Sterling Nature Center includes two miles of lakeshore and 1400 acres of forest and field, with scenic views of Lake Ontario from glacially formed bluffs and varied terrain of wetlands, vernal pools, woodlands, creeks, and meadows that shelters diverse species of animals and plants. The Seaway Trail terrain was shaped by glaciers that left a pattern of hills and wetlands. The property was purchased in 1974 by Rochester Electric and Gas as the site for a power plant, and in 1976 Rochester Electric and Gas was permitted for a nuclear power plant, but the proposal was later dropped as unfeasible. The site was then considered for a toxic waste dump in 1980, a regional landfill in 1985, and a low level radioactive waste dump in 1990, when the Sterling Task Force was formed to pursue public purchase. Cayuga County purchased the property in 1994, and Sterling Nature Center opened in 1998. A Great Blue Heron rookery can be seen from the Rookery Trail, where up to 60 nests have been built in trees that died when they were flooded by a beaver pond. The undisturbed shoreline is paved with polished cobbles, and the eroding head of a glacial drumlin creates dramatic forms along the waterfront to the south. A canoe trail follows Sterling Valley Creek to Fair Haven beach.