SHERBURNE – While Rogers Environmental Education Center may no longer be state funded, the mission of the center carries on through the Friends of Rogers Organization, who have relied on local contributions and volunteerism to keep the center open for the last year.
Hard budget cuts in the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation closed the doors of Rogers’ education center at the end of 2010, depriving the center of essential funding for education programs and eliminating five education staff positions.
Though the organization still benefits from minor ground maintenance by the state, the education center has evolved into a separate, non-profit entity over the last year. Rogers is still loved among many locals and remains a valuable asset in the community, said Friends of Rogers Director Cara Sefchick and with the initiation of the organization’s first official fund-raising mail campaign in November, the association hopes to see continuing support.
“We’re on the right path now,” said Sefchick. “Rogers means so much to so many people. We still have problems, but they can be overcome.”
Throughout the year, Friends of Rogers have been able to host many of the events that were once state funded, including Earth Fest in May, the Rogers Center 45th anniversary celebration and the Animals of Halloween in October; however, the current success of FOR hasn’t been without trial.
“Luckily, there are still previous staff members that help us,” Sefchick said, explaining how experience in environmental education is a vital component of the organization. “The first year is up in the air as far as utility costs go,” she said but being at the end of their first year, Friends of Rogers will be more aware of the costs to maintain the facilities. “We’re still working out a final budget,” she added.
One of the biggest challenges facing the center now, said Sefchick, is spreading the word about the organization.
“We’ve made a lot of progress ... It’s certainly catching on a little but people don’t realize we have regular hours now,” she said. A stronger volunteer program is expected to begin in January and support is always appreciated, she added. “Even for one-day events, we’re always looking for volunteers to help out.”
Friends of Rogers will be hosting its annual Winter Living Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 7 at Rogers Education Center on State Highway 80 in Sherburne. The event will show off unique exhibits and features from the Susquehanna String Band, Wolf Mountain Nature Center and sled-dog presentations. After the success of Earth Fest (drawing in nearly 850 visitors) and Animals of Halloween (150 visitors), FOR is hoping to see the same level of community enthusiasm for this year’s annual winter event.
“We encourage everyone to come to the center and see that the facility can still be utilized,” said Sefchick.
The Environmental Education Center’s current hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday (verify on the center’s website regarding holidays and inclement weather). More information can be found at friendsofrogers.org.