What an absolute gem of a find! We were looking for a pit stop on a long drive where we could grab lunch and stretch our legs, and then I saw pictures of Amberations and immediately knew I wanted to figure out how to get there. It took us a couple of U-turns to find the exact spot, but once we arrived, I was so glad we made the effort! The kids absolutely loved meeting the barn animals, while I loved the beautiful riverside picnic tables. We also traded a few books at the little library and took a nice, long walk along the nature trails. We ended up spending much more time here than we expected, but honestly, we enjoyed every minute of it. It was peaceful, beautiful, and had something for everyone in the family. Such a wonderful little oasis that we happened to stumble upon during a road trip. Definitely worth the detour! read more

Amberations - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Marietta, New York

Amberations is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting mental health through interaction with the natural environment. With almost 50 acres, they are located on the western edge of Onondaga county in Marietta, New York. At their barn site they offer opportunities to mingle with their goats, donkey, birds and barn cats. There is easy access to a small stream, teaming with frogs, minnows, and salamanders. A lovely deck adorns one end of their barn. It's a nice place to enjoy the sounds of nature and occasionally be visited by a Great Blue Heron. This is a wheelchair friendly area. The entrance to this area is a driveway shared with 2231 Amber Road, next to the Otisco Lake Community Center. Look for the small silhouette of Big Joe the donkey! In their upper fields they have built wheelchair paths surrounding a gazebo and are always working on developing gardens. There are also very nice trails through woods as well as through their songbird habitat. This is the best area for taking dogs and walking trails. The entrance to this area is at 2345 Amber Road, up a long gravel driveway. Go left at the top to find the small parking area in the fields. There is also a large pasture with two beautiful horses to visit. Their goal is to nurture relationships with the community they seek to serve. Opportunities abound for getting involved in many capacities. If you like nature, the outdoors, gardening, animals, or helping others, please consider giving them a call and volunteering. I'm a volunteer for Amberations so I can tell you, it's an amazing organization. It was started by two families who wanted to be able to bring nature to people of all abilities. It has grown so much in its 10 years of existence. They've hosted weddings, hold two big fundraisers during the year - their Otisco Lake Bike Race and Mothers Day Brunch in the spring and Fall Festival in autumn - as well as offering glamping, a new pond full of frogs, and their wonderful animals to visit. Definitely a place for everyone to check out, whether you like animals, nature, hiking - whatever you're into, Amberations has something for you. read more

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Such a quaint spot. The Yelp event was very interactive and welcoming. But, the founder and volunteers at Amberations and the stories they shared really set the tone. The barn animals were adorable. Big Joe even tried to nibble on my big hair. They had beautiful horses and a hiking trail to die for. This place is certainly a diamond in the rough with so much love and history. If you have Thea chance definitely visit. read more

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This past weekend I was invited out to a festival at the Amberations that is held annually to raise money for this wonderful non-profit. It was my first experience with this "farm" and i put that in quotations only because it is so much more than that. They are trying to put out a product that is really hard to explain but makes so much sense when you are there. Their website states that they are trying 'to promote mental health through interaction with the natural environment for people of all abilities." and when you are there that makes total sense, with groomed paths down to the barn full of animals and a playground and pavilion in the "farm" area, but then there is hiking paths with streams that lead into wide open pastures with horses running and wildflowers growing that would give a pretty decent challenge to walk it. It's 50 acres of any nature lovers bliss, and its all free to just come take a visit. There are donation boxes for taking care of the animals and other various things they do, but no one twists your arm or even brings it up when you are there. The event they threw was a good time with a chili cookoff that they think they are going to try to make an annual thing lots of vendors with home made goods, some good food and music you generally wouldn't see anywhere, at one point there was a band that was made up almost entirely of marimbas. It was a beautiful day and I got to hang out with all the animals and spend a hour just relaxing in all of it. All in all it probably isn't a place that's gonna fill a 8 hour day, but if you just want to relax for a few hours in a peaceful and serene area and maybe let your kids run around for a few and hang out with some animals. This is definitely a stop you should make. read more

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What a cool non-profit organization! Their goal is to connect people to nature to help improve mental health. They have hiking trails, a frog pond, horses you can pet, bunnies (1 is up for adoption right now), goats, a donkey (Big Joe), a friendly cat (Shadow), a chicken and some glamping opportunities offered by Gloria. The place is wheel-chair accessible. I really believe hiking today, in the heat, and seeing all the animals was a real therapy session. I thoroughly enjoyed being here and found myself so happy to be able to interact with the animals. This is a great place to take anyone in your family, kids and adults alike. It is open to the public. They accept donations. The horses, Chi Chi & Que (sp?), are there 24/7. You're allowed to go up the trail to pet them. They have a fall festival with fun festivities and local music. They also have a gift shop that sells fun things like soap! There is one soap that is colored and named after the cat Shadow! Their gift shop includes hoodies and t-shirts. read more

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Enjoy the outdoors, great views, cleared hiking trails, and barnyard animals too. All ages can enjoy this hidden gem. Non-profit donations are encouraged, not required, but certainly everything helps to care for the land and animals of this preserve. Unique spots of interest and items along your trails. We enjoyed the peacefulness of our hike and the babbling stream we sat beside, as well as the animals and the pond. Lovely place to clear your head and enjoy nature. read more

Excellent spot to enjoy the out doors and to connect with some people friendly animals. Amerbations is a nonprofit organization dedicated to support mental health through interaction with the natural environment. They are wheel chair accessible and have designated paths for hiking. They have a great barn filled with goats, donkey, Rabbits and a few barn cats. On the upper fields there are a few horses. During the fall they have a festival where they have chili, hot dogs, crafts and clothes for sale. The area is very kid friendly and easy to get around. They had a great amount of activities and tons of dogs walking around with their human parents. They even had a few music groups playing live music. Only downside is the parking is on the street and since it is well attended for the fall festival may have to park far away. Come anytime to visit big joe the donkey or the goats. It's a fun and friendly place for the family. Very peaceful. read more

The first time I ever came here was during an event, but I knew that I had to come back and check it out again. This is truly a hidden gym in the Syracuse area. On that note it is a bit of a trek from the city itself, but gd completely worth it. The drive itself is really pleasant, so don't let that deter you. They have a lot more here than you would think. The first area you will probably want to check out, is the main barn. They have some pretty awesome and super friendly animals there. You'll definitely love Big Joe the donkey. I can't remember the other names, but the goats are so friendly too! You will also meet their barn cat Shadow. He is so tame that you will swear he is a house cat with a bad hair day. They also have rabbits, a frog/toad pond, and a friendly chicken that likes to hang out. This isn't all though. Up the hill you will find tons of trails, a lovely gazebo to relax at, and a horse area with two beautiful horses. I highly recommend coming out here. They don't cost a thing, but try to donate if you can. That way we can keep them up and running for years to come! read more

Dave and I came out to visit the farm a few weekends ago for their Fall Festival and I'm glad we did. The farm is on a beautiful plot of land not far from the city and we got to meet some of the sweetest critters. If that weren't enough since we came for the festival we got to listen to some great musicians and eat some tasty treats with every dime spent going towards the farm and the animals. I look forward to coming back with our dogs to check out the trails. read more

Amberations - Peek a boo - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Marietta, New York

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This place is accessible, beautiful and fun. The animals are SO cute. You can feed them and pet them.