Since 1909, we have been an integral part of Central New York.
Friends of Rogers ™
The Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, known simply as the Friends of Rogers, is a 501(c)(3) that is responsible for the operation of the 600 acres, five facilities, and seven miles of trails at Rogers Center. Led by a devoted board of directors from the community, and staffed with some of the most talented environmental scientists and educators in the region, we operate this unique community asset for Central New York.
By looking for new ways to engage our community, school systems, and local businesses, we are able to weave our programs into everyday activities and remind our community that nature touches every aspect of our lives and well-being.
Our operating agreement with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation allows us to work in partnership with NYS to deliver on our mission: to provide outstanding educational opportunities that excite, inspire, and motivate people of all ages and abilities to enjoy, understand, appreciate, and protect our natural environment.
Passive Recreation
With green space and pavilions, outdoor grills and picnic tables, 600 acres and 7 miles of trails, Rogers Center is a beloved community resource for the region.
Explore our full offering of upstate New York ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and cultural heritage. Free to the public and accessible all year round.
Environmental Education
Rogers Center is home to the longest- standing environmental education facility and programming in the state. We offer an array of programs to our local school systems that are aligned with NYS teaching standards, Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core, and are rooted in the exploration and appreciation of the outdoors.
We also offer many public programs, ranging from weekly nature walks and seasonal lectures from regional experts, to community science and habitat restoration workshops.
Ecosystem Restoration
Our world is experiencing its sixth great extinction. As a consequence of climate change and unsustainable land use practices, our fellow species are struggling to stay alive. We see ourselves as stewards of the land, and place great emphasis on the cultivation of wildlife habitat, restoration of native ecosystems, and scientific tracking of biodiversity.
Meet the team
Executive Director
Education & Communications Assoc.
Bookkeeper & Administrative Assistant
Youth Programs Coordinator
Community Engagement Coord.
Board of Directors
President - Jessica Sarauer, PhD
Vice President - Owen Tallman
Treasurer - Dianne Daugherty
Secretary - Connie Hasko
Daniel Auwarter
Eric Diefenbacher
Marsha Guzewich
Christine Moskell, PhD
Thurston Packer - Board Emeritus
Sharon Pelosi
Adam Schoonmaker, PhD
Carol Smith
Fred von Mechow - Board Emeritus
Jennifer Cox
John Pumilio - Board Emeritus
Rogers Center History
The Early Years
1909 - New York State Forest, Fish and Game Commission builds a pheasant farm in Sherburne.
The state buys 168 acres of land along the Chenango River for the original game farm. Sherburne game farm is the first game farm established in New York State. Harry and Gertrude Rogers become the first managers of the game farm.
1933 - The Civilian Conservation Corps, housed at Adams Farm, builds flood barriers, ponds, roads, and trails on the farm property.
1948 - The Sherburne Pheasant Farm is renamed Rogers State Game Farm to recognize the efforts of Harry and Gertrude Rogers.
The Middle Years
1963 - The New York Forest, Fish and Game Commission phases out the game farm and Sherburne considers a nature center.
Led by president John Borst, the Sherburne Rotary Club funds a nature center feasibility study conducted by the National Audubon Society. The game farm property is proposed as the logical location for the nature center.
1966 - New York State accepts the National Audubon Society Proposal.
The New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) receives $100,000 to develop the center and hire the center’s first director, John A. Weeks.
1968 - The New York State Conservation Department opens its first educational visitor center to the public, called Rogers Conservation Education Center.
The Center’s objectives are to educate the public about the environment, as well as New York State Conservation Department policies and concerns.
The Later Years
1970 - Rogers Conservation Center is renamed Rogers Environmental Education Center.
Staffed and financially supported by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Rogers Center offers exhibits, programs, school outreach, and events to educate the community about the environment. The public uses the facilities in many ways; through school day visits, overnight and summer camp visits, cooperative programs with 4-H, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and other groups and family visits - both formal and informal.
2010 - A New York State fiscal crisis shuts down the center. The center is closed on December 31, 2010 after New York State implements severe budget cuts.
Today
2011 to Present - Friends of Rogers 501(c)(3) works out an agreement with New York State to assume responsibility for operating the center.
Friends of Rogers is a not for profit group working to support Rogers Center activities and events since 1968. Originally known as Mid-York Conservation Fund, it was renamed Friends of Rogers in 1995. In 2011, Friends of Rogers signed a Use and Occupancy Agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation authorizing Friends of Rogers to continue its original mission, keeping the Visitor Center open, with programming available to the public using financial support provided by the community.
