ROCHESTER, NY, Jan. 31, 2020 – The Cumming Nature Center was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the Finger Lakes Visitor Connection (FLVC). This grant will go towards the addition of an elevator at the Nature Center which will create opportunities for children, elderly visitors, and people with disabilities to easily move between the upper and lower levels of educational offerings.
“We’re always excited to increase access to our visitors, whether it’s making it easier to access our exhibits or access the benefits that you gain from spending time in the woods,” said Nathan Hayes, Director of the Cumming Nature Center. “This award will make increasing access that much easier.”
Located in Naples, Cumming Nature Center is a dynamic 900-acre environmental education facility that celebrates the unique landscape and culture of the Finger Lakes region through hands-on learning opportunities and thoughtful exhibits.
The Nature Center was one of six non-profit organizations recognized at a special celebration at Main Street Arts, located in Clifton Springs, N.Y., on Jan. 29. These awards amount to over $25,000 of matching grant funds which promote Accessibility for All by helping these organizations “improve accessibility and the visitor experience in Ontario County.”
“Travel has the power to inspire change both for travelers in their own lives and for the community in which they are visiting. Everyone, regardless of age, race, gender or disability, should have access to the opportunity to travel,” said Valerie Knoblauch, president and CEO of Finger Lakes Visitors Connection. “I am pleased with the diversity of the projects submitted as well as the thoughtful plans being crafted to help address accessibility for all in Ontario County tourism. Accessibility for all is not an impossible dream – it’s a goal we can achieve by working together.”
Other recipients include:
- Cumming Nature Center
- Fort Hill Performing Arts Center
- Greater Canandaigua Civic Center
- Main Street Arts
- New York Kitchen
- Town of Victor Department of Parks and Recreation
For more information about the Cumming Nature Center, go to https://rmsc.org/cumming-nature-center/about.
Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) includes the Science Museum, Strasenburgh Planetarium and Cumming Nature Center. Offering experiences at the Museum with more than 200 interactive exhibits, the Planetarium with a 65-foot dome and the Nature Center on 900 acres, the RMSC stimulates community interest in exploration. In addition, the more than 1.2 million RMSC collection items tell the story of Rochester’s past including its rich history of innovation and invention. RMSC receives major funding from Monroe County, where it is one of the top five most visited attractions serving children and families.
For more information about RMSC, visit rmsc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Finger Lakes Visitors Connection has been the official tourism promotion agency for Ontario County for the past 35 years. Its mission is to create visitorship and economic vitality for Ontario County by marketing its tourism assets and positioning the area as a premier leisure and meetings destination. For more information on FLVC, call (585) 394-3915 or go to VisitFingerLakes.com.
