(WNY News Now) – Above and Below the Allegheny River with Piper VanOrd is the exciting topic of Audubon Community Nature Center’s First Friday program on January 3, 2024, from 11 a.m. to noon.
Jamestown, N.Y. – “Above and Below the Allegheny River with Piper VanOrd” is the program for Audubon Community Nature Center’s First Friday, January 3, 11 a.m. to noon.
The owner of Allegheny Outfitters in Warren, Pa., Piper VanOrd is a student of the Allegheny River and loves every opportunity to share what makes this waterway so special. Come along as she shares videos, and the stories behind them, while exploring the nooks and crannies of this waterway.
After returning from a humanitarian aid trip to Ukraine in July 2023, VanOrd felt a strong need to reconnect with her natural surroundings to help find her footing.
What began as wanting to get a closer look at a Great Blue Heron’s feet quickly became a commitment to get on the river every morning and evening, setting cameras above and below the water’s surface. What VanOrd found, both on the river and within herself, has become a project full of learning about all the river’s fascinating critters. From families of otters, beavers, and raccoons, down to the tiniest critters like water boatman and mayflies, she is constantly amazed by everything that calls the river home and how they are all connected.
VanOrd is a founding member of the Allegheny River Clean-up, now in its 17th year; clean-up volunteers have removed more than 180,000 pounds of metal alone from a 31-mile stretch of the Allegheny River and two of its tributaries. The author of the Allegheny River Paddling Guide is a Leave No Trace Master Educator, ACA Level I and II Instructor, and is Wilderness First Aid certified.
You are welcome to bring a packed lunch and visit with VanOrd 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, snowshoe and cross country ski 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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