A recent Monday Morning Ramble hike took participants to the Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota. In December, Monday Morning Rambles led by Friends of Rogers Environmental Educator Ellen Rathbone will be held at 10 a.m. on December 4, 11, and 18. (Photo from the Friends of Rogers Facebook page)

SHERBURNE — Chenango County residents can enjoy the season of winter at Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center this December with crafts, hikes, and games.

On Saturday, December 9, join Friends of Rogers Environmental Educator Ellen Rathbone at a workshop to make ornaments and decorative items out of things found in nature.

"They will go home with items that they have created," Rathbone explained. "Some of these could be Christmas tree ornaments or decorations to hang around the house. One place where I worked we had somebody who just made little acorn people all the time."

"We’ll be using things like acorns, seed pods, dried beans, and things like that, that they will most likely use hot glue guns to assemble into decorative items for the season," she continued. "[Executive Director] David [Carson] picked us some acorns at his house earlier this fall. I have acorn caps. We have poppy pods that were left over from our fall benefit, they were in our flower arrangements so we snagged those. I’ve got some milkweed pods. So stuff that I have grabbed, stuff that some of our board members have brought in for us, stuff that we’ve had on hand."

Rathbone said all supplies will be provided, but participants are also welcome to bring in their own items to incorporate into their crafts.

Instruction to make specific ornaments or decorations will not be provided. Instead, Rathbone said the workshop is an opportunity to get creative.

"You’re limited only by your imagination and whatever supplies we have on hand," she said. "I can make some suggestions, but we don’t want people to be limited in their thinking by, ‘well this is what I have to make.’"

This program is sponsored by the Otis Thompson Foundation and free to attend. Participants must pre-register by calling 607-674-4733 or emailing ellen@friendsofrogers.org.

Rathbone also leads the Monday Morning Ramble each week, a group hike at 10 a.m. every Monday morning on the Rogers property, with occasional excursions to other locations.

On December 4 Rathbone will be leading a walk to Adam's Farm, on December 11 the hike will be to the sugarbush on the Rogers Center property, and on December 18 the group will be hiking the Spruce Ridge and south loop on the property.

"It’s basically a wander with a naturalist," said Rathbone. "The people who tend to come on these, everybody has some knowledge. So everybody chimes in with what they know and what we discover."

For example, she said at a recent Monday Morning Ramble, the group came across lots of mushrooms and possibly slime molds during their walk, and one attendee was a "mushroom aficionado," and was able to share what she knew about the funguses.

Friends of Rogers Youth Programs Coordinator Jenni Larchar also leads the weekly Storytime and Hike for kids each Wednesday. Children and their families enjoy reading books, singing, and exploring nature at Rogers Center.

The program is held rain or shine, unless conditions are unsafe, every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. In December, Storytime and Hike will be held on December 6, 13, and 20.

On December 21, local naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts can celebrate the Winter Solstice at Rogers Center's fourth trivia night of the year. Rathbone said they hold trivia nights on the two solstices and two equinoxes each year.

Usually trivia nights are held outdoors at the fire pit, but Rathbone said it will be too cold and too dark in December, so they will be holding trivia indoors at 7 p.m.

Individuals can participate alone or as part of a team. The game consists of six rounds with five questions each, and a final wagering round. The team or individual that ends the game with the most points wins.

"These are nature trivia questions. So some are history, some are about people who are famous in the field, and some are things like, 'how many legs does a millipede have?'" Rathbone explained.

Winners will receive a small prize. Rathbone said there will also be seasonally-appropriate snacks available for participants.

There are many ways to learn about and explore nature year-round at Rogers Center. Visit their new website at FriendsofRogers.org or the Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, Inc. Facebook page for more information.