ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – As the Tanglewood Nature Center & Museum celebrates its 50th anniversary, it’s also looking forward to building a major new attraction. 18 News obtained the first renderings of a Canopy Walkway that’s being planned with the help of Meg Lowman, who is known as “Canopy Meg.” Lowman is a pioneer in forest canopy ecology, author, educator, and public speaker, whose own roots are in Elmira. Lowman has also designed canopy walkways around the world.
“She went to school in Elmira, she is an Elmiran, and she has developed many canopy walkways over the entire world,” said Elaine Smith, the Executive Director of the Tanglewood Nature Center.
“This idea has been sort of hatching for the last 18 years at Tanglewood because I started, with the help of some other people, a camp for girls aged 9 to 12 for girls who are interested in science, and it’s called the Meg Lowman Treetops Camp.”
The project calls for towers 60 to 80 feet high, connected by walkways up to 300 feet long. It would be only the second canopy walkway in New York State. Smith says the other one is about 5 hours away in the Adirondacks.
“Canopy walkways serve many purposes,” said Elaine Smith. “They are recreational. It’s a great place to go and see nature in a new way. But they can also be educational because you’re up in an area of the trees that you don’t normally get to, so you can see things that you might not see from the ground. Different insects, see birds nesting, watch males do their thing up high, all those things if you’re lucky.”
The 3-million-dollar project was presented to Chemung County Legislators last month. Tanglewood is asking the County for one million dollars from the American Rescue Plan. The rest is being raised through a mix of grants and donations.
After the funding is secured, the hope is to break ground on the project in the middle of 2024, and have the walkway open in early 2025.
“It just feels right and Tanglewood is ready. We want to have a walkway here to be a tourist attraction and educational addition to our programs, and in honor of Meg.”
You can watch the full presentation made to County Legislators below: