
- Cooperate with other centers and universities in
research projects.
- Provide the educational component in order to
share
research information with the public.
|
|
To become a member of Waterman Center,
click
here for the membership form or email: membership@watermancenter.o=
rg
 
Waterman Center is a member agency of the Tioga County United Way.
 
All wildlife illustrations A9
John
Weissinger, Ithaca, NY 1997
| |