Cumming Nature Center


The Cumming Nature Center is a 900-acre environmental education facility located near Naples, New York. Owned by the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the preserve features over six miles of trails and offers educational programs and service-learning opportunities.

Trails

The Nature Center offers five themed trails to explore.
During the winter, visitors can use the ski and snowshoe trails.

Programs

Year-round guided hikes and other programs from wildflower treks to moonlight skis give visitors in-depth experiences with the natural world around them.
Each year for over 38 years, the Nature Center has held a maple sugaring event as a fundraiser. Visitors learn about the process of converting sap into maple syrup and enjoy pure maple syrup tasting and pancakes.

Forest School

A forest school is defined by the Forest School Association as "an inspirational process, that offers learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees."
Cumming Nature Center offers a Summer Forest School program that condenses a semester’s worth of learning into a week-long day camp for children ages 5–12. The camp focuses on purposeful work, observation and exploration with unstructured play, exploration and hands-on activities that help develop children’s physical and social skills.