Join Friends of Rogers at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 19 in person or via Zoom to learn more about monarch butterflies with Rogers Board member and SUNY Morrisville Professor Eric Diefenbacher. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, Friends of Rogers will also be offering an all-ages hike in the Selleck Sugarbush at Rogers Center with Erica Clark from Chenango County 4-H. (Submitted photos)

SHERBURNE — Friends of Rogers Environmental Ed Center is offering two programs in March, one of which will be available on Zoom.

This addition of Zoom allows Friends of Rogers to include attendees from all over the country that share an interest in the environmental education programs they provide. Simon Solomon, Executive Director, said “We started the Zoom program last month and it opened the program to people from all over the state.”

The first program in March is Preparing for Monarchs with Eric Diefenbacher on Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. on Zoom. Join Friends of Rogers Board Member and SUNY Morrisville Professor, Eric Diefenbacher, for this Zoom program about preparing for monarchs to return to New York State.

It's never too early to start planning for monarch butterflies! We will review the monarch migration story, timing of milkweed, and how to rear caterpillars in captivity for release in the Fall. Information on citizen science groups will also be provided. This program is free to attend and sponsored by the Otis Thompson Foundation. Please register to receive the Zoom invitation by emailing info@friendsofrogers.org.

The second program in March will be held to celebrate New York State Maple Weekend on Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. Join Friends of Rogers for a hiking program in the Selleck Sugarbush at Rogers Center.

Erica Clark from Chenango County 4-H and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County will lead this hike for all ages. Erica will cover what the sugarbush is, the sugar making process and take you to see some of the equipment. You will also get to see what the sugar maples look like up close and how to identify them. Attendees can discuss small scale maple syrup production for families and hobbyists.

This program is Free to attend and brought to you by the Otis Thompson Foundation. The Selleck Sugaring project was established in memory of Bruce Selleck, former Board Member and Colgate Alum, this project is a living laboratory where visitors learn the science and craft of maple sugaring. Local entrepreneurs provide operational expertise in exchange for syrup sale proceeds, with the balance supporting Friends of Rogers operations at Rogers Environmental Education Center.

Maple syrup samples will be provided to each participant to try, and maple syrup is available for sale in the store located in the Visitor Center. Registration is required, please email info@friendsofrogers.org to register.

Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, Inc., is a nonprofit organization that offers educational programs for people of all ages. Seasonal hours of the Visitor Center are from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, other times by appointment.

The mission of the Friends of Rogers is to provide outstanding educational opportunities that excite, inspire, and motivate people of all ages to enjoy, understand, appreciate, and protect our natural environment.

-From the Friends of Rogers