The Montezuma Audubon Center (MAC) is a state-owned facility operated through a cooperative agreement between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the National Audubon Society. The MAC houses a large exhibit area, classroom, nature store, office area, auditorium, and a meeting room. On its 198 acres, there are five different types of habitat, two restored freshwater marshes, a one-mile hiking trail, and an all-access observation platform. The Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) is one of the largest conservation projects in the nation for reclamation of important wildlife and wetland habitat. The complex is a crucial migration stopover point for migrating waterfowl in the northeast.
Audubon New York operates the center, in partnership with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and Pheasants Forever in the planning of educational and interpretative programs and exhibits.
The MAC Education Director works closely with school groups throughout the greater Syracuse and Rochester areas and points between. Schools and other groups come to the MAC and learn about its unique surroundings. In addition, MAC staff facilitate educational outreach programs such as For the Birds!, a program that has had great success in New York City with urban youth.
The MAC is a great addition to the already amazing Montezuma Wetlands Complex. Visitors will be able to find a full day of activities by coming to enjoy the MAC, the National Wildlife Refuge, and all the creatures great and small in the MWC.
