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JAMESTOWN – A vibrant light display connecting visitors with nature at night kicks off this weekend.
The Audubon Community Nature Center is welcoming spring by hosting a self-guided walk through of their grounds at night, with trails of lights leading the way.
Made possible with funding from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and business sponsor FSC Communications, Senior Nature Educator Jeff Tome says the center’s trailside forests and ponds are decorated with over 10,000 LED lights showing off natures’ beauty.
Western New York P-TECH STEM College and Career Academy students worked with Tome to install the illuminations.
Tome says self-guided walks follows a luminary-lit trail one-third of a mile around the Nature Center.
“We’ve got the trail lit with luminaires, and lights, you can get outside and it is absolutely gorgeous,” said Tome. “This trial is just lit up with all different kinds of things to look at and enjoy, but, at the same time you can kind-of get use to the sounds of the night, a little bit of the dark, and see what nature is like at night.”
He says face coverings are required when six feet of distance between family groups cannot be maintained. Tome also asks guests to be dressed for the weather since the exhibit happens rain or shine.
“We are really excited to be able to offer something outside, that is socially distanced, that is fun, that you can do something different because at this point we all need something different, and we wanted to provide that,” explained Tome.
Located at 1600 Riverside Road, the nature center works to build connections between people and wildlife through various education efforts.
“I think that our parking lots are definitely more full of people than they have been in years, we’ve had a lot more people coming through, visiting, hiking and walking,” furthered Tome. “For the last year, nature is the one thing that has never been closed.”
The center previously hosted a winter lights event, similar to the new spring venture launching this year.
The display is open Fridays and Saturdays from March 26 to April 10. You can book an appointment online at AudubonCNC.org.
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