A lot of folks come to the Finger Lakes to experience our sweeping vistas, our grand waterfalls, and deep gorges. They certainly find what they came for and are often satisfied with that level of adventure.
But what if there’s even more to find – more connection, more spirit, more creativity in every square foot of the region?
What happens when you zoom in and look closely at the shapes and movements of the smallest parts of nature around you? What do you see when you look at the frost-encased curls of vines in winter?
Getting “outside” and “connecting with nature” doesn’t have to be grand. Even if you’re coming to the area for a mostly indoor conference or meeting, you can find the beauty and unique expression of the natural world in small gardens or landscaped areas around the conference hall, your lodging, or the outstanding local food venues. Slow down, focus on one small area, and look around. What do you see? Frozen vines or a joyful dancing being?
It’s all about opportunity and perspective. We hope you will take the opportunity while you’re in the Finger Lakes region to shift your focus and find a connection to the people and places of our beautiful area and to a deeper part of yourself.
A Finger Lakes Human Hidden Gem Helps You Learn How to Connect
The Finger Lakes has human hidden gems that complement and enhance our outdoor spaces hidden gems. Deb Denome is one of those special folks who make you feel better, more peaceful, and more hopeful, just by spending time with her. She has the gift of connecting you to nature and you to yourself.
Deb has cherished an intimate connection with the natural world since childhood, finding inspiration, sanctuary, and livelihood in the field and forest. She is an educator, Registered Horticultural Therapist, Herbalist, Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, and is in the Gestalt Professional Coach Certification program. Passionately dedicated to expanding human consciousness and fostering awareness of our interdependence with all living things, Deb’s greatest joy lies in helping others deepen their relationship with the Earth, each other, and their own inner nature. She offers Forest Bathing, True Nature Retreats, and Nature Partnered Coaching as profound and life-giving pathways to these connections.
As Founder of Finger Lakes Forest Immersion, Deb combines her expertise with a lifelong commitment to exploring conscious and regenerative ways of life. She enjoyed 27 years as Director of a nonprofit educational organization deeply aligned with her personal mission and previously served as Vice President of Training and Curriculum Development for two international publishing companies. Her dedication to promoting women in leadership earned her the prestigious Canandaigua Athena Award in 2008.
Today, Deb embraces the joys of life at her farm overlooking Canandaigua Lake, where she tends abundant herb gardens, dances often, and continues to inspire others through her work and her love of nature.
Reach out to Deb at Finger Lakes Forest Immersion and experience for yourself the power of her simple motto: Guided by nature, we thrive.
Want To Visit a Quiet Trail Close To Your Meeting Location?
If you are here for a mostly indoor meeting and want to spend some of your free time outdoors, here are some terrific hidden gems all within 20 minutes of meeting spaces in some of the area’s larger communities:
Rochester Area
Seneca Park and Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St Paul St, Rochester, NY 14621
Genesee Valley Park, 1000 E. River Road, Rochester, NY 14623
Durand Eastman Park, 1200 Kings Hwy N., Rochester, NY 14617
Syracuse Area
Onondaga Creekwalk, 349 W Kirkpatrick Road, Syracuse NY 13208
Erie Canalway Trail, Camillus to Jordan, 5750 Devoe Road, Camillus, NY 13031
Thornden Park, Thornden Park Dr, Syracuse, NY 13210
Auburn Area
Emerson Park, 6877 E Lake Rd, Auburn, NY 13021
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, 3395 US-20, Seneca Falls, NY 13148
Corning Area
Spencer Crest, 2424 Spencer Hill Rd., Corning, NY 14830
Houghton Land Preserve, Spencer Hill Road, Corning, NY 14830
Cortland Area
Hoxie Gorge State Forest, Hoxie Gorge Freetown Road, Cortland, NY 13803
Gee Whiz Trail, 29 Clinton Street McGraw, NY 13101
Geneva Area
(To the South) Kashong Conservation Area, 320 Kashong Rd, Geneva, NY 14456
(To the North) Blue Cut Nature Center, 7210 NY-31, Lyons, NY 14489
Ithaca Area
Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve, 313 Ellis Hollow Creek Rd #183, Ithaca, NY 14850
Sapsucker Woods, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Sweedler and Thayer Preserves at Lick Brook, 1 Townline Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850
To uncover even more, visit our FLX Outdoor Experience page and discover the beauty of the Finger Lakes region through exciting adventures and hidden treasures. We’re thrilled to showcase the abundant outdoor offerings and sustainability initiatives that make this area so special.
