(WNY News Now) – Discover the growing network of recreational trails and waterways in Chautauqua County at Audubon Community Nature Center’s First Friday event on December 6, featuring trail expert Jacob Bodway.
Jamestown, N.Y. – “Trails of Chautauqua County with Jacob Bodway” is the program for Audubon Community Nature Center’s First Friday, December 6, 11 a.m. to noon.
Join Bodway, trail coordinator for the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth, as he provides an overview of the incredible recreation opportunities in Chautauqua County.
Chautauqua County has seen a surge in trail and waterway improvements in the past few years, along with a new interactive and mobile trail map. This presentation will detail some of the major recreational and eco-tourism developments throughout the county, as well as provide an outline of how we got to where we are and where we hope to go in the future.
Bodway grew up in the woods in Wisconsin, where he developed a passion for nature and for trails. While working on his Ph.D. in English Literature, he moved to Fredonia, N.Y., after meeting his future wife, Rachel. Together, they explored the trails throughout Chautauqua County and fell in love with the county’s natural beauty.
On returning to Chautauqua County in 2020, Bodway revisited the 2012 Chautauqua County Greenways Plan, inspiring the formation of the Friends of Chautauqua County Greenways group. Since 2020, He has helped raise roughly $750,000 for recreation improvements throughout the county.
If you’d like to bring a packed lunch, you can visit with Bodway after the program.
Program fee is $8 or $6 for Nature Center members and children ages 9 to 15. Reservations are appreciated by calling (716) 569-2345 or online through Programs and Events at AudubonCNC.org. Walk-ins are welcome.
Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, Pa. You can visit the nearly 600-acre nature preserve, check in on the live birds of prey, and hike over five miles of trails dawn until dusk daily for free.
The three-story Nature Center building houses interactive displays, a collection of live animals including the Hellbender exhibit, and the Blue Heron Gift Shop. Visitors are welcome Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1 – 4:30 p.m. Nature Center members and SNAP/EBT cardholders have free building admission daily. Building admission is also free every Sunday for non-Nature Center members.
To learn more about Audubon and its many programs, call (716) 569-2345, find Audubon Community Nature Center on Facebook, or visit AudubonCNC.org. Check out AudubonCNC.org/about for a quick fly-by visit.
Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways.
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