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Montezuma 探花精选 Center Honored as Hobart and William Smith Colleges "Community Partner of the Year"

Since 2012, the center has welcomed students on field trips, volunteer days, and through a growing internship program.
A group of students in bright red and yellow canoes birding while in the water.
By Diana Wilson
Communications Associate, 探花精选 Connecticut & New York
Published June 16, 2026
This article is from 探花精选 New York . Find 探花精选 near you here.

For nearly 15 years, the Montezuma 探花精选 Center has worked with Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) to teach about and conserve habitat across the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. This year, they were honored as the college鈥檚 鈥淐ommunity Partner of the Year鈥.

鈥淲e are so grateful for this honor and the partnership it highlights,鈥 said Chris Lajewski, center director of the Montezuma 探花精选 Center. 鈥淲orking with Hobart and William Smith Colleges has helped us connect with hundreds of young professionals .鈥

The partnership began in 2012, and has since expanded to include field trips, volunteer opportunities, internships, and the formation of an 探花精选 Campus Chapter in 2021.

For many HWS students, their experience with the colleges even begins with an orientation week trip to the Seneca Meadows Wetland Preserve to collect native plant seeds for future restoration projects.

Those passionate about the work may continue their involvement with the Montezuma 探花精选 Center through volunteering and summer internships. These allow students to get hands-on experience with habitat conservation, leading educational programs, and maintaining the conservation action center.

鈥淐onnecting young professionals with opportunities in the conservation field is a huge part of our work, at the Montezuma 探花精选 Center and across the 探花精选鈥檚 network,鈥 said Lajewski. 鈥淭his partnership makes that possible year after year.鈥

Students particularly passionate about birds and birding may even join the colleges鈥 探花精选 Campus Chapter鈥擧WS Birding Club鈥攆or more opportunities to engage with the center鈥檚 conservation and habitat restoration work.

As the summer progresses, the Montezuma 探花精选 Center looks forward to bringing on interns and, come fall, new students as volunteers.

鈥淲e look forward to continuing to work with these students and faculty members, connecting them to conservation, education, and outreach opportunities across the Montezuma Wetlands Complex,鈥 said Lajewski. 鈥淲e hope to keep this partnership going for another 15 years, and then some!鈥