Q: Why is it called "Baltimore Woods"?
A: In the 19th century, most of the 180 + acres that we now know as Baltimore Woods Nature Preserve was working farmland. At that time, the majority of farmers in this area marketed their cattle in New York City. It seems that one of those farmers, however, had a falling out with his NYC middlemen and decided to send HIS cattle to market in Baltimore instead. So, he purchased and worked a piece of property located close to the railroad line that went to Baltimore. In fact, remnants of that now-defunct train line can still be found on the east side of Lee Mulroy Road. It's funny which names "stick" sometimes: the feisty farmer's former lands and the brook that meanders through them now carry not his name, but the exotic and evocative name of distant "Baltimore."

Q: Who is "John A. Weeks" and why is the new building named after him?
A: Naturalist, author, educator and artist John A. Weeks started his career as a wildlife biologist for the DEC in Syracuse, later joining the faculty of SUNY Oswego. John was the second executive director at CNE (then known as "Onondaga Nature Centers"), during which time he helped establish both Beaver Lake and Cayuga Nature Centers. While at SUNY, John helped found the Rice Creek Field Station and also served as director of the Rogers Environmental Center and Sterling Nature Center. Local public radio listeners may recognize John's voice from his weekly radio broadcast on WRVO, The Nature of Things. Currently, John continues to provide a valued guiding hand to Baltimore Woods in all matters educational and environmental, and has devoted enormous time and energy to creating the Baltimore Woods murals which now adorn the entry to the Interpretive Center. BWNC is truly honored that an environmentalist of John's stature agreed that our new building could be named after him.

Q: Isn't Baltimore Woods a County Park?
A: No! Land at Baltimore Woods is owned by a private not-for-profit organization called Central New York Land Trust (CNYLT), and Baltimore Woods Nature Center is also a private not-for-profit organization. Except for the land that the Interpretive Center sits on, BW does not own any of Baltimore Woods, but maintains and manages the land on behalf of CNYLT. The costs of keeping Baltimore Woods open to the public throughout the year are met by BWNC memberships, summer & vacation Nature Day Camps and other programs throughout the year, individual and business donations, foundation grants, and the like. In fact, on average, well less than 10 % of BWNC's annual operating budget comes from Onondaga County.